Security Consultant Monthly March 09

SECURITY CONSULTANT MONTHLY From the desk of: Johnnie L. Mock Security Consultant E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.jmock-consult.com Phone/Fax: 49-6805-615971

Vol. 1. Issue 4. March 2009 Risk Analysis, Asset Protection, Physical Security Audits, Security Training and Development, Firearms Training Programs. I am board certified by ASIS as a Physical Security Professional. For more information on my cost effective services please visit: www.jmock-consult.com

In this issue 1) Consultants Musings: Guns, school shootings, and security 2) Personal Safety: Awareness 3) Book Review: High Security Mechanical Locks 4) Product Review: Flash Voyager 6) Final Word: Write an article!

1) Consultants Musings: Guns, school shootings, and security. The recent tragic school shooting here in Germany has brought the inevitable cries of “How?” “Why?” as well as the also inevitable cry for stricter gun control. School shootings are a phenomenon that seems to have begun in the United States and has spread to Western Europe. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the fundamental reasons for these shootings such as the breakdown of family, parental control, and impersonal school systems that process children as a “product”. The fact that the Western nations are producing more and more psychotic children is obvious. In addition, these shootings are now happening in countries that have some of the most restrictive gun control laws on the books. The causes of these shootings are beyond the control of security. Security cannot treat the causes, only the symptoms. So what can security do? And what constitutes proper school security? And who should be doing it? Many schools in the inner cities of the United States have adopted serious school security programs based on both technology and human monitoring. Some schools have metal detectors and security guards in the halls or even classrooms. Other schools have adopted strict rules and regulations on what children are allowed to bring to school. Some of these rules are even enforced to the point of lunacy such as the expulsion of a female ROTC cadet for having wooden firearms replicas used by the drill team in her possession. Many schools in less dangerous environments have no security whatsoever relying on both “It couldn’t happen here” mentality and whatever local Law Enforcement is available. So here in the United States, at least, security in schools runs the gamut of prison like facilities to no security at all. I think it is important to define the security problem completely before we try to solve it. In the vast majority of these school shootings whether in the United States or Europe, there are two common denominators from a security standpoint. First, the perpetrator desires to kill as many people as possible. Second, he intends to kill himself. In other words, these are basically terrorist attacks. The difference in motivations of a deranged youth in a school shooting and a suicide bomber in Bagdad are totally irrelevant. Both desire to kill as many victims as possible and both desire or are willing to die in the process. The response should be based on an ability to immediately stop the perpetrator of the act. There is a third common denominator in the vast majority of these school shootings that is slowly, although reluctantly being looked at. That is that at each of these locations there was no immediate armed response available. Even the fastest police response was unable to prevent a large number if not a majority of the killings. The victims were literally defenseless lambs to the slaughter. So what is the answer?

It is obvious that additional “gun control” is useless. All the gun laws on the books have never prevented either deranged youths or terrorists from accessing firearms. So the next best option is to completely fortify our schools with metal detectors, barbed wire, body searches, and armed guards. Or is it? This option is obviously not only cost prohibitive for most school districts, but is arguably a seriously negative environment for children. School should be not only a safe, but positive environment to learn in. So what is the answer? If you cannot identify deranged children ahead of time, and you cannot prevent them from acquiring dangerous weapons and you cannot afford a Fort Knox security system to keep them from entering schools with the dangerous weapons, then what do you do? It is obvious that at all of these locations had there been an immediate armed response capability to stop the shooter(s) a lot of children would be alive right now. But if we can’t afford armed guard patrolling our schools, how do we do that? Simple: You arm and train the teachers at primary and secondary school level, and professors and students at the college level. On a voluntary basis. If every classroom had an armed teacher nearby or every university classroom an armed student in it, the victim numbers in these shootings would be considerably lower. I’m not talking about giving and AK-47 to every teacher or an Uzi to every college student. I’m talking about allowing teachers who already have concealed carry permits or who desire and are willing to undergo the proper training to get one, to carry their concealed weapons on school grounds. I’m talking about allowing college students who have proper concealed carry licenses to carry their weapons on campus. I’m talking about having a trained and alert immediate armed response available to take out a deranged shooter as quickly as possible and to save as many precious children and young adult lives as possible. This concept of course flies in the face of the touchy feely Leftist attitudes of many educators and school district board members, but in some places it may become a reality. There is already a growing movement on many college campuses of students demanding to carry their legally owned and properly licensed firearms with them on campus. And there is a growing movement in some states to pass legislation to require state funded universities to allow it, just as legislation has been passed in many places requiring employers to allow workers with concealed carry permits to have their weapons in their autos on company property. Personally, I think it is a good idea.

2) Personal Safety: Awareness. Security practitioners form a wide spectrum of disciplines and work in a wide variety of environments. But regardless of the environment, a basic principle that applies not only to security practitioners but to the public at large is the concept of awareness of one’s immediate surroundings. And it is a principle that is universally flagrantly violated. Even by security practitioners. And it is obvious. Many crimes are committed because the victim was not even aware of the potential situation. Many accidents occur because the victim literally walked into the situation. Many people are robbed, raped, maimed, killed and injured because their total awareness was centered around their immediate comfort zone or even less. If you want to see this demonstrated, the next time you go to a shopping mall, grab a drink and have a seat on a bench and just watch people go by. You will see people almost run into each other because they are talking to a friend beside them. You will see people almost walk through shop windows from not really looking where they are going. Some will actually bump into them. People talking on cell phones will literally walk into walls if their heads are down while talking. I’m sure each of you could cite other examples. It would be almost funny if it wasn’t so serious. It is important to develop a sense of awareness of your surrounding by using your senses. Pay attention to what you see. When standing before a storefront window, use the reflection to notice who is behind you. Look and see who or what is on an elevator before stepping in. When walking, look forward and not at your feet, and glance around often to see who or what is near you. Pay attention to what you hear. Are those loud voices a couple having a spat, or an imminent act of violence you want to steer away from? When using your cell phone on foot, stop walking and place your back to a solid surface if possible and pay attention to who is coming near you. Pickpockets and purse snatchers love distracted people. And don’t use your cell phone when engaged in activities such as driving. Pay attention to what you smell. If you smell smoke in a place that there shouldn’t be any, it is time to move to somewhere else. These are just a few examples of how every individual should maintain a sense of personal awareness of their surroundings. It could save your life.

3) Book Review: High Security Mechanical Locks Graham W. Pulford Elsevier ISBN 13: 978-0-7506-8437-8

This book truly is an encyclopedic work. At 613 pages it is pretty massive. The author covers in great detail the workings of just about any mechanical lock in existence. There are exhaustive chapters on pin tumbler, wafer, side bar, lever, and magnetic locks. There is even a chapter on automobile locks. Want to know how the lock on your Alpha Romeo works? Or your BMW? It’s all here. I haven’t totally read this page to page, but if I ever have a question (or a client has a question) on anything to do with mechanical locks, I’m sure to find it here. Available to ASIS members at a discount on their website.

4) Product Review: Flash Voyager

Memory sticks have been around for a long time and are indeed handy to carry backup data, or to use with all your internet shortcuts when you don’t want to drag your laptop around and can access a computer at a business center or internet café. And if you employ a program that allows you to access your home or office computer worldwide from any other computer they can be really efficient. The Flash Voyager made by Corsair is one of the best I have tried. They come in 8, 16, 32, and 64 Gig configurations. They are rubber armored and water resistant. I bought my 64 Gig at a Bazaar in Kabul Afghanistan (killer price) and it has traveled the world with me. My only complaint is that on my older model, the rubber end cap tends to come loose and can be easily lost, but this has been solved in the newer models by a chain between the cap and the end. The carry strap is pretty massive also and has a large clip. They also make a mini drive about the size of a quarter. You can check out Corsair’s entire line at: www.corsair.com

5) Final Word: I was a bit late getting this month’s edition out, as I have been extremely busy. I am however interested in this small journal growing to include much more information. I truly seek articles from readers to include in each issue. So, if you have a security theme you would like to expound on, send it to me to be published. I will be travelling to the States in May and am considering opening a branch office in Phoenix Arizona. I am sure I will have much to write about in the coming months. And as always, stay safe. Johnnie L. Mock PSP