New York Stock Exchange: Safeguarding NYC Presentation

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will host the monthly meeting of the First Precinct Financial Area Security Council on Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

Vincent J. Bove, CPP will be the featured speaker and present Leadership Principles: Crisis Planning, Community Partnerships, Violence Prevention

This is an RSVP event for law enforcement, private security and property management representatives. An authorized attendee list must be provided to NYSE security. Reservation requests by appropriate public-private sector professionals are to be emailed to:

Maria T. Mammano
First Precinct Financial Area Security Council
mmammano@stellarmanagment.com

Government ID must be presented at NYSE checkpoint (2 Broad Street, Broad/Wall Street) by all attendees. Armed individuals must present additional related credentials. Please allow ample time for security check point screening.

Networking (lunch provided) begins at 1:00pm with a 1:45pm meeting start. Vincent’s presentation is 45 minutes:

Leadership Principles: Crisis Planning, Community Partnerships, Violence Prevention

DESCRIPTION

Leadership is critical for society especially as it is related to safeguarding lives and property.
This presentation will educate and inspire attendees to a renewed dedication to the privilege and ethical responsibility of their profession. Leadership, vigilance and collaboration will serve as the foundation for understanding the principles of crisis planning, public/private partnerships and violence prevention.

AGENDA

Contemporary Concerns-Alleviation of Suffering-Essential to the Preservation of Society

Head on Collision: Leadership Crisis / Culture of Violence

Mitigation / Prevention / Preparedness / Recovery

Culture of Preparedness / Unity of Effort

Lessons Learned: An American Tragedy

Reawakening a Sense of Purpose and Dedication

American Military Tribute

Conclusion

This event is a follow up to four previous leadership, crisis planning and violence prevention presentations by Vincent Bove for safeguarding NYC via property managers, museums/cultural facilities, fire safety directors and hospital security directors:

New York City Crisis Planning...May 22, 2013 Blog

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 I delivered a keynote titled Protecting People and Property: Leadership, Vigilance, Collaboration at the request of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Greater New York Chapter. The presentation was for property managers of New York City facilities. IREM is an international community of real estate managers dedicated to ethical business practices...and promoting superior management through education and information sharing.

Complimenting IREM's noble mission, the event was held at The Union League Club in New York City. This historic club was founded in 1863 to help preserve the Union during the Civil War. It has a record of distinguished service to America with also assisting to erect the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Monument in Union Square.

Testimonial
Your passion and commitment to the safety and well being of others was evident during your keynote address, 'Protecting People and Property: Leadership, Vigilance, Collaboration.' As property managers, each of us is responsible for the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of residents. We grapple each day with the importance of their safety and security. This great responsibility, combined with critical emergency planning, leaves all of us feeling the burden of grave responsibility. Your speech, however, gave each of us a new outlook on the importance of our mission, and the necessary diligence required during disaster preparation. The feedback we received about your talk was overwhelmingly positive and I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to speak to our group.
IREM Greater New York Chapter President

As with my other recent New York City keynotes, the focus was to encourage ethical leadership and sound crisis planning practices to prevent, alleviate, prepare, respond and recover from man-made and natural disasters:

Crisis Possibilities for Museums, Libraries and Cultural Properties: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 I delivered a presentation at MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City. It was titled Crisis Possibilities for Museums, Libraries and Cultural Properties: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery.

Testimonial
As expected, I have received nothing but positive responses from those in attendance. I am certain that they never received the volume of information that you provided concerning the challenges confronted by security directors working in today's cultural institutions. It must have been reassuring to know that someone with your credentials truly understands the problems that they face in their endeavors to manage an effective security program.
Co-Chairman, Museum, Library & Cultural Property Protection Committee, ASIS International NYC Chapter

The presentation was delivered at the request of the Museum, Library & Cultural Property Protection Committee of ASIS International's New York City Chapter. NYPD officials and security management professionals from throughout New York City attended including:

Central Park Zoo

Museum of the Moving Image

MoMA

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Studio Museum

Rubin Museum of Art

Whitney Museum of American Art

New York Historical Society

New York Botanical Garden

Brooklyn Children's Museum

The goal of the presentation was to encourage ethical leadership, vigilance and collaboration as critical to safeguarding people, property, information and assets. It complimented recent crisis management presentations including:

Crisis Management Leadership: New York City Fire Safety Director's

At the request of the Fire Safety Director's Association of Greater New York, I delivered a presentation on March 5, 2013 at One Penn Plaza in New York City. It was for professionals responsible for safety and security at major facilities throughout New York City.

The title, Crisis Management Leadership Principles, was delivered to 80 corporate safety representatives and New York fire officials. As highlighted in my presentation, crisis management is critical to society and those dedicated to its principles are to be commended for their efforts to protecting life and property.

Testimonial
On behalf of the Fire Safety Directors Association (FSDA) of Greater New York, we would like to thank you for your presentation on “Crisis Management Leadership Principles” at our monthly forum. Your lecture on this relative subject matter was very well received by the membership. Our life safety role’s in many of these New York City high-rise buildings has drastically changed since September 11, 2001. Your words spoke volumes as to what we do on a daily basis, making sure everyone goes home safely. Please accept letter as a small token of our gratitude for all you do to make people more conscious of their own situational awareness and safety. FSDA Chairman

Crisis Management Leadership Principles for Hospital Security Professionals and Safe Schools

Crisis Management initiatives that cover issues of mitigation & prevention, preparedness, response and recovery is critical to security professionals.

On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, I delivered a keynote titled Crisis Management Leadership Principles for Hospital Security Professionals from throughout New York City at Rockefeller University in New York City at the request of the Metropolitan Healthcare Security/Safety Directors Association, Inc.

Testimonial
Our members were impressed by the depth of your knowledge and your ability to not only convey the challenges that security professionals are facing in this ever changing world, but to inspire them to have the moral courage to always do the right thing and face the consequences head on. You are a generous and inspiring speaker.
Metropolitan Healthcare Security/Safety Directors Association, Inc., President

As with my many crisis management initiatives, such as the one noted below for the Southern New Jersey Prosecutors, it was conducted to assist with professional development so important to the security profession.

Prosecutors of southern New Jersey held their conference on August 12, 2010 at Washington Township High School in Sewell, New Jersey with over 300 law enforcement, school and community officials attending.

As a featured speaker, I was privileged to deliver a 60 minute presentation titled Transforming Our Schools: Reawakening the Heart of the Nation. The presentation integrated elements of school security, character education, academic achievement and community collaboration so vital to our schools and to the future of our nation. The metaphor of a head on collision with the culture of violence and crisis of character was utilized as well as critical New Jersey compliance issues. These included the Commissioner of Education School Administrator Procedures of Responding to Critical Incidents and Model School Security Policies:

• Active Shooter Response Procedures
  
• Bomb Threat Response Procedures
  
• Evacuation Procedures
  
• School Lockdown Procedures
  
• Public Information Procedures

The School Security Drill Guide for the State of New Jersey was also discussed since beginning November 1, 2010 all New Jersey schools must comply with various security drills aside from fire drills.

Critical documents from the U.S. Department of Education, Secret Service and FBI on crisis planning, early warning signs, safeguarding our students, threat assessments, character education and violence prevention were also addressed. Attendees were encouraged to work collaboratively and to implement programs through professional development, security vulnerability assessments and initiatives that encompass all elements of the community.

The presentation was complimented with copies of my newest book Listen To Their Cries which was sponsored for all attendees through the generosity of the prosecutors as facilitated by the leadership of Prosecutor Dalton. As with all of my presentations, it concluded with a tribute to the American Military.

The prosecutors are to be commended for their practical response to school security through this conference. It is an event highly recommended and mission critical to our nation and will hopefully be imitated through the leadership of prosecutors throughout the nation.

Testimonial The important message you provided to over three hundred law enforcement and school officials regarding character and community will not easily be forgotten. By illustrating how deeply held American values of character and community are the cornerstone of our work, both law enforcement and school officials can apply these principles in our daily lives…your message will help each one of the attendees perform their duties in a cooperative, collaborative manner. Gloucester County Prosecutor READ MORE

Listen To Their Cries	Click here to visit site
New Jersey Department of Education School Security	Click here to visit site
A UNIFORM STATE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN EDUCATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS	Click here to visit site
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FAQs	Click here to visit site
Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools – August 1998	Click here to visit site
Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide – April 2000	Click here to visit site
Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School Climates	Click here to visit site
THE FINAL REPORT AND FINDINGS OF THE SAFE SCHOOL INITIATIVE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF SCHOOL ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES – May 2002	Click here to visit site
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON CRISIS PLANNING: A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES – May 2003	Click here to visit site
Vincent Bove School Violence Blogs	Click here to visit site

Photo's throughout Blog by Vincent J. Bove, CPP

Colorado School Shooting: America's Crisis of Violence

America's crisis of school violence asserted itself again on Friday, December 13, 2013 as a 18-year-old shooter took his own life after shooting another student at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado. Authorities stated his intent, entering the school with a shotgun, machete and three incendiary devices, was to hurt multiple people.

This incident took place roughly 10 miles from Columbine High School where 12 students and one teacher were killed on April 20, 1999.

The senseless violence continues in American schools with lost and shattered lives, heart-broken families and devastated communities becoming all too common of an experience:

Massachusetts Teacher Murdered, 14-Year-Old Arrested-October 23, 2013 Blog

The crisis of American school violence continued today as Colleen Ritzer, a well-respected 24-year-old teacher was found slain behind Danvers High School in Massachusetts. A 14-year-old student was arraigned on a murder charge.

Ritzer is the second teacher allegedly murdered by a student in America this week. Just two days ago a middle school teacher was allegedly shot by a 12-year-old student in Sparks, Nevada.

American School Violence: Nevada Teacher Shot Dead; Students Wounded-October 21, 2013 Blog

Another horrific expression of America's culture of violence took place on Monday, October 21, 2013 at Staples Middle School in Sparks, Nevada. A teacher was shot dead and two students were wounded by gunfire.

These shootings occur only months after the Newtown Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy that left 26 children and adults dead.

Tragedies that would have been considered unthinkable in the past have become all too common and in places that should be considered sanctuaries for American children; our schools.

As we once again fly flags at half mast, America must mourn this continuous and senseless bloodshed of the innocents:

Newtown, Connecticut School Tragedy: A Time To Mourn---December 18, 2012 Blog

As broken hearted parents express final goodbyes to their beloved children, Newtown Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School lites a fire of compassion in the heart of America.

Tragically, once again, as memorialized in my April 18, 2007 post, the nation mourns as flags fly at half-mast and the message of Scripture sears its timeless message into the soul of our nation.

Virginia Tech: A Time To Mourn-April 18, 2007 Blog

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." – Ecclesiastes 3:1

According to the Jerome Biblical commentary, the author of this Old Testament verse from Sacred Scripture relates to the inability of humankind to understand the events in this world but to know that God rules time. Humanity is significantly limited as to the capability to understand the trials and sufferings of this life as tragically exemplified by the Virginia Tech calamity but God's presence, in whatever faith each person has to understand it, is our only hope.

"Under the heavens," the time now is to mourn for those who have lost their lives and for those who have been injured. These individuals, as well as all the family and friends who love them, deserve our prayerful and emotional sensitivity.

In time, when it is more appropriate, I will be addressing the critical issue of violence in American society, based on my experiences throughout the nation since the April 20, 1999 Columbine tragedy. At this time, the essential priority must be to unite as a community to pray for the repose of the souls of those who have perished and to pray for the healing of those who have been injured.

Reminded of the violence so pervasive in our society, it is also critical to pray for all those throughout our nation who have been affected by school violence:

• February 2, 1996 / Moses Lake, WA
  Two students and one teacher killed, one other wounded when 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis opened fire on his algebra class.
  
• February 19, 1997 / Bethel, AK
  Principal and one student killed, two others wounded by Evan Ramsey, 16.
  
• October 1, 1997 / Pearl, MS
  Two students killed and seven wounded by Luke Woodham, 16, who was also accused of killing his mother. He and his friends were said to be outcasts who worshiped Satan.
  
• December 1, 1997 / West Paducah, KY
  Three students killed, five wounded by Michael Carneal, 14, as they participated in a prayer circle at Heath High School.
  
• December 15, 1997 / Stamps, AR
  Two students wounded. Colt Todd, 14, was hiding in the woods when he shot the students as they stood in the parking lot.
  
• March 24, 1998 / Jonesboro, AR
  Four students and one teacher killed, ten others wounded outside as Westside Middle School emptied during a false fire alarm. Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, shot at their classmates and teachers from the woods.
  
• April 24, 1998 / Edinboro, PA
  One teacher, John Gillette, killed, two students wounded at a dance at James W. Parker Middle School. Andrew Wurst, 14, was charged.
  
• May 19, 1998 / Fayetteville, TN
  One student killed in the parking lot at Lincoln County High School three days before he was to graduate. The victim was dating the ex-girlfriend of his killer, 18-year-old honor student Jacob Davis.
  
• May 21, 1998 / Springfield, OR
  Two students killed, 22 others wounded in the cafeteria at Thurston High School by 15-year-old Kip Kinkel. Kinkel had been arrested and released a day earlier for bringing a gun to school. His parents were later found dead at home.
  
• June 15, 1998 / Richmond, VA
  One teacher and one guidance counselor wounded by a 14-year-old boy in the school hallway.
  
• April 20, 1999 / Littleton, CO
  14 students (including killers) and one teacher killed, 23 others wounded at Columbine High School in the nation's deadliest school shooting. Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, had plotted for a year to kill at least 500 and blow up their school. At the end of their hour-long rampage, they turned their guns on themselves.
  
• May 20, 1999 / Conyers, GA
  Six students injured at Heritage High School by Thomas Solomon, 15, who was reportedly depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend.
  
• November 19, 1999 / Deming, NM
  Victor Cordova Jr., 12, shot and killed Araceli Tena, 13, in the lobby of Deming Middle School.
  
• December 6, 1999 / Fort Gibson, OK
  Four students wounded as Seth Trickey, 13, opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at Fort Gibson Middle School.
  
• February 29, 2000 / Mount Morris Township, MI
  Six-year-old Kayla Rolland shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Mich. The assailant was identified as a six-year-old boy with a .32-caliber handgun.
  
• March 10, 2000 / Savannah, GA
  Two students killed by Darrell Ingram, 19, while leaving a dance sponsored by Beach High School.
  
• May 26, 2000 / Lake Worth, FL
  One teacher, Barry Grunow, shot and killed at Lake Worth Middle School by Nate Brazill, 13, with .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol on the last day of classes.
  
• September 26, 2000 / New Orleans, LA
  Two students wounded with the same gun during a fight at Woodson Middle School.
  
• January 17, 2001 / Baltimore, MD
  One student shot and killed in front of Lake Clifton Eastern High School.
  
• March 5, 2001 / Santee, CA
  Two killed and 13 wounded by Charles Andrew Williams, 15, firing from a bathroom at Santana High School.
  
• March 7, 2001 / Williamsport, PA
  Elizabeth Catherine Bush, 14, wounded student Kimberly Marchese in the cafeteria of Bishop Neumann High School; she was depressed and frequently teased.
  
• March 22, 2001 / Granite Hills, CA
  One teacher and three students wounded by Jason Hoffman, 18, at Granite Hills High School. A policeman shot and wounded Hoffman.
  
• March 30, 2001 / Gary, IN
  One student killed by Donald R. Burt, Jr., a 17-year-old student who had been expelled from Lew Wallace High School.
  
• November 12, 2001 / Caro, MI
  Chris Buschbacher, 17, took two hostages at the Caro Learning Center before killing himself.
  
• January 15, 2002 / New York, NY
  A teenager wounded two students at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
  
• April 14, 2003 / New Orleans, LA
  One 15-year-old killed, and three students wounded at John McDonogh High School by gunfire from four teenagers (none were students at the school). The motive was gang-related.
  
• April 24, 2003 / Red Lion, PA
  James Sheets, 14, killed principal Eugene Segro of Red Lion Area Junior High School before killing himself.
  
• September 24, 2003 / Cold Spring, MN
  Two students are killed at Rocori High School by John Jason McLaughlin, 15.
  
• March 21, 2005 / Red Lake, MN
  Jeff Weise, 16, killed grandfather and companion, then arrived at school where he killed a teacher, a security guard, 5 students, and finally himself, leaving a total of 10 dead.
  
• November 8, 2005 / Jacksboro, TN
  One 15-year-old shot and killed an assistant principal at Campbell County High School and seriously wounded two other administrators.
  
• Aug. 24, 2006 / Essex, VT
  Christopher Williams, 27, looking for his ex-girlfriend at Essex Elementary School, shot two teachers, killing one and wounding another. Before going to the school, he had killed the ex-girlfriend's mother.
  
• September 26, 2006 / Bailey, CO
  Adult male held six students hostage at Platte Canyon High School and then shot and killed Emily Keyes, 16, and himself.
  
• September 29, 2006 / Cazenovia, WI
  A 15-year-old student shot and killed Weston School principal John Klang.
  
• October 3, 2006 / Nickel Mines, PA
  32-year-old Carl Charles Roberts IV entered the one-room West Nickel Mines Amish School and shot 10 schoolgirls, ranging in age from 6 to 13 years old, and then himself. Five of the girls and Roberts died.
  
• January 3, 2007 / Tacoma, WA
  Douglas Chanthabouly, 18, shot fellow student Samnang Kok, 17, in the hallway of Henry Foss High School.
  
• April 16, 2007 / Blacksburg, VA
  A 23-year-old Virginia Tech student, Cho Seung-Hui, killed two in a dorm, then killed 30 more 2 hours later in a classroom building. His suicide brought the death toll to 33, making the shooting rampage the most deadly in U.S. history. Fifteen others were wounded

Newtown Bells Toll 26 Times: America Pauses

As bells toll 26 times today in Newtown, Connecticut to honor the victims on the first anniversary of the tragedy, America must pause.

Newtown Connecticut School Tragedy: A Time to Mourn-December 18, 2012 Blog

As broken hearted parents express final goodbyes to their beloved children, Newtown Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School must ignite a fire of compassion, empathy and sensitivity in the heart of America.

Tragically, once again, as memorialized in my April 18, 2007 post, the nation mourns as flags fly at half-mast and the message of Scripture sears its timeless message into the soul of our nation.

Virginia Tech: A Time To Mourn-April 18, 2007 Blog

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." – Ecclesiastes 3:1

According to the Jerome Biblical commentary, the author of this Old Testament verse from Sacred Scripture relates to the inability of humankind to understand the events in this world but to know that God rules time. Humanity is significantly limited as to the capability to understand the trials and sufferings of this life as tragically exemplified by the Virginia Tech calamity but God's presence, in whatever faith each person has to understand it, is our only hope.

"Under the heavens," the time now is to mourn for those who have lost their lives and for those who have been injured. These individuals, as well as all the family and friends who love them, deserve our prayerful and emotional sensitivity.

In time, when it is more appropriate, I will be addressing the critical issue of violence in American society, based on my experiences throughout the nation since the April 20, 1999 Columbine tragedy. At this time, the essential priority must be to unite as a community to pray for the repose of the souls of those who have perished and to pray for the healing of those who have been injured.

Reminded of the violence so pervasive in our society, it is also critical to pray for all those throughout our nation who have been affected by school violence:

• February 2, 1996 / Moses Lake, WA
  Two students and one teacher killed, one other wounded when 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis opened fire on his algebra class.
  
• February 19, 1997 / Bethel, AK
  Principal and one student killed, two others wounded by Evan Ramsey, 16.
  
• October 1, 1997 / Pearl, MS
  Two students killed and seven wounded by Luke Woodham, 16, who was also accused of killing his mother. He and his friends were said to be outcasts who worshiped Satan.
  
• December 1, 1997 / West Paducah, KY
  Three students killed, five wounded by Michael Carneal, 14, as they participated in a prayer circle at Heath High School.
  
• December 15, 1997 / Stamps, AR
  Two students wounded. Colt Todd, 14, was hiding in the woods when he shot the students as they stood in the parking lot.
  
• March 24, 1998 / Jonesboro, AR
  Four students and one teacher killed, ten others wounded outside as Westside Middle School emptied during a false fire alarm. Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, shot at their classmates and teachers from the woods.
  
• April 24, 1998 / Edinboro, PA
  One teacher, John Gillette, killed, two students wounded at a dance at James W. Parker Middle School. Andrew Wurst, 14, was charged.
  
• May 19, 1998 / Fayetteville, TN
  One student killed in the parking lot at Lincoln County High School three days before he was to graduate. The victim was dating the ex-girlfriend of his killer, 18-year-old honor student Jacob Davis.
  
• May 21, 1998 / Springfield, OR
  Two students killed, 22 others wounded in the cafeteria at Thurston High School by 15-year-old Kip Kinkel. Kinkel had been arrested and released a day earlier for bringing a gun to school. His parents were later found dead at home.
  
• June 15, 1998 / Richmond, VA
  One teacher and one guidance counselor wounded by a 14-year-old boy in the school hallway.
  
• April 20, 1999 / Littleton, CO
  14 students (including killers) and one teacher killed, 23 others wounded at Columbine High School in the nation's deadliest school shooting. Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, had plotted for a year to kill at least 500 and blow up their school. At the end of their hour-long rampage, they turned their guns on themselves.
  
• May 20, 1999 / Conyers, GA
  Six students injured at Heritage High School by Thomas Solomon, 15, who was reportedly depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend.
  
• November 19, 1999 / Deming, NM
  Victor Cordova Jr., 12, shot and killed Araceli Tena, 13, in the lobby of Deming Middle School.
  
• December 6, 1999 / Fort Gibson, OK
  Four students wounded as Seth Trickey, 13, opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at Fort Gibson Middle School.
  
• February 29, 2000 / Mount Morris Township, MI
  Six-year-old Kayla Rolland shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Mich. The assailant was identified as a six-year-old boy with a .32-caliber handgun.
  
• March 10, 2000 / Savannah, GA
  Two students killed by Darrell Ingram, 19, while leaving a dance sponsored by Beach High School.
  
• May 26, 2000 / Lake Worth, FL
  One teacher, Barry Grunow, shot and killed at Lake Worth Middle School by Nate Brazill, 13, with .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol on the last day of classes.
  
• September 26, 2000 / New Orleans, LA
  Two students wounded with the same gun during a fight at Woodson Middle School.
  
• January 17, 2001 / Baltimore, MD
  One student shot and killed in front of Lake Clifton Eastern High School.
  
• March 5, 2001 / Santee, CA
  Two killed and 13 wounded by Charles Andrew Williams, 15, firing from a bathroom at Santana High School.
  
• March 7, 2001 / Williamsport, PA
  Elizabeth Catherine Bush, 14, wounded student Kimberly Marchese in the cafeteria of Bishop Neumann High School; she was depressed and frequently teased.
  
• March 22, 2001 / Granite Hills, CA
  One teacher and three students wounded by Jason Hoffman, 18, at Granite Hills High School. A policeman shot and wounded Hoffman.
  
• March 30, 2001 / Gary, IN
  One student killed by Donald R. Burt, Jr., a 17-year-old student who had been expelled from Lew Wallace High School.
  
• November 12, 2001 / Caro, MI
  Chris Buschbacher, 17, took two hostages at the Caro Learning Center before killing himself.
  
• January 15, 2002 / New York, NY
  A teenager wounded two students at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
  
• April 14, 2003 / New Orleans, LA
  One 15-year-old killed, and three students wounded at John McDonogh High School by gunfire from four teenagers (none were students at the school). The motive was gang-related.
  
• April 24, 2003 / Red Lion, PA
  James Sheets, 14, killed principal Eugene Segro of Red Lion Area Junior High School before killing himself.
  
• September 24, 2003 / Cold Spring, MN
  Two students are killed at Rocori High School by John Jason McLaughlin, 15.
  
• March 21, 2005 / Red Lake, MN
  Jeff Weise, 16, killed grandfather and companion, then arrived at school where he killed a teacher, a security guard, 5 students, and finally himself, leaving a total of 10 dead.
  
• November 8, 2005 / Jacksboro, TN
  One 15-year-old shot and killed an assistant principal at Campbell County High School and seriously wounded two other administrators.
  
• Aug. 24, 2006 / Essex, VT
  Christopher Williams, 27, looking for his ex-girlfriend at Essex Elementary School, shot two teachers, killing one and wounding another. Before going to the school, he had killed the ex-girlfriend's mother.
  
• September 26, 2006 / Bailey, CO
  Adult male held six students hostage at Platte Canyon High School and then shot and killed Emily Keyes, 16, and himself.
  
• September 29, 2006 / Cazenovia, WI
  A 15-year-old student shot and killed Weston School principal John Klang.
  
• October 3, 2006 / Nickel Mines, PA
  32-year-old Carl Charles Roberts IV entered the one-room West Nickel Mines Amish School and shot 10 schoolgirls, ranging in age from 6 to 13 years old, and then himself. Five of the girls and Roberts died.
  
• January 3, 2007 / Tacoma, WA
  Douglas Chanthabouly, 18, shot fellow student Samnang Kok, 17, in the hallway of Henry Foss High School.
  
• April 16, 2007 / Blacksburg, VA
  A 23-year-old Virginia Tech student, Cho Seung-Hui, killed two in a dorm, then killed 30 more 2 hours later in a classroom building. His suicide brought the death toll to 33, making the shooting rampage the most deadly in U.S. history. Fifteen others were wounded

Spotlight on 12-Year-Old Billy Cook: A Person of Character Changing the World

It is a privilege to deliver my signature student presentation titled Be a Person of Character: Change the World to middle and high schools. The program is an honest assessment of challenges in contemporary society and encourages character. Character has a great impact on others and essential for transforming our lives and the nation.

On Thursday, December 12, 2013 a 12-year-old student named Billy Cook was honored by the North Jersey Regional Crime Prevention Officers Association (NJRCPOA) with the Exceptional Citizen Award. Billy collects baseballs and has them signed by community members and friends with kind sentiments and then sends them to U.S. Troops serving in Afghanistan. This profound gesture of patriotism, altruism and kindness serves as an example of character so critical to America.

Along with Billy Cook, additional honorees at our annual award event included:

Detective of the Year: Detective Sgt. John J. DeVoe, River Vale Police Department

Officer of the Year: Lt. Rich Skinner, Washington Township Police Department

Valor Award: Sgt. James Dalton, P.O. Joseph Ayoubi, P.O. Franklyn Bay, and P.O. Brett McCarthy, Hackensack Police Department

Exceptional Service: Director Eric Kanefsky, NJ Division of Consumer Affairs

Meritorious Service: P.O. James Acito, P.O. Ahmed Alagha, P.O. Ramon Cruz, P.O. Michael Dymek, Bergenfield Police Department

Detective Jeff Angermeyer of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Criminal Investigation Squads is to be commended for his extraordinary leadership with this event and as President of the NJRCPOA.

NYPD SHIELD: A Public-Private Sector Security Partnership

On Tuesday, December 10, 2013, over 500 law enforcement and private security professionals attended the NYPD SHIELD Conference at One Police Plaza, New York City.

This is a par excellence public-private sector security partnership so vital to countering terrorism through information sharing.

As an attendee I appreciated the excellent presentations as well as the opportunity to address concerns with law enforcement and private security colleagues. Partnerships are vital to protecting our nation and a unity of effort has been encouraged in my articles, blogs, newest book and presentations for many years:

Safeguarding America: Public Private Partnerships-November 8, 2013 Blog

On Friday, November 8, 2013 I attended a full day seminar titled Public Private Partnerships: The New Era of Information Sharing hosted by the ASIS International Western New Jersey Chapter.

The event included presentations by the FBI, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and security professionals representing physical security, school safety and global communications technology.

As addressed in my presentations and writings for many years, this unity of effort between the public and private sector is critical to safeguarding our nation:

JCPD Waterfront Security Meeting: Promoting Public/Private Partnerships-November 19, 2008 Blog

On Tuesday, November 18, 2008, thanks to the leadership of Captain Brian McDonough and Officer Dina Reilly of the Jersey City Police Department East District, the monthly Waterfront Security Meeting was held at Goldman Sachs in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Aside from the public sector attendees which included the Jersey City Police Department, the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey State Police, private sector representatives included security and human resource representatives from the following organizations:

• Advanced Integration Security
  
• Allied Barton Security Services
  
• AXA-Equitable Life Insurance Company
  
• Barclays Capital
  
• Brookfield Properties
  
• Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
  
• Care Security Systems
  
• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
  
• Fidelity Investments
  
• Goldman Sachs
  
• John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  
• JPMorgan Chase
  
• Hyatt Hotels
  
• McRoberts Protective Agency, Inc.
  
• Mulligan Security
  
• Pershing
  
• Professional Security Technologies, LLC
  
• Risk Protective Services
  
• Securitas
  
• Spartan Security Service Inc.
  
• TD Ameritrade
  
• The Bank of New York Mellon

As the invited keynote speaker, I was privileged to present When Domestic Violence Spills into the Workplace.

AGENDA

• Why are we Here?
  
• Domestic Abuse and Violence
  
• One Life
  
• Domestic Violence and the Workplace
  
• Overview and Impact
  
• Warning Signs
  
• Awareness and Action
  
• Lessons Learned: Virginia Tech Tragedy
  
• Violence Prevention In The Workplace
  
• American Military Tribute
  
• Conclusion

Although the statistics on the negative impact of domestic violence in the American workplace are staggering, I stressed the ethical standard we must have when it comes to violence prevention:

"When it comes to even one life, we must do what is right—not what is convenient, politically expedient, or the most cost effective.

"In simplest terms, we must learn to care for one another in our time of need."

It is caring, vigilant and proactive people, not sterile policies and procedures, that is the key to violence prevention in the workplace. By fostering leadership principles to create a culture of respect and unity of effort, employees are more likely to respond appropriately when they see warning signs.

After the presentation, Listen To Their Cries was available to participants. A donation from the proceeds was made to assist the Jersey City Police Department East District initiative for providing Thanksgiving turkeys and meals for needy families.

The Jersey City Police Department is to be commended for their leadership and commitment to the principles of community policing expressed through unity of effort and public/private partnerships cultivated through these Waterfront Security meetings. A special thanks is deserving of Goldman Sachs for hosting the event.

Spotlight on Community Policing: NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton

William J. Bratton, a man dedicated to the principles of community policing will return to the New York City Police Department as its next police commissioner as announced on Thursday, December 5, 2013.

Commissioner Bratton has served law enforcement over 40 years including the top police post previously in New York City and also in Boston and Los Angeles.

During his introduction today, Commissioner Bratton stressed bringing the police and community together, I will work very hard and very quickly to bring legitimacy and trust between the citizens and the police department...

He also stated his goals as maintaining low crime rates, insuring the city remains safe from terrorism and bringing the NYPD and its 50,000 members and 8 1/2 million New Yorkers together with mutual trust and respect.

Bratton's additional concerns included the criticality of public safety as the foundation of democracy with an emphasis on safe streets, safe subways and traffic safety. But he emphasized that police will do it constitutionally, respectfully and with compassion.

Bratton held high a children's book titled Your Police which he has cherished since he was a nine-year-old boy. He shared the books final words, We must always remember that whenever you see a policeman he is your friend. He is there to protect you. He has dedicated his life to the preservation of the laws, properties, civil rights and people he serves. He would not hesitate to save your life at the cost of his own.

As a community policing practitioner and board certified crime prevention specialist, I appreciated Bratton's concluding thought from Sir Robert Peel who wrote long ago this first ethical mandate in the Nine Principles of Policing, the basic mission for which police exist is to prevent crime and disorder. The prevention of crime should be accomplished without intruding unnecessarily into the lives of citizens.

I first quoted Bratton in a blog written on May 8, 2007 when he was Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. He responded with honesty and wisdom to a violation of civil rights at an immigration rally by stating, I'm not going to defend the indefensible.

Post Script Click here to read Vincent's full length article titled Community Policing Spotlight: NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton in The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine/January 2014 edition