America's Culture of Violence: Active Shooter and Mass Shooting Crisis

 

On Thursday, January 19, 2023, I delivered monthly remarks to 90 attendees of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association in Wood-ridge, New Jersey.

“These monthly remarks (delivered for 21 consecutive years) address issues of ethical leadership, violence prevention, and public safety.

“At this event, my remarks focused on America’s active shooter and mass shooting crisis, and as follows:

“America’s culture of violence is inseparable from our emergence to a nation of trauma. The violence is horrifically illustrated by our active shooter and mass shooting pandemic.

“Some working definitions of each are in order. 

“According to the FBI, an active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” [i]

“The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that tracks gun violence using police reports, news coverage and other public sources, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people were killed or injured.

“The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) counted 648 mass shootings in 2022, with 36 having four or more fatalities.

“The GVA recorded 690 mass shootings in 2021, with 28 involving four or more fatalities.

“According to the GVA, there were 610 mass shootings in 2020 with 21 having four or more fatalities.  [ii]

“As of today, January 19, 2023, there have been 33 mass shootings in America, 4 or more people shot in one incident, so far this year, an average of more than 1 per day.

“The latest, 2 days ago in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a man shooting to death his wife, her mother, and their 5 kids before killing himself. Records show warning signs were present years before with investigations of child abuse, but prosecution was declined.” [iii]

“Remain vigilant chiefs, as these are violent times here in America. Remember, your work is noble, necessary, and appreciated.”

Note Well: This abbreviated post has been crafted into a comprehensive article titled America's Head On Collision: A Culture of Violence and Crisis of Character.  It will be published in a national publication in February 2023.

The expanded article will detail active shooter, mass shootings, and public corruption.  

It will then shift from this atmosphere of darkness in America to hope with solutions to reawakening the nation. 

Post Script:

Tragically, within days of this these remarks to the BCPCA, horrific incidents occurred throughout America including the following:

Jan. 23 – 12 injured in mass shooting at Baton Rouge, LA nightclub.

Jan. 23 – 2 students dead, employee in serious condition in Des Moines shooting.

Jan. 23 – 7 killed in two related shootings at farm and trucking firm in Half Moon Bay, CA, a coastal community south of San Francisco.

Jan. 21 – Mass shooting in Monterey Park, CA with eleven killed and nine injured at Lunar New Year celebration.   

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works. His most recent books are “Reawakening America” and “Listen to Their Cries.”

Bove is recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, former confidant of the New York Yankees, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy victim’s families.

For 20 years, Vincent has been a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer.

Bove is also a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor, owner of Reawakening America LLC, and co-founder of Global Security Resolutions LLC, an international investigative company.

Contact: vincent@vincentbove.com

Related: Mass Shootings: America’s Public Health Crisis

Photos:

1. America’s Active Shooter Crisis Demands Visionary Leadership ,The Chief of Police by Vincent Bove, Oct. 27, 2022.

2. Collage featuring Vincent J. Bove as speaker, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017. 

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[i] Active Shooter Safety Resources

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/active-shooter-safety-resources

[ii] https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls

See also Mass Shooter Tracker https://massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2023

 [iii] Police investigated Utah man for abuse years before murder-suicide

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/police-investigated-utah-man-for-abuse-years-before-murder-suicide

Protecting America’s Houses of Worship, Schools, Facilities: A National Model

Houses of worship throughout America, as well as religious schools and facilities, must have a welcoming and serene environment, but this must always be balanced with sound security measures.

It is a different world and not making efforts to enhance security in houses of worship is naïve, irresponsible, and irrational.

Our houses of worship are sacred places of prayer where we exercise our constitutional and human right to pray.

Yet, we must be realistic, blending the spiritual with the practical, and do everything possible to protect our houses of worship.

All who seek solace, peace, and community within their hallowed halls deserve our leadership, vigilance, and commitment to protect them.

Violence Against America’s Sacred Places

Here are just a few of America’s violent tragedies violating our houses of worship, and profaning all that is sacred:

Hanukkah Celebration at Rabbi’s Home, Monsey, New York: A man stabbed five people on Dec. 29, 2019 as they gathered at a rabbi's in a New York City suburb to celebrate Hanukkah. The New York governor called the attack an act of domestic terrorism fueled by intolerance.

West Freeway Church of Christ, Texas: On Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, a man shot and killed two worshippers during church services before being killed by members of the security team.

Nationwide Anti-Mosque Activity: According to a December 2019 published report by the ACLU, anti-Muslim sentiment has spiked especially in states especially New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Washington, and California.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC: Washington authorities apprehended a suspect in an incident involving a Dec. 10, 2019 attack against two security guards at the Basilica, the largest Catholic Church in America, at the height of its busiest season.

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting: A mass shooting killing eleven and wounding six on Oct. 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life – or L’Simcha Congregation. Prior to the tragedy, the demented shooter posted anti-Semitic comments online.

Sutherland Springs, Texas Church: At least 26 people were killed on Nov. 5, 2017 in this shooting. About 20 others were wounded, said Freeman Martin, a regional director with the Texas Department of Public Safety, with victims ranging in age from 5 to 72 years old. Among the dead was the 14-year-old daughter of the First Baptist Church's pastor.

Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, Tennessee: On Sept. 25, 2017, a man armed with three handguns and a rifle arrived at the church. He began indiscriminately shooting and seven people were wounded.

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church: This mass shooting on June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina, involved nine African Americans, including the senior pastor, State Senator Clementa C. Pinckney being killed during a Bible study. Three other victims survived. This church is one of the oldest black churches in the United States, and has long been a center for civil rights causes.

Overland Park Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom Retirement Center: A white supremacist was killed three people at two Jewish centers on Apr. 13, 2014, outside Kansas City, Kansas.

Sikh Temple of Wisconsin: On Aug. 5, 2012, a deranged Army veteran killed six people and then himself at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church: On July 27, 2008, a man opened fire at a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tennessee, killing two people and wounding several others. The shooter targeted the church because “of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country,” according to a police document.

Houses of Worship: Security Practices

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security document titled “Houses of Worship Security Practices Guide” released in May, 2013 deserves attention.
The document notes that there are approximately 345,000 religious congregations in America. These consist of about 150 million members from more than 230 denominational groups.

The guide stresses that the first step to developing a comprehensive plan for a religious facility is to identify threats and vulnerabilities.

According to the guide, the threats include natural hazards, accidents, targeted violence, improvised explosive devices (IED’s), vehicle-borne explosive devices (VBIED’s), arson, chemical or biological attacks, assassination, or kidnapping.

The guide continues with the importance of having a threat assessment team comprised with a combination of facility personnel, members involved with services, mental health professionals, and emergency responders.

This document is outstanding and should be a resource for training staff and enhancing security measures.

The guide also includes details on prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, and recovery.

Recommended Best Practices: ASIS International

The collaboration of our houses of worship, law enforcement, and private security should include learning implementing Recommended Best Practices for Securing Houses of Worship by ASIS International including the following:

• Report suspicious packages to police, and do not touch any suspicious package. Develop a suspicious package protocol with instructions on reporting to police as well as not touching or moving the item. Address this issue in emergency evacuation procedures.
• Request local law enforcement presence during high volume worship times and holiday celebrations.
• Include law enforcement in your security planning process.
• Consider hiring off-duty police officers as part of your security program.

Simply stated, a word to the wise urging vigilance: “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

Security Countermeasures

A robust security program must be comprehensive, proactive, and continually updated. Security must never be piecemeal, negligent, or have its importance minimized.

Approaches to security in houses of worship, as well as in workplaces, schools, campuses, and facilities, must include the following:

Security Vulnerability Assessments: These are best when conducted by board-certified, reputable, and experienced public safety professionals in order to identify and evaluate areas of risk. The board certification of Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by ASIS International is a statement of professionalism, competence, and credibility. Assessments must include interviews with all associated with the facility including employees, administration, security, visitors, worshippers, and maintenance personnel.

Background Checks/Investigations: This is an essential due diligence countermeasure that prevents hiring individuals who do not deserve employment or access. Checks must be made by qualified, licensed professionals who honor laws conducting background checks. Background checks can include criminal history reports, drug testing, motor vehicle driving records, credit checks, liens and judgments, sexual offender registries, employment, and professional credential verification's.

Investigations that include surveillance, interviewing, and information sources by experienced, conscientious, and ethical professionals are critical to protecting public and private enterprises.

Training: A critical component of security and safety is ongoing training that includes personal safety, substance abuse awareness, domestic violence, diversity, conflict resolution, ethics, situational awareness, Internet security, workplace violence, fire prevention, crisis management, emergency preparedness, first aid / CPR, loss prevention, economic crime, crime prevention, drills, evacuations, sexual harassment, and warning signs.

Warning Signs: Warning signs are critical to violence prevention. We must recognize warning signs and provide the necessary intervention, training, health care, and security measures necessary to prevent tragedies.

Physical Security: This involves countermeasures preventing unauthorized access. Countermeasures include fencing, bollards, barrier arms, card access systems, ID cards, lighting, crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), defense in depth programs, locks, alarms, fire extinguishers, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), mass communication systems, and metal detectors.

Personnel Security: Certified, well-trained, and licensed security officer programs involving reputable contract or in-house professionals including armed and unarmed personnel. It is essential that training exceed the status quo criteria, and is on-going. Training must also be motivational and customized accordingly. It is essential that security personnel contracts are carefully evaluated so individuals are properly certified, and paid a fair share of the billing costs.

Comparable to the SRO program (School Resource Officer) for American schools, it is highly recommended that a HWSO program (House of Worship Security Officer) be implemented in communities nationwide.

Procedural Security: Drills deserve planning and evaluation with table-top exercises. It is also essential to conduct partial and full-scale drills based on numerous possible scenarios. These must be complemented by the expertise and involvement of law enforcement, private security professionals, and first-responders.

Essential to training and drills is the Active Shooter program detailed on the FBI website titled RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.

Informational/Cybersecurity: In this age of instantaneous global data at the fingertips of individuals across the globe, some with nefarious intentions, protecting information is vital to security.

Informational security must be effective and continually updated with ongoing training for personnel that empowers them with preventive techniques. This protects companies from breaches of information through the Internet, Ransomware, dumpster diving, and social engineering and can prevent unnecessary turmoil.

Anti-Defamation League Practical Tips

The following are some exemplary practices by the ADL, not only for Jewish institutions but applicable to other places of worship. Remember, global and local events may impact security and remain proactive.

1. Make safety and security part of the culture of your institution, involving staff, leadership and constituents.
2. Designate a member of your staff to serve as a security manager.
3. Designate a member of your staff (who may be different from the security manager) to serve as an emergency/incident manager and designate a backup in the event of this person’s absence.
4. Create security plans, regularly assess risks, and revisit your security plans to update them accordingly. It is important to be proactive in preparing for potential security scenarios.
5. Meet and develop relationships with public safety officials, including police, fire, and EMS.
6. Provide regular security training to all staff and volunteer leaders. Run regular safety and security exercises, reviewing how to respond to different scenarios.
7. Establish procedures for controlling access into your facility.

Final Reflections

America’s law enforcement, in collaboration with private security professionals and houses or worship
demand leadership.

All of us must continually build bridges with communities through the concept of shared responsibility.

We must remain vigilant as these are challenging times. The principles of security recommended in this article serve as the foundation for security in houses of worship nationwide.

Our houses of worship represent the bedrock of America’s freedom of religion, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The nation’s sacred spaces deserve our dedication, unity of effort, vigilance, and leadership.

We must all serve as catalysts to protect our workplaces, schools, communities, public spaces, and houses of worship.

Public safety demands visionary leadership as well as vigilance, and collaboration.

Security demands proactive threat assessments by board certified professionals, comprehensive ongoing enhancements (physical, personnel, procedural, cyber), continual training and certifications, effective response to warning signs, and building partnerships with law enforcement, private security professionals, and every member of the community.

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author of 275 published articles on issues critical to America. Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award, and is former confident of the New York Yankees. He served as spokesperson for a coalition of victim’s families of the Virginia Tech tragedy. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. For more information see twitter @vincentjbove

Related Articles on Protecting Houses of Worship by Vincent J. Bove:

Safeguarding Houses of Worship, Protecting Communities, Personal Safety

Vanquishing Intolerance, Bigotry, Discrimination After Hatred Is Unleashed

America’s Houses of Worship Require Enhanced Security

Carnage of Innocents in America Demands Moral Courage

Protecting NYC Houses of Worship: A National Model

Sanctuary Profaned: Protecting America’s Houses of Worship

America, Wake Up: Harden Your Soft Targets

Note Well: This article was Published / The Chief of Police, Winter 2020, Vol. XXXV, No. 4, and in The New York State Police Chiefs Chronicle, June 2020 edition.

Also published as: Protecting NYC Houses of Worship: A National Model, Security Director Magazine, ASIS International, Spring 2018, and Epoch Times, May 22, 2018.

Photos:

1. NYPD presence at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, NYC, Feb. 28, 2015 (Vincent J. Bove)
2. NYPD posted at NYC Synagogue. (Courtesy NYPD)
3. Islamic Center, Washington DC, (Public Domain/Carol M. Highsmith)
4. NYPD presence at Temple Emanuel, Fifth Avenue, NYC. (Courtesy NYPD Twitter)
5. NYPD counterterrorism officers, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, NYC. (Courtesy NYPD Twitter)
6. The Chief of Police Magazine, Cover Story by Vincent J. Bove, Terrorism Concerns Accelerate: Protecting America, Spring 2015 edition.

Note Well: Information within this article is considered public domain by Vincent J. Bove Publishing, to assist with safeguarding America. Kindly attribute references to author and article Protecting America's Houses of Worship: A National Model. Usage of photos although also public domain, also deserves attribution to applicable sources as noted.

Campus Sexual Predators: Issues and Response

There is a must-watch film of a powerful, yet disturbing expose of the crisis of sexual assaults taking place on U.S. college campuses.

Every student attending college, and their parents must be aware of the magnitude of sexual assaults and make sure their voices are heard. The college experience must not turn into heartbreak, tragedy, or nightmare for anyone.

Compounding the personal devastation to the victims, The Hunting Ground ignites outrage by contemptuous reactions of college administrators and their legal representatives.

The insensitivity, victim blaming, evasiveness, inaction, harassment, institutional cover-ups, glorification of athletics, and deification of fundraising manifests shameful superficiality.

American campuses must be havens of security, moral courage, and ethical behavior; not cauldrons of abuse igniting retaliation against victims, contempt for moral decency, or violation of the law.

Ethics by Word and Deed

Victims of sexual assault must always be treated with compassion, empathy, and sensitivity; never with scorn, suspicion, and betrayal.

It is disgraceful for colleges to dehumanize victims to falsify crime statistics, disingenuously manipulate fundraising or federal funding programs, deceptively recruit students, or protect their brand name under false pretenses.

America, we have a problem with sexual assaults on college campuses and the crisis must be addressed with honesty, courage, and collaboration.

Ethics must be the foundation of the college mission by word and deed, and this virtue must be infused throughout the entire educational community.

Ending Rape on Campus

Annie E. Clark, a co-founder of Ending Rape on Campus (EROC) is a courageous woman highlighted in the film.

She was brutally sexually assaulted before classes even started in her freshman year, but she transformed her tragedy into triumph. As an advocate against sexual assaults, Annie was a lead complainant in Title IX and Cleary Act complaints against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Annie also helped to write the Bi-Partisan Campus Safety and Accountability Act through her collaboration with Senator Kristen Gillibrand.

Along with Annie, Andrea Pino, who also attended UNC, is a co-founder of EROC, and is prominently featured with her in the film.

As sexual assault victims, both worked together on the Title IX complaint, detailing that rampant sexual assaults at colleges result in an unequal environment for learning.

The EROC website provides the following information on Title IX:

“Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault, and rape that are ‘so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars the victim’s access to an educational opportunity or benefit.’ Even a single instance of rape or sexual assault by another student, faculty, or staff member could meet this standard.”

Staggering Sexual Assault Statistics

In my article titled “College Rapes, Sexual Assaults: America’s Nightmare” published in the Epoch Times, Nov. 21, 2014 edition, details were shared from a Jan. 2014 White House report.

“Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action” details the enormity of the crisis:

• 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted while in college

• Dynamics of college life with the “get high” culture fueling the problem with many victims being drunk, under the influence of drugs, passed out, or otherwise incapacitated when violated

• Perpetrators preying on incapacitated women and sometimes providing them with alcohol and drugs

• The “party mentality” problem with 58 percent of incapacitated rapes and 28 percent of forced rapes taking place at parties

• Campus perpetrators equating to repeat serial offenders—an average of six rapes each

• Lack of reporting sexual assaults by student victims to law enforcement—an appalling average of only 12 percent report the crimes

• Low arrest rate—approximately 12 percent of 238,000 annual rape and sexual assault victims result in arrests

Compounding the White House report, the culture of enabling reported in The Hunting Ground includes the following:

• Harvard University: 135 reported sexual assaults (2009-2013), 10 suspensions.

• University of California Berkeley: 78 reported sexual assaults (2008-2013), 3 expulsions.

• Dartmouth College: 155 reported sexual assaults (2002-2013), 3 expulsions.

• Stanford University: 259 reported sexual assaults (1996-2013), 1 expulsion.

• University of North Carolina: 136 reported sexual assaults (2001-2013), 0 expulsions.

• University of Virginia: 205 reported sexual assaults (1998-2013), 0 expulsions for sexual assault, 183 expulsions for cheating and other honor board violations.

The enabling of predators, due to the lack of ethical leadership, is also reported by the film exposing outlandish sanctions for individuals found responsible for sexual assault:

• Columbia University: suspended for one semester.

• Indiana University: suspended over summer vacation.

• Yale University: suspended for one day.

• University of Colorado, Boulder: a $75.00 fine

• The University of Toledo: a $25.00 fine.

• Brandeis University: a warning.

• University of Colorado: assigned a paper to reflect on your experience.

• Occidental College: required to construct a poster board listing ten ways to approach a girl you like.

• Occidental College Los Angeles: assigned 50 hours of community service at a rape crisis center.

Final Reflections

America must enhance personal safety training as well as ethical leadership initiatives for students and the entire college community, and hold those responsible for sexual assaults accountable.

Law enforcement must also take the moral high ground and refuse to be pawns of college administrators with investigations, arrests, and prosecutions.

Only when American colleges integrate security with leadership guided by character, and developing an ethical guardian mindset for all, will we be on the right path for reawakening the nation.

More:
America’s Leadership Crisis: Reigniting Our Character

America’s 21st Century Student: Character, Courage, Community

Sayreville High School Scandal: America’s Wake-Up Call

America’s Graduates: Transform the Nation with Character

Photos
1. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and officials join student survivors in announcing support for a bipartisan effort in Congress to confront the scourge of sexual violence on college campuses. The announcement took place in New York on Aug. 13, 2014. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

2. Annie E. Clark, co-founder of End Rape on Campus, at the Women In The World Summit held in New York City on April 24, 2015. (Andrew Toth/Getty Images)

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Join Vincent’s Linkedin Group: The Sentinel: Reawakening the Nation

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

As authored for Vincent’s weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times, 35 countries, 21 languages and growing.

Sanctuary Profaned: Protecting America's Houses of Worship

In the classic novel, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” the innocent Esmeralda finds herself framed for murder and witchcraft.

Despite proclaiming her innocence, she confesses after being threatened to have her foot crushed in a vice, and is sentenced to a public hanging.

Just seconds before her execution, Quasimodo, the hunchback of the book's title, heroically saves Esmeralda and brings her to the cathedral screaming with thunderous, dramatic, and frantic vehemence, “Sanctuary, Sanctuary, Sanctuary!”

Violence Unleashed

Yet, the innocence represented by Quasimodo saving Esmeralda by giving her sanctuary is a stark contrast to the violence that can take place in houses of worship.

Just after the Columbine tragedy of 1999, I began a speaking circuit throughout the United States to address violence.

The school violence prevention conferences I spoke at were filled with law enforcement officials, teachers, counselors, government officials, administrators, and faith-based leaders.

During my presentations, I continually told attendees that violence was unleashed, as indicated by tragedies taking place in our schools, campuses, communities, and workplaces.

I stressed that violence was even impacting places once considered sanctuary: our houses of worship.

Unfortunately, this violence continues, as recently depicted during my leadership keynote for the FBI, which included my commentary on these headlines:

•Armed guards keep watch over church services
•Church pastor killed during service, police say
•Shooting at mosque in Coachella, California might be a hate crime, police say
•4 shot, 1 dead at California retreat center
•Estranged Wife Fatally Shot During Services at New Jersey Church
•Catholic priest was found murdered in his California rectory
•Gunman Fatally Shoots Member of New Life Church in Colorado
•Two Killed at “Youth With A Mission” in Colorado
•Shooting at Sikh temple in Wisconsin, at least 7 dead
•Guard killed during shooting at Holocaust museum
•Man Fatally Shoots Ex-Wife As She Plays Church Organ, Police Say
•Man arrested for shooting at Chicago-area mosque with pellet rifle as hundreds worship inside
•Ex-Ku Klux Klan leader charged in Kansas Jewish center killings

In “A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013” this FBI report states:

“The 6 incidents in houses of worship resulted in 21 people killed and 27 wounded…The ages of the shooters ranged from 24 to 69. Most incidents occurred on Sunday (3), with the rest occurring on Tuesday (1), a Friday (1), and a Saturday (1). In all, 3 shooters were apprehended (2 of whom were restrained by civilians until police arrived), and 3 committed suicide at the scene (2 before police arrived and 1 after).”

World Events Demand Vigilance

Compounding domestic incidents in houses of worship that include hate crime, domestic violence, and murder, the acceleration of terrorist incidents worldwide urges fully dedicated crisis planning.

Just recently, the massacre of 148 Christians by Islamic extremists at a college in Kenya, reminds of the devastating consequences of terrorism.

The possibility for a major terrorist attack in the United States always exists and demands vigilance.

Security must be enhanced and must include awareness and prevention training, security vulnerability assessments by board-certified professionals, drills, programs, target-hardening, partnerships, certifications, and protocols.

Recommendations: A Partial List

The collaboration of our houses of worship, law enforcement, and private security should include learning from the aforementioned FBI active shooter document, active shooter training as available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and implementing “Recommended Best Practices for Securing Houses of Worship” by ASIS International including the following:

•Report suspicious packages to police, and do not touch the suspicious package. Develop a Suspicious Package Protocol with instructions on reporting to police as well as not touching or moving the item. Address this issue in emergency evacuation procedures.
•Request local law enforcement presence during high volume worship times and holiday celebrations.
•Include law enforcement in your security planning process.
•Consider hiring off-duty police officers as part of your security program.

Simply stated, a word to the wise urging vigilance: “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

Note Well:
Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Join Vincent’s Linkedin Group: The Sentinel: Reawakening the Nation

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

As authored for Vincent’s weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times, 35 countries, 21 languages and growing.

Photos
1. Vincent's cover story for The Chief of Police, Spring 2015 edition was an expanded version of this blog. The magazine cover photo shows the NYPD presence at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. (cover photo by Vincent J. Bove)
2. NYPD presence at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, February 28, 2015 (Vincent J. Bove)
3. NYPD officers at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, December 26, 2014. (Vincent J. Bove)

Workplace Violence: America's Public Safety Crisis

Workplace violence has reached staggering proportions throughout America and every community is a potential victim.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace violence as “violence or the threat of violence against workers…that can occur at or outside the workplace and range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide…”

OSHA states that 2 million workers are victims of workplace violence each year. These include homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies, rapes and sexual assaults.

The health, safety and welfare of American workers deserves intensified security training, violence prevention and crisis management measures.

Recent Incidents
Although the crisis has taken place for many years, these are some recent tragedies:
• Jan. 26-a man opens fire at a swearing-in ceremony for new police officers during a city council meeting in New Hope, MN. Two officers are shot before police returned fire and killed the shooter. Although the officers are expected to survive, a report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for 2014 states firearms-related incidents as the leading cause of death among law enforcement. This accounted for 50 deaths, increasing 56 percent from 2013
• Jan. 25-a disgruntled Home Depot employee fatally shots his supervisor before committing suicide at a crowded New York City store
• Jan. 20-Dr. Michael J. Davidson, 44, the director of endovascular cardiac surgery, was shot inside Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The married father of three children, dedicated to saving lives as a surgeon, died the following day in surgery

Infamous Tragedies
2014-a shocking beheading of a woman at an Oklahoma food distribution center and stabbing of another by a terminated employee. The suspect was killed by an off-duty deputy working on site.
2013-a lone gunman fatally shoots twelve people and injures three others at the Washington Navy Yard.
2009-an army psychologist kills thirteen and wounds twenty-nine at Fort Hood Military Base.
2006-a former postal worker kills her neighbor before going to the Goleta, CA post officer to kill six before committing suicide.
1999-over three days, a securities trader kills twelve in Atlanta, GA, including his wife and two children.
1989-a former employee returns to his Kentucky workplace killing nine and wounding twelve before committing suicide
1988-a toxic romantic infatuation escalates to the killing of 7 workers in Sunnydale, CA
1986-a postal employee shoots twenty, killing fourteen, in Edmond, Oklahoma, coining the term “going postal.”

Preventing Workplace Violence
In my workplace violence presentations and publications over the last 20 years, I have stressed:

• Training-continual programs for all employees including warning signs, mental health, de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques, diversity, domestic violence, reporting and intervention, target hardening, personal safety, company policies and law enforcement collaboration. The FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime has an outstanding document titled “Workplace Violence Issues in Response” which must be an integral element of training.
• Threat prevention and Assessment Teams-ongoing training for all members including the coordinator, human resources, employee assistance, consulting psychologist, safety, health and security specialists, administration, facility managers and legal representatives
• Cultivating a Culture of Respect-a respectful culture where employees are recognized, appreciated and affirmed is essential to violence prevention. Even the slightest acts of disrespect must have measured and swift intervention. A workplace that cultivates respect, altruism and community creates an environment that increases morale, safety and security because people are genuinely cared for. Caring employees, not just policies and procedures, are essential for workplace violence prevention.
• Security Vulnerability Assessment-conducted periodically by a board certified professional covering physical (including notification systems), personnel, informational, procedural security and the workplace culture
• Drills-tabletop, partial and full scale exercise’s to simulate workplace violence scenarios

Final Reflection
All workplace violence initiatives demand support and participation at the highest levels of a company and collaboration with law enforcement.

These are turbulent times of violence throughout America but workplace violence is preventable. Each employee and law enforcement official must be dedicated to violence prevention principles and committed to the reawakening of the nation.

Join my Linkedin Group: The Sentinel: Reawakening the Nation
Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

As authored for Vincent’s weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times, 35 countries, 21 languages and growing.

An expanded version of this column was published in The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine, March, 2015 edtion.

Photos
1. FBI SWAT team making an arrest (Courtesy FBI)
2. Active Shooter Drill (Photo by TSgt Richard Kerner, NCNG Public Affairs, 145th Airlift Wing)
3. “Workplace Violence Issues in Response” guide cover, FBI Critical Incident Response Group, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia (Courtesy FBI)

America’s Violence: Stop the Carnage

These are challenging times for police and communities throughout America.

As we celebrate holy days that call for peace on Earth, we continually witness acts of violence.

Headlines bombard us with campus, domestic, school, and workplace violence tragedies as well as acts of terrorism.

Domestic Violence

Just 10 days before Christmas, on Monday, Dec. 15, the nation witnessed a horrific domestic-violence killing spree in the Philadelphia suburbs.

According to the district attorney for Montgomery County, Pa., a suspect allegedly killed his ex-wife and her mother, grandmother, and sister, as well as the sister’s husband and their 14-year-old daughter. The sister’s 17-year-old son was also wounded in the carnage.

This kind of senseless tragedy—killing of numerous family members—is happening all too frequently.

On Christmas Eve 2008, nine people were killed from a combination of gunshot wounds and arson fire in Covina, Calif. The slayings left 15 children without one or both parents. It was committed by a man seeking revenge against his ex-wife and her family after being divorced just a week prior.

In still another domestic violence carnage, a man despondent about losing his job killed his wife and their five children in Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2009. After killing his entire family, he committed suicide.

School and Campus Violence

Since the Columbine High School tragedy (12 students and 1 teacher killed) on April 20, 1999, school and campus violence has no end in sight.

Additional tragedies include the following:
• Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Oct. 24, 2014. Five people in the school cafeteria are shot with four fatalities.
• Sparks Middle School, Oct. 21, 2013. A 12-year-old shoots and kills a teacher. He also shoots and wounds two other 12-year-olds.
• Sandy Hook Elementary School, Dec. 14, 2012. Twenty children, ages 6 and 7, and six faculty and staff killed.
• University of Alabama, Feb. 12, 2010. Three people are killed and three wounded in shootings by a biology professor.
• Discovery Middle School, Feb. 5, 2010. A 14-year-old dies after being shot in the head in a school hallway by a fellow ninth-grader.
• Virginia Tech, April 16, 2007. The deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history with 32 killed and 17 wounded.
• Georgetown Amish School, Oct. 2, 2006. Five girls killed and six wounded
• Episcopal School of Jacksonville, March 6, 2012. A fired Spanish teacher kills the principal with an AK-47 assault rifle.
• Santa Monica College, June 7, 2013. Six people are killed by a gunman after a shooting spree.
• Florida State University, Nov. 20, 2014. Three students are shot by a gunman who was an alumnus of the university.

Workplace Violence

Some of America’s most notorious workplace violence tragedies include the following:
• The Washington Navy Yard killings of Sept. 16, 2013, that took the lives of 12 and injured eight others.
• A former postal worker killed a previous neighbor before driving to the Goleta, Calif., post office where she shot and killed six workers before committing suicide in 2006.
• A day trader killed his wife and two children before killing six others at two workplaces in 1999.

Terrorism

Although Sept. 11, 2001, is the pivotal point of American history related to terror, other cases include the following:
• The hatchet attack against a group of NYPD officers in 2014 by a self-radicalized extremist.
• The 2013 sentencing in the plot to bomb the Federal Reserve.
• The jihadi-planned attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2012.
• Shooting of an officer at the Holocaust Museum by a white supremacist on June 10, 2009.
• The plan to attack soldiers at Fort Dix Army Base in 2007.

Final Reflection

Police who dedicate themselves to protect and serve cannot stop the carnage alone. We must ignite the principle that “the police are the public and the public are the police.”

When this police-public collaboration is forged, America will begin to realize the reawakening of the nation.

Note Well
As published in Vincent's weekly column "Reawakening the Nation" in the Dec. 19, 2014 edition of the Epoch Times.

Photo's
1. Two sailors salute as taps is played during a memorial service at the Marine Barracks in Washington D.C., Sept. 22, 2013. (Photo Courtesy Department of Defense by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo)
2. FBI Evidence Response Team at the Holocaust Museum, June, 2009 (Photo Courtesy FBI)
3. Bullet holes in glass door at the Holocaust Museum after the June 10, 2009 shooting (Photo Courtesy FBI)

Domestic Violence, Shelters, Homelessness: Wake Up, America

There is a direct correlation between the scourge of domestic violence and the growth of shelter and homeless populations.

This is a very real fear to many victims of domestic violence and can influence decisions that prevent abuse.

Recently, I assisted a woman whose husband was arrested for domestic violence. She frantically stated that she had no other family members to assist her. She said, “Where will I live?” and “How will I make ends meet?”

I introduced her to a domestic violence prevention organization that provided the guidance she needed to immediately leave her abusive husband.

Unfortunately, there are too many domestic violence victims who remain trapped in the cycle of violence. A lack of financial resources, shortage of affordable housing, and a fear of shelters and homelessness exacerbate America’s domestic violence crisis.

Domestic Violence Definition

The U.S. Department of Justice states on its website, “We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”

Domestic Violence and Homelessness

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness:

•Domestic violence survivors make up about 12 percent of the sheltered homeless population.
•Domestic violence is the immediate cause of homelessness for many women. Survivors of domestic violence are often isolated from support networks and financial resources by their abusers, which puts them at risk of becoming homeless.
•One study in Massachusetts found that 92 percent of homeless women had experienced severe physical or sexual assault at some point in their lives, 63 percent had been victims of violence by an intimate partner, and 32 percent had been assaulted by their current or most recent partner. Such studies suggest a correlation between domestic violence and homelessness.
•Survivors of domestic violence have both short-term and long-term housing needs. Immediately after incidents survivors require safe housing away from the abuser. Ultimately, the family requires access to safe, stable, affordable housing.
•Investment in affordable housing is crucial to this population, so that the family or woman is able to leave the shelter system as quickly as possible without returning to the abuser.
•One key challenge facing providers serving survivors of domestic violence is that safety and confidentiality concerns may make it difficult to track this group.

NYC Domestic Violence

As it is in cities throughout America, domestic violence is a serious New York City problem.

The mayor has begun a rent subsidy program to move abuse victims out of shelters but domestic violence is a complicated issue. Factors include the following:

•Economic hardships that influence women to return to abusers
•Minimal affordable housing opportunities throughout the city
•Domestic violence problems within New York’s public housing
•Immigrants’ fear of reporting to the police or seeking assistance that perpetuates the violent cycle
•Inability of victims to remain undetectable from abusers who can track them down at new residences or at work
•Over 46,000 domestic violence arrests in New York City already in 2014
•Lack of communicating problems to the police by victims—one report stated that 75 percent of the 37 victims killed in 2013 never informed the police
•Staggering NYPD domestic violence responses of 250,000 incidents annually—nearly 600 per day
•Reluctance of corporate domestic violence prevention initiatives. These should be ongoing and required for all staff

Final Reflection

Domestic violence is a national tragedy demanding collaboration between police, government officials, corporations, organizations, and the entire school system.

America’s schools and campuses must be an integral part of the solution. The youth of America often experience domestic violence within their families. We are fully committed to reawakening the nation when we safeguard all in society, including our youth, and empower them to identify and prevent domestic violence.

As originally published in Vincent's weekly "Reawakening the Nation" column in the Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 edition of the Epoch Times.

Photos
1.The homeless on Skid Row are seated for the annual Good Friday meal hosted by the LA Mission and served by volunteers and celebrities in Los Angeles on April 18, 2014. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
2. Missionary Sisters of Charity, commonly referred to as the Sisters of Mother Teresa, assist a homeless woman at Columbus Circle in NYC on Sept. 4, 2011 (Vincent J. Bove)
3. Homeless woman at the entrance to Central Park at 59th Street on Columbus Circle on July 23, 2010 (Vincent J. Bove)

America’s Leadership Crisis: Reigniting Our Character

America must pause and honestly assess our leadership crisis.

Throughout every facet of society—corporate, government, sports, entertainment, and even faith-based communities—we see alarming stories of scandal and corruption.

America is privileged to have democracy, prosperity, and cherished freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

But, character must be the center of our privileges and freedoms. Character must be the heartbeat of the nation.

We must heed the words attributed to Thomas Jefferson, one of our Founding Fathers:

“Yes, we did produce a near perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction.”

“The decline and fall of the Roman Empire” has become an iconic phrase. Many attribute the fall to the decline of morals, values, and character.

America must learn from the demise of the Roman Empire and not allow history to repeat itself. Our nation must rise to heights of greatness with character as our foundation.

Recent Scandals
On Sept. 4, a jury returned guilty verdicts against former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and former first lady Maureen G. McDonnell.

Robert McDonnell was convicted of 11 of 13 counts and Maureen McDonnell was convicted of 9 of 13 counts. These included honest services wire fraud, obtaining property under color of official right, and obstruction of an official proceeding.

“Robert McDonnell and his wife turned public service into a money-making enterprise, abusing the commonwealth’s highest office to benefit a Virginia businessman in exchange for more than $170,000 in gifts and loans,” said assistant Attorney General Caldwell.

In the sports world, a time of reckoning scorched the NFL after release of two separate videotapes of Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice.

In the first video, Rice manhandles his fiancée by pulling her limp, unconscious body off an Atlantic City elevator.

In the second video, Rice viciously knocks her unconscious in the elevator with a full force punch to the head.

The scandal is not only related to Rice’s sickening and callous crime but it also demands accountability from the NFL commissioner and a prosecutor.

These are only two recent examples of the crisis of character taking place throughout the nation.

The sports scandal follows years of NFL player arrests. These include domestic violence, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, DWI, disorderly conduct, unlawful possession of a firearm, burglary, drug possession, and murder. By now one would think that “zero tolerance” is more than a catch phrase.

Public corruption has been a serious problem and a fundamental threat to America’s security and way of life. It includes bribery, witness tampering, illegal kickbacks, extortion, fraud, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and election crimes.

Abraham Lincoln: Model of Character

America has been temporarily derailed from the character we are destined for.

It has taken generations for us to get to this point and it will take time to get back on track.

This is why character education must be paramount in our schools. The heart of the nation must be resuscitated by character. We must give hope to our future through our youth.

Character must be reignited in America and we must do so in every facet of society, especially through our schools and colleges.

Abraham Lincoln is the pre-eminent representative of America’s character.

As one studies Lincoln’s actions, speeches, and writings, as well as personal accounts from those who knew him, inspiration is ignited for the nation.

Lincoln is the paragon of a great American, one who made the decision to serve with full realization that decisions must always be grounded without reservation with character and in moral responsibility.

Photo
Janay Rice (L) and her husband, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, speak to the media during a news conference in Owings Mills, Md., on May 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Blog is Vincent's column titled "Reawakening the Nation" from the Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 edition of the Epoch Times.

NFL Domestic Violence Scandal: Time for Action

Domestic violence is in the national spotlight due to the National Football League scandal.

In short, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demonstrated a flagrant lack of judgment when he handed a star player a two-game suspension for a disturbing domestic violence incident. The incident was captured on video and showed the player manhandling his unconscious fiancée off an Atlantic City casino elevator.

The commissioner later modified the NFL policy after public outrage on the video that went viral.

Domestic Violence Statistics
Statistics found on the Partnership Against Domestic Violence website include these:

•Nearly 5.3 million incidents occur each year among U.S. women ages 18 and older. This violence results in nearly 2 million injuries and nearly 1,300 deaths.
•One in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
•On average, more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States.
•15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which domestic violence occurred at least once in the past year. Seven million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred.
•One in three teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked, or physically hurt by their partner.
One Life
With domestic violence initiatives, I always call for ethical courage. Society must do everything possible to prevent and assist all afflicted by the scourge of domestic violence.

If our awareness, planning, and action, as either an individual, corporation, law enforcement agency, or community organization, can save even one person from suffering, then we must do all we can to prevent a tragedy.

When it comes to even one life, we must do what is morally right, not what is convenient, politically expedient, publicity seeking, or cost-effective.

In simplest terms, we must learn to care for one another.

Domestic Violence at the Workplace
Aside from concerns in families and communities, domestic violence is also an issue at work. It involves behaviors that interfere with an individual’s ability to perform. Problems include harassing, repeated telephone calls, text messages, and emails, unauthorized appearances at work, restraining order violations, assaults, and even homicide.

Domestic violence not only endangers the abused employee but can also be an endangerment to the entire workforce.

These issues can also place a liability on employers who do not take reasonable measures to safeguard employees. Yet employers have more than a legal concern to prevent domestic violence. Each of us has a moral obligation to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

To this end, an objective assessment of the company’s culture (including policies, procedures, training, employee assistance, and professional development) must be a top priority. Training must be comprehensive and include ethics, the cycle of violence, policies, procedures, law enforcement issues, and warning signs.

Warning Signs
It is difficult to know what is happening in a coworker’s personal life, however these are some warning signs developed by www.helpguide.org:
•Frequent injuries with the excuse of accidents
•Frequent and sudden absences
•Fear of the partner
•References to the partner’s anger
•Personality changes, including social withdrawal
•Excessive fear of conflict
•Inordinate submissive behavior
•Isolation from others
•Insufficient financial resources due to the partner’s control
•Depression, low self-esteem, crying

Knowing and responding to warning signs is the first step in creating a supportive workplace with employees who care.

A Collaborative Response
A unity of effort is necessary for a safe workplace including the employer, employees, law enforcement, security, human resources, and employee assistance.

Victims of domestic violence often need our help. We must respond and give them hope. Sometimes this is best expressed through a simple question, “Are you safe at home?”

Each of us must have the courage to listen, care, and respond with ethical courage to the answer.

As published in Vincent's weekly "Reawakening the Nation" column in the Friday, Sept.5,2014 edition of the Epoch Times.

Photo
Kacey Mason (C) delivers remarks with her mother Merry Jackson (L), 63, and her husband Dave Mason during a news conference announcing new domestic violence legislation at the U.S. Capitol on July 29, 2014. Merry Jackson was shot and seriously injured and her daughter, Lori Gellatly, 32, was killed when Gallatly’s estranged husband broke into the Jackson’s home and shot them both. The Masons are now caring for Gellatly’s 1-year-old twins. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)