DIY Investigation Gone Wrong!

A quick search of the internet can result in numerous tips on how to fix, repair or build things on your own – DIY. There are even entire websites dedicated to avid 'do-it-yourselfers'.

However, some issues should be left to the professionals. Complex investigations are one. Especially when it involves school kids and sexual assault.

A school district in Alabama is facing a lawsuit after setting up a 14-year old girl to catch a suspected rapist. The girl, described as a special needs student, complained to teachers about advances made by another student. The male student had a long history of complaints, but the school had not been able to prove the allegations.

The girl was told to pretend to go along with the male and that teachers would be hidden nearby and intervene and catch him red-handed. However, the male took the girl to a different location, in another part of the school. She tried to stall, but eventually was raped by the male.

From the news story, this was a horrible event, largely because it should never have happened. Worse, the suspect was not prosecuted as the victim would not talk about the attack. There was clear evidence of injury, but the responding police officer did not pursue the case as there was no way to tell if it was consensual or not without her statement.  

So what are the lessons learned?

1.     Never put the victim or a potential victim in harm’s way. This ‘set up’ was not well planned and there was no contingency for things going wrong and in real life, things do go wrong. Always have a back-up plan. A trained police officer going into this type of situation, such as pretending to be a prostitute, would have had back-up plans, microphones and been under supervision from back-up from beginning to end of the investigation.

2.    Understand the legal system. The way the news article describes the incident, the girl was instructed to go along with the suspect. His legal argument would then be that he thought his actions were with a consenting partner and even though ‘caught in the act’ there would have been no criminal charges.

3.    Look at alternatives. The faculty was so desperate to substantiate claims against the suspect; it seems no one stopped to think about how else that could have been done. Substantiating a complaint could have been done through witness interviews. Interviewers should have looked for inconsistencies in the suspect’s story, as one example.

4.    Include professionals. Local police should have been involved in the investigation. If police were reluctant, then the school could have brought in trained investigators or run the investigation plan past the local police.

DIY may be a great way to approach home repairs, but it is too risky when it comes to putting schoolchildren in harm’s way.

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Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

Security or Convenience? Get Both with these 4 Steps

               In December of 2013, a student bent on revenge entered Arapahoe High School in Colorado to target the debate team coach. The coach left the school, but the student killed Claire Davis before taking his own life.

               Sadly, the killer used a side door that was supposed to be locked, but was routinely left propped open for convenience.

Propped open doors can be used by all criminals, not just shooters

               Being a student, he would have likely found a way in. However, every obstacle creates an opportunity to disrupt an attack. Forcing the student to use a main entrance could have meant that he would have been seen, as he was carrying a shotgun and machete along with Molotov cocktails: items that were not easily concealed. If an access control system was in place, an alarm may have been instantly triggered if there was forced entry or a door propped open.

               It is concerning that it was apparently a well-known fact that the door in question (and probably others) was routinely allowed to be propped open for sake of the convenience.

               The question or trade-off between security and convenience is not new. Every security professional has faced this dilemma in some form or another. If security measures are not supported, people will find ways to work around the measures.

               To make sure that your security is convenient, follow the guidelines below.

1.      Communicate the reason behind the security measures. Repeat as necessary. It is nearly impossible to over-communicate a message. Recently, I heard a speaker say that a message has to be repeated seven times before it will be remembered. Make sure you can clearly explain changes, the reason for the changes, and, of course, what is in it for the audience (such as to protect employees and keep them safe).

2.     Plan security measures to match business needs. NOTE: business needs and convenience are not the same thing. If business goals are supported and the inconvenience does not impact productivity, then move forward with executive support.

3.     Have a method that identifies any gaps or ways that a security measure is being bypassed. For example, if there are repeated alarms at a given door, review the situation to see if there is a business need to make a change. If not, enforce the policy!

4.     Convenience may sometimes include visitors or customers. An organization has to be able to balance security with a customer-friendly environment. If you have restricted or limited access for visitors or customers, be sure to have the right signage and way finding in place so people will be directed to the right location. A school may lock all doors except for the front. However, there should be clear signage directing visitors to the front entrance if someone happens to park in the wrong area or walks up from a different direction. Make it easy for visitors to follow the security protocols.

               Find the right balance between security and convenience. The two may be at odds on occasion, but with the right approach, you can build support and create a safer environment.              

 

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense. He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management. Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

Distraction or Good Sense for School Security?

Ohio Teacher Melissa Cairns is in trouble for Facebook photos of her middle school students with their mouths covered with duct tape. The photo includes the caption, “Finally found a way to keep them quiet.”

The school administration acknowledges that the tape was part of a joke, but are considering termination. Two concerns are that there was duct tape present in the classroom and that the students’ privacy was jeopardized.

At a time when so much attention is focused on school security and safety, this seems like something of a diversion. By all accounts, the students willingly participated and it probably made the day more interesting and school a bit more fun. The presence of duct tape is hardly a concern – I’d be more concerned about the screening and background of the teachers and school employees. While the tape could be used for harm, so can many other normal household items if someone were so inclined.

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As for privacy violations, I would wager that those students involved probably post far more on their own social media websites than what was on the teacher’s photo. They probably were connected via Facebook as friends. The real question is whether or not there was a harmful privacy violation. Were the students’ grades exposed or personal information on home addresses or medical allergies, etc. put online? That is probably the real intent behind whatever policy the school has in place and should be the focus of any hearings to determine the teacher’s employment at the school.

As a society, we allow ourselves to be sidetracked and distracted from our primary goals far too often. It seems that some issues that really pose no threat become a major concern that outstrips common sense. There was a student in a kindergarten class a few years ago that was expelled or nearly so for bringing a tiny Lego person to the class with a little Lego gun. There are the cases of students bringing plastic knives for their lunch being suspended or in trouble.

 This incident should have been a straightforward matter to investigate without the media attention. The focus should be on any policy violations as well as any real harm done. It would be interesting to know what the students involved actually think of this case. Knowing my own kids and their teachers, I imagine that the students enjoyed the prank and are upset that their teacher is no longer part of the classroom.

Remember to keep your focus on the true intent of your security and safety policies and not to be distracted by the minor bumps that come along.

 

For more info on bad policies or procedures, click here.

 

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense.  He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management.  Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces.  To learn more email eric@businesskarate.com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.