Blogs

Take Home Cars vs. Vehicle Stipend

By David Rivero posted 11-16-2017
Wondering if any PD gives out a stipend instead of a take-home car and if so, how much $$? Thanks for the help! David A. Rivero Chief of Police University of Miami Police Dept. Chief@miami.edu

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ART OF STORY-TELLING

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 01-28-2016
WORD CHOICE AND STORIES DO MATTER WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH ANY AUDIENCE Campus law enforcement nationwide must effectively engage with all their audiences to effectively do their jobs. Community engagement and public involvement is a combination of art and science. In the business of opening dialogue and conversation with our communities and our neighbors, the recent article in the New York Times summarizes the approach former President Bill Clinton takes in communicating with his audience and explains it well: “Charismatic and soulful, and with an emotional force that could transfix voters, Mr. Clinton was among the ...

What You Must Do BEFORE Issuing an Email - Like This One Sent to Students by University of Missouri Police

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 11-10-2015
Before issuing an email such as this one by the University of Missouri, which can potentially create or exacerbate a crisis (understanding any email will appear in the news) those who write such missives should consult their communications and legal departments and then ask themselves the following questions to minimize conflict and crisis: 1. How can this email be interpreted or perceived by someone outside of the organization and that is unfamiliar with the situation? 2. What are the legal and public relations ramifications to what the email says or doesn’t say? 3. What is the intent of the email and could it be perceived to infringe on Constitutional ...

Importance of Social Media in Campus Emergency and Crisis Planning

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 11-03-2015
Nusura Brings Social Media Into the World of Crisis and Emergency Planning All colleges and universities, irrespective of size, these days are subject to crisis and emergency management disasters. The “it can’t or won’t happen here” mentality is a sure sign of denial. Those that take the time to plan and practice for their worst-case scenarios and be prepared in advance will survive and even thrive when the event occurs. Those that believe it “can’t happen to us” will not or will suffer greatly in the court of public opinion and probably the court of law. Perhaps equally important, whether they are nonprofit organizations, local, state or federal agencies, ...

Creating A Campus Police Advisory Board Part II: Developing the Function and Role of the Advisory Board

By Roger Mason posted 06-27-2015
Note: This article is a follow up to the first article titled Creating a Campus Police Advisory Board. Introduction Once a campus has established their campus police/public safety advisory board The next step is developing the function and role of the board. This involves how the board will operate and how it will work. Developing the function and role of the board is a combination of practical organizational efforts combined with building the conceptual framework for the board. Conceptual meaning what will the board seek to accomplish. When considering these objectives there are five areas which should be considered: laws and regulations, ...

LA TIMES - With smartphones everywhere, police on notice they may be caught on camera 4.22.15

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 04-22-2015
With smartphones everywhere, police on notice they may be caught on camera In South Gate, (Los Angeles, CA) police had already been warned: Just expect that you might be filmed with cellphones and other cameras as you do your job. After high-profile uses of force caught on video in places like South Carolina, New York and L.A.’s skid row, officers in the Southeast L.A. suburb had been told to take filming in stride. If you're not doing anything wrong, police brass reasoned, what do you have to worry about? U.S. DEPUTY MARSHALL DESTROYS WOMAN'S CELL PHONE WHILE SHE IS VIDEOTAPING THEM READ MORE HERE ...

EXCLUSIVE: Proposed federal rules for NYPD training include Cop 101 advice like 'don't be racist'

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 04-21-2015
From today's Daily News 4.21.15 NYPD recruits are about to get a crash course in the ABCs of policing. The federal monitor overseeing reforms to the NYPD wants the current class of Police Academy recruits to be taught groundbreaking new concepts like: Don’t be racist, don’t mock others, don’t tell sexist jokes and don’t hassle people for no reason. Read more here: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/exclusive-new-fed-rules-nypd-training-101-article-1.2192488

How NOT to Handle an Interview with the Media

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 04-05-2015
How NOT to Handle an Interview with the Media You are a small business owner or an elected official walking out of your home one morning and feeling good about the day. Lo and behold, a reporter is standing in your driveway, with a camera rolling, waiting to do an “ambush” interview. You’ve got two choices in a situation such as this, okay, well maybe three. You can run back inside and hide, or give the proverbial middle finger salute, or walk up and handle the situation as a professional and benefit yourself and our organization. All of us have seen such instances on television over and over, or you may have actually been the victim of one. This is ...

UPDATED: Militants Kill 147 In Kenyan University Attack

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 04-02-2015
An attack by masked terrorists who stormed a university in eastern Kenya has left at least 147 people dead. Around 80 more have been confirmed as wounded in the siege at Garissa University, which has now ended after the four attackers detonated their suicide vests. The gunmen hurled grenades and fired automatic rifles as students were sleeping, shooting dead dozens before setting Muslims free and holding Christians and others hostage. The authorities are offering a reward for a man linked to the attack Survivors said the masked attackers singled out non-Muslim students and gunned them down without mercy. Others ran for their lives as bullets whistled ...

So, you have completed a tabletop exercise ... now what? Three simple steps

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 01-21-2015
Recently, I was asked by a university campus chief, now that I have been through tabletop exercises training, what is my next step? Now that you and your team have completed the recent emergency exercise training there are three follow-on basic steps you should undertake, if your intent is to plan and prepare for an actual event. Allow me to outline the three next step recommendations below: The immediate next step is to conduct a “vulnerabilities and risk assessment” of your entire campus and any satellite campuses. This can either be done through a self-assessment/audit that you conduct or by engaging a consultant. To get a copy of ...

Crowdsourcing a useful tool during disasters and emergencies

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 12-09-2014
By Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are a university with facilities in several counties or even several states. The ice storm of the century hits, or a tornado rips through the entire region, or the New Madrid finally shakes hard enough to cause major damage. You need to know as quickly as possible the state of your students, faculty, staff, employees and your facilities. How will you do this? Perhaps someday innovative crowdsourcing software currently under development by the military may be the answer. In the meantime, social media is rapidly becoming the primary source of information and intelligence during ...

Crisis Management Planning - Reflections on Ferguson: Strategic planning required in preparation

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 11-16-2014
Professional Reflections on Ferguson, Mo Grand Jury Announcement Preventing a crisis when the potential of civil unrest exists requires proactive communications before, during and after by law enforcement and the majority and minority leadership in communities. Relationships with the media should be established now. There is great concern that the Grand Jury announcement about the outcome of the investigation of the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo. will result in civil unrest throughout various parts of the country and not just be confined to Ferguson. All parties at all levels of the federal, state and local levels of government responsible ...

Preventing a Crisis: Ebola, Campus Riots, Pandemics - What Professionals Must Understand About Working with the Media

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 10-31-2014
Preventing a Crisis: What Professionals Must Understand About Working with the Media By Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong APR CCMC CAMT www.ldarrylarmstrong.com 1.888.340.2006 Regrettably, the Ebola crisis will continue to be a top of the page story for the next several months. The conflicting messages given by the medical profession and the media have made sure of this. The medical profession has created this crisis by providing experts who are not necessarily good communicators to communicate about the disease and the infected patients. Although doctors may be experts at medical issues, they are not necessarily good communicators with ...

Students, Faculty, Hospital Security and Ebola Preparation

By Jasper Cooke posted 10-24-2014
Greetings, Has your university restricted travel for employees or students due to the Ebola outbreak? Also for those of you with Medical centers or hospitals, what precautions do you have in place for your Security or Police who work in the ER? As always, THANK you for your assistance, jasper Jasper Cooke Director Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPaR) Georgia Regents University Augusta cepar@gru.edu Georgia Regents University 1120 15 th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30912 Office 706-667-4207 Treasurer ...

Ebola / Communicable Disease Protocols / Procedures

By David Thoroughman posted 10-20-2014
Good afternoon All, I am interested in policies that you may have in place that deal with Ebola or other communicable disease response and control. Thank you for your assistance, David

Campus Security Must Prepare for the Worst Case Scenarios – Key Questions

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 10-19-2014
Small Businesses, Their Owners, Families and Campus Security Must Prepare for the Worst Case Scenarios – Key Questions By Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong APR CCMC CAMT www.ldarrylarmstrong.com 1.888.340.2006 NOTE: The advice and tips presented here can apply to you and your family, as well as your business. As a small business owner, we rarely think of ourselves as “targets” and yet frankly we are, especially if you are in a retail business and open 24/7, 365 days a year. You are targets for shoplifters, robbery, vandalism, parking lot theft and even active shooters. Any business that has walk in traffic can experience an active shooter, attempted ...

Creating a Campus Police Advisory Board

By Roger Mason posted 10-15-2014
The history of individuals organized into a group to advise local police departments is long and interesting. Some of the earliest attempts at involving persons outside police departments in decision and review activities came from major police departments in cities in the northeastern United States. Today many municipal and campus law enforcement agencies have some type of advisory boards. The effort to improve local law enforcement operations through cooperative ventures with interested stakeholders is not new. College communities and their public safety agencies can benefit from developing advisory boards. This paper will discuss five topics for consideration ...

NOW is the time to review your crisis plans - FBI ISSUES WARNING

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 10-06-2014
FBI: Militants may be working on plan to strike US WASHINGTON (AP) — An al-Qaida cell in Syria that was targeted in American military airstrikes last month could still be working on a plan to attack the United States or its allies and is "looking to do it very, very soon," the head of the FBI says. The Khorasan Group, a small but battle-hardened band of al-Qaida veterans from Afghanistan and Pakistan, was the target of U.S. strikes near Aleppo, Syria. "Given our visibility we know they're serious people, bent on destruction," FBI Director James Comey said. Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-militants-may-working-plan-strike-us-133248297.html

Considering Students with Special Access and Functional Needs

By Roger Mason posted 09-19-2014
Joseph Zelenis is LECMgt’s special access and functional needs (SAFN) advisor. Joe is very interested in helping the disabled with the topic of emergency preparedness. For the past 27 years Joe has been a volunteer with the Los Angeles Police Department working a variety of assignments. He is currently assigned to the LAPD VST (Volunteer Surveillance Team) at West Valley Station where he is involved in the virtual patrol of high crime areas using surveillance cameras. I recently spoke with Joe and discussed how SAFN students can prepare for disasters and emergencies. I’ve recorded his suggestions here: Introduction Going to college for the ...

Are you planning to fail? - September is National Preparedness Month

By Leland Darryl Armstrong posted 09-11-2014
“Are You Planning to Fail?” - September is National Awareness Month So, big deal! Well, a few years ago when the massive ice and snowstorm hit western Kentucky, it was a big deal, especially for those who were not prepared. When 9-11 hit in downtown New York City, at the Pentagon, and in the fields in Pennsylvania, those were big deals. When Napa Valley was awakened at 3:30 a.m. recently by an 8.2 magnitude earthquake --- yep, that was a big deal! And yes, it is just a matter of time before another big deal happens. If you are a small business owner, if you have a family, this all applies to you because it is quite a big ...