In the News

Managing Partner Steven J. Healy joins a panel of other FERPA experts on Thursday October 22, 2009 for a daylong discussion to discuss the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Final Rules that went into effect January 8, 2009.

October 15, 2009 - College campus security professionals in the Washington region are taking a closer look at plans for threat assessment. The goal: to avoid tragedies like 2007’s Virginia Tech shooting.

Approximately 200 security personnel, clinical physiologists, and school administrators attended this training seminar at Gallaudet University. It’s an effort designed to create greater awareness for the signs of potential campus violence before it happens.

Lt. Virginia Fiedel is an investigator with the security detail at Gallaudet University. She says the workshop’s focus on behavioral threat assessment is key.

“Well we’ve had a team so this will allow us to revisit the systems that we have in place and to asses and make adjustments where needed. But I think it’s far more useful for universities that don’t have a behavioral assessment team in place yet,” said Fiedel.

Additional seminars are planned for other areas around the U.S., all funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Elliott Francis reports…

To read more and listen to the story

Visit COPS Online at:  www.cops.usdoj.gov for the latest information about COPS and Community Policing

MH&A Associate Jason Friedberg will be presenting at an upcoming IACLEA and NACCU sponsored web conference regarding the implementation of a new One Card and access control system on Tuesday October 27th, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (EST). Friedberg will discuss how Bucknell University built a new One Card and access control system in eight months. Topics to be covered include: how to access, plan, design and build a new one card and access control system from scratch, including how to review size, scope, and costs; self-assessment; technology; deliverables; and consultants. The main catalysts for the increases in awareness and spending for security on campus will also be discussed.

For immediate release:  September 17, 2009
Media contact: Dr. Gary J. Margolis, 1-866-817-5817
 
National campus safety experts concerned about recent spate of campus violence
Margolis and Healy available to speak about steps to safer campuses
                                     
Richmond, VT.  Two of the nation’s leading experts in campus safety and security have issued a statement today regarding the recent instances of campus violence. Steven J. Healy was the Director of Public Safety at Princeton University from 2003 to 2009 and is a past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Dr. Gary Margolis was the Chief of Police at the University of Vermont from 1998 to 2009 and is a Past General Chair of the University & College Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
 
We are extremely saddened by the recent spate of violence occurring on our campuses across the nation. The tragic murder of Ms. Annie Le at Yale University is one of a number of violent crimes that have occurred during this opening month of the academic year.
 
While college and university campuses are not immune to the types of violence that plague the rest of society, our campuses are generally known as safe harbors – places where students can learn relatively free from the fear of crime.  Unfortunately, this recent cycle of violence, sometimes perpetuated by individuals from outside the institution and in the case of Ms. Le, by an individual inside the campus, is causing many to question the state of safety at our colleges and universities.
 
While we know, based on our extensive careers in law enforcement, that it is impossible to prevent every crime, we believe there are proven steps that institutions should take to make our campuses safer.  These steps will help ensure that institutions can prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wide range of incidents.  We implore the higher education community to dispel the myth that “bad things won’t happen here.” This denial prevents campuses from taking reasonable steps and can be a major obstacle to safer campuses. 
 
Here are 5 basic steps that every institution should take today:
 
1.  Conduct a safety and security vulnerability assessment using a multidisciplinary approach.

2.  Enhance emergency preparedness by following FEMA’s 4 Phases of Emergency Management.

3.  Implement a threat assessment and management strategy that includes a threat assessment team, training for the team, and appropriate policies and protocols.

4.  Re-think crime prevention education – every campus should make on-going safety awareness programs mandatory for all students, faculty and staff. These programs should include basic safety messages, information on sexual violence and other crimes against women, and frank discussions with men on what is acceptable behavior.

5.  Ensure that the campus’ protection agency is appropriately empowered, trained and equipped to deal with a wide range of critical events.

Babson College and Touro College have retained MH&A to assist with their safety and security strategic planning, and emergency management planning needs.

MH&A Managing Partner Steven J. Healy to discuss how the current economic crisis is likely to affect campus security in a webinar on September 15, 2009, at 2:00 p.m.  The webinar, “Getting More for Less:  Campus Security Technologies for Day-to-Day Operations and Emergency Preparedness,” will address the issue of enhancing campus safety during the current economic downturn.  Hosted by University Business Magazine and sponsored by ADT, the purpose of this free webinar is to explore ways colleges and universities can strengthen their campus security programs while adhering to the fiscal constraints that many institutions are experiencing. 
In addition to reviewing ways that campuses can leverage technology to provide a holistic security environment, the speakers will discuss low-cost/no-cost solutions for emergency preparedness and critical incident response.
Healy will address emergency planning in light of new federal regulations requiring colleges and universities to disclose information regarding their emergency response and evacuation plans, the how-to of emergency notification, and best practices for assessing and managing individuals who may represent a threat to themselves or others on the campus.  Specifically, Healy will cover the four “campus safety imperatives” for higher education institutions in the new age of campus security awareness.
Healy will be joined by Patrick Fiel, ADT’s Public Safety Advisor who is a former Security Chief for Washington, D.C., public schools and past security advisor to the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY and Nick Samanich, ADT’s Director of Commercial Strategic Products Planning. Mr. Samanich has an extensive background in information technology strategy, product strategy, and business improvement. 

Other topics to be covered during the free webinar include: 
• How to begin an emergency planning effort;
• Understanding who should be involved in the institution’s emergency planning initiatives;
• Information on the latest advances in video surveillance, access control and alert notification; and
• Evaluating security solutions in order to get the most out of technology purchases.

To register please use the following link: http://pe.wimba.com/eventreg/participant/registration.php?eventid=1275