Guards Fail to Intervene in Attack
In Seattle, Olympic Security Services personnel, contracted by King County, were in the Westlake station of the Metro Tunnel. The practice in Seattle is to use private security to support local law enforcement. A 15-year old girl, and four others, attacked a girl. They robbed her of an iPod, cell phone, purse, and other items. That wasn’t enough. The attacker kicked the still, prone victim. All of this was picked up by surveillance video. (read more...)

Strike Guidance for Private Investigators
In a labor dispute, the overriding consideration is to maintain order by preventing injury and property damage. This is accomplished through the proper deployment of available resources and ability to rapidly respond. In a strike situation, private investigators may be called upon to supplement the local police and security staff and may be asked to perform extraordinary duties such as involvement in personal conflicts, picket line disturbances, and violent confrontations with employees or others.

Protection is best achieved by taking a neutral position during labor disputes. Actions taken during a strike can result in a civil suit for damages. With proper documentation of actions resulting in damages or injury, a union can be held liable for the actions of its members. Conversely, improper actions by a company, including private investigators, could result in damages payable to unions and their members. (read more...)

Complaints Lead to ESA Code of Ethics
Mary Jackson, of Richfield, Michigan was one of 3,000 customers who in 2009 complained of being coerced into replacing her existing ADT alarm with a system from another company after receiving a high-pressure sales presentation from a pushy, door-to-door salesman who lied and misled her. After several phone calls and letters, Jackson was able to get out of the contract and have her original service restored.

In response, the Electronic Security Association (EDA) crafted a strict code of ethics and standards of conduct for its 500,000 security members employed by over 2,800 U.S. security companies.(read more...)



Total Cost of Fire in the United States
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a new report called Total Cost of Fire in the United States. The report says that between 1980 and 2007, after adjusting for inflation, the total cost of fire in the United States increased by 86 percent. (read more...)



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