COMMUNITY ROBOTS

In December of last year, Amazon.com made headlines when the company announced plans to develop a drone to deliver small packages within small geographic areas in under 30 minutes. At the same time, other stories appeared that described robot technology designed specifically for security applications. One example is the Knightscope Inc K5, a five-foot tall, 300lb bowling pin whose makers describe as an “Autonomous Data Machine”. Among its many features, the K5 has a 360 degree camera, a night-vision camera, Optical Character Recognition (The ability to read license plates), Behavioral Analysis software and the ability to detect biological, radiation and chemical elements within its environment. While the K5 and offerings from its competitors; the Robotex Avatar lll and Mobilerobots’ Patrolbot, are far from the bipedal humanoid of science fiction, these devices represent what lies directly ahead in today’s world of security technology. Now of course, one cannot say "Security Robot" without acknowledging concerns about privacy and job elimination. In my view the robots headed our way are no more ominous than all of the other cameras and sensors that capture our movements every day. Another feed of telemetry gathered about our not-so private lives, to me, is not going to reveal much more than is known about each of us already. In terms of jobs, I do not see the coming generation of robots as a threat to the relevance of private security guards. The purpose and abilities of the machines are matched to roles that augment, rather than replace, human security forces. In other words a more a capable K9 and without the bite. From my perspective as a security contractor I see the technology as a good thing. For one, the robots will perform the most mundane of security assignments and relieve human guards to complete other tasks. For example, a group of robots can be deployed in a condominium to provide continuous coverage of the gated parking garages and leave the human guard to handle noise complaints, after-hours pool use, and all of the other issues that can require the complex social skills that are unique to humans. If the robots in the garage do happen to detect suspicious activity, that data can be relayed directly to the guard’s smartphone with streaming video and audio. The guard can evaluate the data from a safe location and decide if police are to be notified. Safety and efficiency will be the strongest assets that robotic technology brings to the private security industry. DW

Select Patrol Update

First news is that we have added a new EPSA page to selectpatrol.com. The EPSA page features an interactive membership application which allows Echo Park residents to join without delays and the hassles of paperwork. We accept Paypal and membership is immediate upon completion of the application. Point, click and the patrolman brings a yard sign to your door. Select Patrol is on the move. In late March, we located our offices from Atwater Village to the City of Pasadena. In 20 years' time we have come full-circle. We had originally moved to Los Angeles from the corner of Colorado Bl and Euclid in 1992. Now, we are a few blocks from our former location at Colorado and El Molino across from Vroman's. The decision for our move was based primarily on economics. For the past five years we paid for an office and a separate parking facility for our vehicles. The new location consolidates the office and parking onto a single site. In addition, there were also the tax considerations which favored relocation outside of Los Angeles. The revenue-based formula in Los Angeles worked out to be a huge chunk of money that we have had to part with the first of every year. Now we can get some relief and do something that truly benefits the patrolmen of Select Patrol. Something that had concerned me for a long time was the fact very few of my staff can afford to buy new body armor. Not difficult to understand, however since new protective panels and carriers run in the range of $350.00 to $1000.00 and higher. As an alternative, most patrolmen either receive hand-me-downs from law enforcement friends or buy used vests at gun shows.These pieces are well beyond their warrantied life and do not provide the optimal level of protection they offered when new. This is a circumstance that I have found unacceptable. Especially in the face of statistics which show that out of 112 US private officer fatalities in 2012, 65 were caused by armed assailants. In many of these cases the officers were unarmed. By the end of this year, I am resolved to provide each of my patrolmen with new body armor free of cost. I cannot think of a better cause. DW

Mental Health Public Safety

In the weeks since the mass murders in Newtown, Conn., many voices have articulated theories as to the “how” and “why” of this particular mass murder, and the preventative steps that can be taken to avoid future atrocities. In addition to the calls for a renewed federal ban on so-called assault weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms purchases, there have been productive discussions concerning mental health. I believe that addressing the issue of mental health care – and ensuring access to services by families of the mentally ill – is the overarching component in preventing mass killings in schools, the workplace and the family home. I recently came across a report about Laura’s Law, named for Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old college student who was murdered in 2000 by a man who suffered from late-onset schizophrenia. She was shot four times at point-blank range while she worked as a volunteer at a mental hospital during Christmas break. Passed by the State of California in 2002, Laura’s Law was designed to provide housing and treatment for dangerous mentally ill persons reluctant to seek help. Under Laura’s Law, a judge can order outpatient treatment for up to six months for a seriously mentally ill individual proven likely to pose a danger either to himself or others. The process can be initiated by family members, social workers or the police. The irony is that despite having been passed into law more than a decade ago, Laura’s Law has been effectively nullified, through lack of funding, in nearly all but two counties in the state. Nevada County, where Laura Wilcox had lived, is the only county in the state where Laura’s Law has been used as an instrument of the court in 54 cases. Los Angeles County has recently begun a smaller pilot program based on Laura’s Law. Critics of involuntary treatment say the process takes way the rights and dignity of the individual. This argument has been at the core of opposition to Laura’s Law and similar measures throughout the US. The public is hesitant to empower the State with the ability to force citizens into care too swiftly. The image of the State Hospital runamuck with corruption and unchecked powers is an indelible one. No one wants a return to the dark days of mental health care and all of the ghastly images that era conjures. Despite this understandable reluctance, I believe we must acknowledge that the current voluntary care system does not meet the public safety needs of modern society – a point proven all too well by the cases of Jared Loughner, James Holmes, Adam Lanza and too many others to name. To effectively take control of public safety, the State must have the ability to step in and administer care when necessary for the severely ill who have long refused treatment and are likely pose a threat to themselves or others. To learn more about Laura's Law, you can visit the website www.mentalillnesspolicy.org.org. To encourage Los Angeles County to continue and expand the Laura's Law pilot program, please contact Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina's office at molina.lacounty.gov. DW

Private Security Training Day at North East Division

Over the years, I have participated in several police-private security summits. For the most part these events were geared towards bettering the relationships between senior police officials and their private security counterparts. No complaints there. However, I have always preferred those events which provided practical tools for the officer in uniform.
The information presented at the March 7th seminar, was absolutely spot-on. This meeting was not about lofty speeches. It was strictly nuts and bolts for the working security officer. The meeting got underway just after 9:00AM in the Northeast Roll Call room with about two dozen security officers and managers from different organizations which operate with within the North East Division’s geographical area. Select Patrol was represented by five officers including two of the three Echo Park patrol officers, Ed Aguero and Raul Lopez.
Opening remarks were made by Lt. Steve Flores, of the North East Detective Division . According to Lt. Flores, the inspiration for Northeast’s outreach to the local private security industry owed much to the court-ordered release of 34,000 state prison inmates which began in late 2011. The goal of the training summit was to multiply the numbers of eyes and ears of the police on the street level in anticipation of the thousands of repeat offenders returning to their old neighborhoods.
The training itself was divided into three segments. The first was communications and included an overview of the LAPD communications system and a step by step tutorial in how to make an effective report by phone to the police.
The second segment was titled “Being a Good Witness” and focused on definitions of the types of crimes a security officer may encounter on the job as well as a review of the laws relevant to private person’s arrest. The presenter, Detective Armando Romero, established good rapport among the meeting’s attendees and fielded many questions from the audience.


After a terrific lunch provided by our hosts, we attended our third and final evolution in which participants were selected to view and then give their feedback on different, potential use of force scenarios. The live-action video clips were projected onto a screen which gave the effect of separate, life-sized encounters with an agitated emergency room patient, a bar fight, and a drunken bar patron. The instructor, Officer Craig Orange emphasized the point of the exercise was provide private officers with options to successfully navigate through potentially volatile encounters, and avoid the pitfalls of a no-win situation.
I thought Officer Orange clearly understood the extremely grey world in which private officers operate. For example, a private officer may be summoned to intervene in a situation not necessarily covered under a contractual agreement but simply because the private officer was the first uniform in sight. Unfortunately, it has been precisely this kind of circumstance and the resulting actions of the security officer, which has contributed to what has been a muddled perception in regards to private security’s role not only with the public but also in the eyes of the police. I thought this element of training and the low key approach that was encouraged demonstrated a better understanding of what is expected of private officers.
No doubt our instructors had as much opportunity to access our collective skill level as much as we had the opportunity to learn. It is my hope that our March 7 training date will be something to build upon for the future. My thanks our host Senior Lead Officer Nina Preciado and the other officers who participated in the event.



DW

Video; A Useful Tool But Not The Complete Picture

I frequently hear it mentioned that one cannot get away with anything these days because of the video cameras which seem to be omnipresent in our lives. If only this were true.
Because despite the proliferation of multi camera CTTV systems, video surveillance does not provide the single-source solution to fighting crime, or addressing quality of life issues. In my my experience I find that while video can be very useful in the documentation of incidents and the identification of criminal activity,cameras by themselves offer little in the way of actual crime prevention.

Case in point are the panhandlers and vagrants who troll the strip centers and retail outlets serviced by our vehicle patrol. In the numerous encounters I have had with panhandlers, the persons whom I have approached were either unimpressed or unaware of the cameras focused on their activities. What got these folks to move on was my presence and communication with them. In my opinion, it is the uniformed security officer who is not only the best deterrent to conspicuous criminal activity but also it is the officers who are the primary tool to engage private policy on the street level.



Ready When You Are CB

As I mention, cameras can very useful in the documentation of activity, but the capabilities of the video system must be matched to the objectives of the particular video customer in order to be effective. One may be surprised at how many times I have found video systems totally lacking in their ability to accurately record. For example, I have seen exterior-mounted cameras on commercial sites that relay quality images during daylight hours, but at night show only a blacked-out screen. Then there are the video streams to no-where; cameras which display live feed but do not have a functional DVR to record the images. In these cases the systems were about as useful as a sleeping security guard, and potentially just as costly.



Ultimately consumers must see video for what it is; a component of a complete security plan. A useful tool to document activity at critical moments, and to alert first responders to the first signs of trouble.

DW

Select Patrol Transitions to Less-Lethal Weapons

As of February 18th, Select Patrol employees no longer carry firearms on duty. With myself excluded, all previously armed employees may continue to carry less lethal defense weapons such as pepper spray, batons and Taser guns.

I had begun to phase out firearms last year. But the process was hastened by my worker's compensation carrier who has excluded coverage for armed employees.I had anticipated this move for some time based upon my own experiences and what I saw as a growing trend among other private patrol services who had transitioned away from firearms. For myself, I found there had been a clear shift in attitude towards firearms over the past decade. Requests for armed security officers declined and objections to guns, by clients, grew. Added to that were the cost prohibitive factors such as the apartment complex in Echo Park which required Select Patrol to increase its general liability coverage from $2,000,000.00 to $5,000,000.00 solely because my employees were armed.
Finally, there was the fact that in 26 years of operation no Select Patrol employee had been involved in a shooting incident. This is due in no small part to the scope of the officer's duties and the degree to which I allow my employees to directly involve themselves in situations they encounter on the job. To those who may now wonder how this may affect the ability to my staff to protect Select Patrol clients, I can assure you that our operations have not been affected in any way. We shall continue to do the job as we always have..

Learning The Ropes

It was six years ago that I first put to paper my designs for an in house 40 hour training course. The plan was a full year ahead of the State's regulation that would expand the eight hour Powers to Arrest training to a full forty hours of instruction known as AB2880.
My 40 hour course would apply to all newly hired employees, and would closely parallel the BSIS model in terms of its content. There was the mandatory Cultural Diversity, and Observation and Documentation courses which were required to be completed within the first six months of employment. Once done, an employee was classified as "Security Guard 1". If an individual was so motivated he/she was open to further their career prospects and go all-out for the "Security Guard2" classification which included the basic BSIS firearms and baton courses. In completing these courses, an employee was then eligible for promotion to vehicle patrol assignments.
Now all of this sounded great as a concept and was eventually accepted by BSIS as our official training policy. However, in practice this was a course we never taught. Because not one of the employees whom we hired in 2003-04 made it beyond their first six months with the company. This was not for a lack of communication on our part.We had spelled out what our expectations were right at the start, and followed up with reminders at the three month mark, and finally near the end ; "Time is running out...” Some were surprised that we would actually let them go for failing to complete the training. Others seemed puzzled. But none complained. They simply picked up their final wages and left.
The fact that AB2880 became law on July 1st, 2004 did not change the dynamic. The few newly minted officers we came across had only eight hours of initial training. One by one, they too fell off the roster for their refusal to follow up with the balance of their required training. For the time being, I decided it would be better for us to simply stay with the sure thing of choosing from the still large populace of pre-AB2880 applicants.
While this satisfied BSIS regulatory requirements, there was still the issue of my own 40 hour training program. In its first incarnation, the bulk of the curriculum would be taught at one of the local security training schools. At that time, I was looking to train entry-level employees to work in unarmed fixed post assignments. However, by now, I had decided that Select Patrol would focus itself exclusively as a provider of vehicle patrol services, and would no longer market fixed post services. Thus eliminating a path for entry level workers. I had to go back and re tool my program to meet the training requirements of armed patrol officers.

My challenge was not so much in identifying the specific skills needed to perform successfully as a vehicle patrol officer as much as it was to be able to learn these well enough to teach to others. Some of the more unique skills had to do with the firearms. In addition to shooting skills, an armed patrol officer must also know how to guard against his/her weapon from being snatched from its holster and used against the officer.

Unfortunately ,Weapon Retention is not something that is taught at most of the security training schools that I am familiar with here in the L.A. area. Now, there are those out of state schools with the cool names, but I did not have the budget to send my people to any of those.For this, Ed Aguero, our day patrol supervisor, and I studied Lenny Magill's Handgun Retention Techniques DVD. While I can't say that Ed and I became black belt masters from watching a single DVD, we did learn some techniques that my people had never been exposed to previously.

For our class on verbal communication, we used the performance evaluations designed by Lt. Phillip Satterfield. This is an old but highly practical method of role playing scenarios that many security firms have utilized for over 20 years. This addresses the most difficult part of any security officer's job; dealing with people. We could see the frustration that some of our students felt as they attempted to verbally maneuver with angry clients, quarrelling couples and the mentally disturbed. This was probably the only "practice" our people would receive ahead of finding themselves in a real encounter. Here they could see that getting angry themselves did nothing to calm a tense situation. A lesson better learned in our classroom than on the job.

The final class in the series has to do with emergency preparedness, and our overall disaster plan. A new item we added to our trucks this year is a basic emergency survival pack for the officer's survival following a disaster - most likely an earthquake. In addition to a food bar, and water we included a hart hat, work gloves and a 100 foot length of kermantle rope. The idea is that an officer can toss a rope to someone who may be down a hillside or an embankment. As part of the training I taught the class how to tie five basic knots; square knot, two-half hitches, Bowline a figure eight and a sheets bend. It took me a week to learn, but to my surprise my students had the figure eight mastered in about five minutes. A teacher's joy.

DW