Archive
Alabama man nabbed for casino theft www.privateofficer.com
BILOXI, Miss. Sept 22 2010 (AP) — Police say the theft of a $1,300 cash voucher at a Biloxi casino led to a man’s arrest on a grand larceny charge.
Sgt. Tim McKaig tells The Sun Herald that 40-year-old Daryl Dwayne Bryars of Perdido, Ala., is accused of taking the cash voucher Saturday from a patron at the Isle of Capri while the patron wasn’t looking.
McKaig said Bryars allegedly cashed the voucher and left the casino, and Isle security officers alerted other casinos with the suspect’s description.
McKaig said security officers at the Hard Rock recognized Bryars and held him for police.
Bryars was booked at the Harrison County jail early Sunday.
It was not immediately known whether Bryars has an attorney.
Source:Sun Herald
More attention to hospital security is in order www.privateofficer.com
TORRANCE, Calif. Sept 22 2010– In June, the Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert, urging hospitals to pay greater attention to violence issues and to control access to facilities. When the alert was first released, healthcare facility security practitioners believed the alert’s impact would not be significant.
Or will it? In recent months, hospitals throughout the nation have experienced active shooter and hostage incidents. For example, just last week, a disgruntled visitor, upset with the treatment his mother was receiving at Johns Hopkins Hospital, shot a doctor before killing his mother and then himself. A few weeks prior to that incident, a former soldier, seeking mental health care, took three people hostage at Winn Army Community Hospital in Georgia. Furthermore, numerous hospital workers nationwide have expressed concerns about violent assaults against healthcare workers.
To add to the aforementioned woes, the recent results of Campus Safety’s “How Safe Is Your Campus” survey show that 40 percent of hospital respondents believe they would not be able to respond effectively if an active shooter or bomber came onto their campuses.
Though no one can truly be prepared for an active shooter attack, there are ways that hospital staff can be better prepared if such a situation occurs.
Improve Access Control and Visitor Management
Because hospitals allow open visiting for patients, oftentimes it’s hard to decipher if a visitor has plans to do harm. In many hospitals, a visitor is asked to sign in and state the reason why he/she is at the facility. However, healthcare facility security consultant Russell Colling believes access control should be improved.
“By access control, a lot of people think it just means a lot of locked doors that people can’t get through, but it goes beyond that,” he explains to Campus Safety. “Access control is asking [visitors] what their business is. Once people get in the medical care facility, we need to pay more attention to them. It’s not just screening them at the front door and finding out their business once they are inside because although [hospitals] have locked areas that control access to a degree, in general, [patients and visitors] can wander into lots of areas.”
Colling adds that monitoring visitor activity is not the sole responsibility of security personnel; rather, it is a group effort, especially with 41 percent of survey respondents stating that they don’t have enough security staff to handle incidents.
He maintains that various hospital workers in all departments should be aware of their surroundings and take note if they notice any suspicious behavior of unknown persons. If a staff member notices that a person appears agitated or is acting strangely, Colling suggests that employee ask for assistance from another staff member to further examine the situation, or to discuss concerns with other team members instead of simply dismissing the problem.
Don Alwes, a lead instructor for the National Tactical Officer Association (NTOA), agrees that writing off an initial concern could lead to more extreme issues. Thus, he suggests designing a threat management group or committee so hospital employees can voice their concerns, if one is not already in place.
International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) President and Memorial Hermann Health System Assistant Executive for security Joe Bellino concurs.
“Security staff is not solely responsible for safety and security,” he says. “Every employee is responsible, and training everyone is key to ensuring they understand their role in these types of situations as well as other traditional security emergencies.”
Non-Security Staff Must Receive Training
Speaking of training, 32 percent of respondents stated they don’t believe their hospital’s security officers have received enough instruction. Bellino does not take this response lightly.
“[There are] no excuses for security not receiving proper training in today’s environment,” he exclaims. “The IAHSS provides a great foundation for the training component. Certified, well trained officers are one of the key factors in these events in order to respond effectively and efficiently.”
To an extent, Colling agrees with Bellino’s statement, explaining that in his experience, security officers often complain about not having enough/proper training, but when the classes are offered, no one shows up. To combat this, Colling says training will have to be mandated in order for staff members to receive the most up-to-date information.
As Bellino stated, training ALL employees on what to look out for is essential, but Alwes notes that the hardest task is getting hospital staff members outside of security personnel to realize that hospital protection is their responsibility, not just the security department’s. Alwes explains that while emergency departments are one of the most dangerous work environments in the United States, outside of that area, most hospital departments don’t really deal with those issues. Thus, it is harder for those staff members to grasp the potential threats of an active shooter hospitals can face.
“We’ve got to get everyone onboard with the idea of, ‘We’re trying to give the best patient care possible, but we have to be aware that someone connected to the patient, or someone totally disconnected with the hospital can walk in this door and start killing people,’” he says.
Alwes suggests hospital employees should be trained to look out for indications that a person will become violent.
“I think one of the best things that you can do is to train your staff on what to look for and how to recognize someone who might present a problem so you get as much early notification as possible,” he says. “[Hospital administrators] can spend a lot of money on camera systems and metal detectors – and it does buy you some level of protection – but it doesn’t seem to buy as much protection as people think. Training an alert staff that knows what to look for and feels [comfortable alerting] someone when there may be a dangerous situation developing, is probably just as much bang for the buck in security.”
Build Your Relationships With Law Enforcement
With 44 percent of survey respondents stating they don’t have enough and/or the right type of lethal and less lethal weapons, it is critical to build relationships with local law enforcement agencies, especially in regards to active shooter events.
Bellino recommends administrators reach out to law enforcement agencies and other jurisdictions before an incident occurs. He suggests sharing all policies and procedures with agencies, and allowing for criticism and feedback.
“In the past, I have had police and fire departments approve my various security and life-safety plans,” Bellino says. “It is all about building relationships resulting in mutual respect and trust.”
It should be mentioned, however, that it can be challenging for hospitals to team up with law enforcement. As mentioned before, hospital security personnel are often short-staffed, but it should also be noted that police departments are also lacking in their workforce due to budget cuts, so it might not be as simple as calling a department and exchanging ideas.
Alwes, who is currently training law enforcement officials on responding to active shooters, has urged police to go out into their communities and work with potential active shooter targets, such as hospitals, K-12 schools and universities. However, he stresses that it’s not just the law enforcement agencies’ responsibility to make the relationship work or even get it started. Alwes encourages hospital officials to make the first move by simply picking up the phone and contacting the agency.
“If you call and get a watch commander who doesn’t get back to you, don’t take no for an answer,” he says. “Call the chief’s office and say, ‘We want to work with you.’ Make sure they know they lines of communication are open.”
Look for the full results of Campus Safety’s “How Safe Is Your Campus” survey in the 2011 Yearbook.
Source:Campus Security
Police arrest 11 year old babysitter for murder www.privateofficer.com
Officers said the girl, identified as Zyda White, died of blunt force trauma while in the care of her baby sitter on Saturday.
Emergency officials were called to the Dunwoody Pointe Apartments late Saturday night. The victim’s mother called 911 when she returned to pick up the child, police said.
The child was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, where she was pronounced dead just after midnight on Sunday.
Sandy Springs police told Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones that the baby sitter told authorities the girl was injured in a fall off the bed, but officers said an autopsy performed Sunday suggested otherwise.
Police said the baby sitter’s mother is a co-worker of the victim’s mother.
Jones was at police headquarters when the 11-year-old girl was being interviewed by detectives on Tuesday afternoon.
He spoke with the victim’s mother and grandmother, who said it is a very difficult time for the family.
“She needs to do life,” said Ashlea Collier, the victim’s mother.
Jones said officials told him that the maximum sentence allowed for someone under the age of 13 charged with murder is two years in a juvenile justice facility.
Source:WSBTV.com
Nightclub shooting spills over to hospital leaving two dead www.privateofficer.com
CHESTER, S.C.Sept 22 2010 – Two men are dead after a shooting incident that started at a Chester club and ended in more gunfire outside of the emergency room at Chester Regional Medical Center.
“It’s just senseless, about as cold-blooded as you can get,” said Chester County Sheriff Richard Smith.
Late Monday, a state police helicopter flew over the Studio 72 nightclub on the J.A. Cochran Bypass, and K-9 officers sniffed around behind the building.
Smith said at about 1:30 a.m., shots rang out inside the club. As people left the club, there were more shots fired in the parking lot.
Five sheriff’s deputies were there at the time. Three were on duty, and two were working security for the club when the shooting started, Smith said.
“That’s just how brazen this was,” Smith said.
At least four people were shot, Smith said, and several of the victims rode to the hospital with friends.
Smith said when the group got to Chester Regional Medical Center, someone opened fire on 20-year-old Derek Chalk. He was shot multiple times, at least once in the head, and died trying to help a wounded friend into the emergency room, Smith said. The shooting happened in the breezeway, right outside the hospital door.
“I don’t understand what happened to my son,” said Chalk’s mother, Bernice Chalk.
Chalk told Eyewitness News she’d seen her son just hours before the shooting. She knew he was going to the Studio 72 club with friends and cousins, she said.
“I just want to know why they shot my baby like that. They just took him away from me. I won’t ever get to see him no more,” she said.
Another man, 24-year-old Antonio Price, was shot outside the club, and died Monday at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Smith said late Monday there were no suspects in custody for the shootings, and no clear motive.
The Studio 72 club used to be located on Columbia Street in Chester until it burned down last year. Smith told Eyewitness News that there are deputies there almost every weekend for security reasons.
Smith said no one gave officers a detailed description of a suspect, and police dogs didn’t find a solid track or any other evidence. Also, the surveillance cameras outside the hospital ER were not working.
Until September, there were no homicides reported in Chester County this year. Then, earlier this month, Faris Wray was found shot to death on Saluda Street. Now, with three homicides this month, Smith said he’s very concerned.
“I can’t answer the question about why this has happened again. We’re just working on solving it,” Smith said.
Anyone with information that could help deputies solve the case is asked to call the Chester County Sheriff’s Office at 803-581-5131.
Source:WSOCTV.com
Las Vegas apartment security officer shot www.privateofficer.com
LAS VEGAS NV Sept 22 2010 — On the day a coroner identified a 19-year-old shooting victim, Las Vegas Metro police urged the public to come forward with details about his killer.
Eric Taybron was shot and killed early Sunday morning at the Wynn Palms Apartments on Wynn Road near Twain Avenue.
Police said two men had previously confronted Taybron, then returned and opened fire on him and a security guard. The security guard suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspects were described as black males, 16-20 years old, wearing red clothing. The shooting, police said, may have been gang-related.
Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call 702-385-5555.
Memphis school security chauffer administrators around town www.privateofficer.com
MEMPHIS, TN Sept 22 2010 – With taxpayers already paying millions to fund Memphis City Schools, the Action News 5 Investigators recently uncovered an expense some say is a complete waste of money.
You probably think a Memphis City Schools Security Guard’s job is to protect children, but the job also entails driving an administrator to and from work, and around town.
Action News 5 recently recorded video of it happening outside a downtown condo complex. On one occasion, the guard drove past our camera on his way to pick up Deputy Schools Superintendent Dr. Irving Hamer.
But Hamer wasn’t outside.
About 15 minutes later, the security car drove back around. This time, the car started to turn away from our camera, but then the driver decided to go straight. As the car passed, Hamer waved at our camera.
On other occasions, dating back to last year, a source captured images of a security guard arriving, morning after morning. The guard would wait, and Hamer would get picked up.
Memphis City Council member Kemp Conrad says the chauffeur service is a waste of taxpayer money.
“It’s the message that it sends,” Conrad said. “We’re spending money, time, resources, car, gas, insurance chauffeuring someone to work every day. At the end of the day, those are dollars not being spent in the classroom, and on what they should be spent on which is children.”
To Conrad, the chauffeuring is just one example of misplaced priorities.
“Kriner Cash comes to our City Council meetings with a paramilitary guard that looks like he’s about to deploy for Afghanistan,” Conrad said. “It’s just this mentality, and it’s just all that stuff costs money. It costs a lot of money.”
Memphis City Schools would not allow Action News 5 to interview Hamer about the service he receives at taxpayer expense. Instead, the district issued this statement:
“As part of the terms and conditions of his employment, Dr. Cash has authorized the district to provide transportation to Deputy Superintendent Dr. Irving Hamer…Available, on-duty security personnel who are not engaged in conflicting assignments generally transport Dr. Hamer to and from school-related business…The current practice allows the Deputy Superintendent to work while traveling and helps to ensure that he safely and timely arrives to and from work as well as the myriad of sites that he visits on the District’s behalf.”
Conrad doesn’t agree with the District’s reasoning.
“We have an administrator who can’t even drive to work,” he said.
Make that two administrators, as Cash has a driver, too. Action News 5 wanted to ask Hamer and Superintendent Cash if school children would be better served with a security guard at a school, instead of behind the wheel.
While waiting for Hamer before a school board work session, Memphis City Schools spokesperson Quintin Taylor asked that reporter Lori Brown not talk to Hamer.
LORI BROWN: “Why can’t Dr. Hamer, why can’t Dr. Cash, why aren’t they able to answer my questions?”
QUINTIN TAYLOR: “They have decided to not do on camera interviews regarding the matter.”
LORI BROWN: “I mean, why? I thought you guys were about transparency.”
QUINTIN TAYLOR: “That’s transparency, you have a statement.”
LORI BROWN: “Why can’t they talk to us? Why can’t I just have a conversation with them?”
QUINTIN TAYLOR: “Well, that’s for them to make that decision.”
Cash and Hamer made that decision clear when they arrived at the board work session, as both declined to comment.
“I think it shows there is something to hide,” Conrad said. “He should be big enough to explain to taxpayers why he needs this service.”
A Memphis City Schools spokesperson said Cash and Hamer are the only employees picked up and driven to work. Meanwhile, a source recently told Action News 5 that on one occasion, two cars showed up at Hamer’s home. The drivers were seemingly confused as to who was supposed to pick him up.
Memphis City Schools Security Chief Gerald Darling received transportation during the last school year, but does not this year, though we don’t know why.
As for how much this all costs, the district is not saying. Memphis City Schools spends over $4.5 million on security salaries each year, with mobile security officers making over $35,000 annually, on average.
Presumably some of those officers serve as drivers for Hamer and Cash.
Source:WMCTV.com
Alabama postal worker killed in train crash www.privateofficer.com
Trooper spokesman Greg Eubanks identifies the victim of Monday’s accident as Nathan Williams III. Eubanks says Williams was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the truck when the southbound Norfolk Southern railway freight train hit it.
The accident took place shortly after 4 p.m. about two miles north of the Mobile-Washington county line.
Eubanks says the crossing is guarded by a stop sign but does not have crossing gates.
He says no one aboard the train was injured.
Hillsborough County deputy killed in tractor trailer crash www.privateofficer.com
TAMPA Fla Sept 22 2010 — A Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy was killed early Tuesday in a crash with a semitrailer truck downtown, officials said.
Deputy Mark A. Longway, a 48-year-old married father of two, was heading north on Florida Avenue, and the semi was heading east on Scott Street, said Chief Deputy Jose Docobo. The two vehicles collided at 5:18 a.m. in the intersection near an interstate overpass, he said.
“Obviously one of the vehicles had a red light,” he said, but authorities did not immediately say who was at fault.
Longway’s car wound up wedged beneath the semi about 100 feet from the intersection.
“It’s wedged under the semi in such a manner that we haven’t been able to get to the deputy,” Docobo said early in the morning.
Nearly four hours after the crash happened, a large crane arrived and lifted the back of the semi. The scene where Longway was removed was covered by a green tent.
Longway was remembered by co-workers as a family man and enthusiastic deputy with a joy for life that was infectious.
Deputy Bill Stark, who worked with Longway, said Longway was a grandfather who loved riding his black Harley with his wife.
One time at the end of Stark’s shift, he recalled, Longway was making a routine traffic stop. He had pulled over a habitual offender and Stark rolled up to assist with the arrest.
But it was clear Longway had it under control. By the time the man was in the deputy’s cruiser, Longway already had him laughing.
“He could take a bad situation, turn it around, and have them laughing,” Stark said.
The truck driver involved in Tuesday’s crash, Lamont Ashley, 39, of Davenport, was uninjured, Docobo said, and traffic homicide investigators were at the scene for several hours.
Deputies have found no indication that the cruiser’s emergency lights were on, he said.
The crash prompted a large response, with at least a dozen police and sheriff’s cars and three Tampa Fire Rescue trucks.
“It’s always something that affects everybody in law enforcement,” Docobo said of the crash. “It’s very difficult.”
Longway was a 21-year veteran who worked port security detail, officials said. In April 2008, he was named in a St. Petersburg Times report as one of three deputies who helped rescue a man threatening to jump from atop a building on Fletcher Avenue.
A year earlier, he had saved another man who was threatening to jump from the overpass of Dale Mabry at Busch Boulevard, the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to a 2007 North Tampa Chamber of Commerce newsletter, he was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Month in June that year, praised for his work in thwarting a burglary in progress at the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club.
Longway had just gotten off work about 5 a.m. Tuesday and was driving home at the time of the crash.
Kenny Clements, a HART security guard at the nearby Marion Transit Center, said he was in a nearby parking lot when the accident happened. He heard a loud bang and shortly after looked over and saw flashing lights.
“I thought a cop had someone pulled over,” said Clements, 30. He went over to the crash saw the car wedged beneath the semi, but authorities told him to leave.
Traffic was expected to be backed up for several hours in the area, which is near the Interstate 275 overpass.
The semi appeared to be owned by the CVS pharmacy chain. About two square blocks were closed with police caution tape south of I-275 near the accident scene. Scott Street is closed from Tampa Street to Morgan Street.
Broken glass could be seen near the crash site, which was about 100 feet from where the two vehicles stopped.
“Man oh man oh man,” said Steve Cole, who was working at a food stand near the Marion Transit Center shortly after the crash. “You never know when your time is coming.”
This is the second time in a week a sheriff’s deputy has been involved in a crash in Hillsborough County. Last week, a 41-ton crane hit Deputy Deborah Walker’s car at Hillsborough Avenue and 56th Street, causing a huge vehicle pileup. The 51-year-old deputy survived but was hospitalized. Seven others also were injured.
Walker was in the hospital Tuesday morning, but doing very well, said spokeswoman Debbie Carter. She is expected to be released soon, Carter said.
Source:TampaBay.com
Spartanburg teachers charged in teen sex party www.privateofficer.com
Spartanburg SC Sept 22 2010 Two Spartanburg County women–one elementary school teacher and one church preschool teacher, are both charged with “contributing to the delinquency of a minor”.
One is also charged with having sex with a minor.
Sheriff Chuck Wright said they threw parties for teenagers with alcohol and marijuana.
Warrants, obtained by News Channel 7 show sex took place at some of these parties, between the two women and teenage boys.
The two were cited in the warrants for serving alcohol and drugs to underage girls and boys.
Deputies arrested Boiling Springs Elementary School Teacher Sarah Jane Lindsay at school Monday morning and charged her with 9 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and criminal sexual conduct with a teen under the age of 14.
Lake Bowen Baptist Church Daycare teacher Audrey B. Grabarkiewicz is charged with 10 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Warrants show she had multiple teen sex partners, under 18, but of legal age of consent.
The alleged parties took place between July and August of this year, at the suspect’s homes, according to deputies.
Deputies pointed out that none of the activities the teachers are accused of took place on school or church property.
“This is heartbreaking, I don’t mind telling you, you don’t expect this from a school official,” Sheriff Chuck Wright said. “As a parent, I would be absolutely livid if someone was doing this with my child so I certainly understand the parents of these victims, I would absolutely be beside myself.”
Rhonda Henderson, Director of Public Relations with Spartanburg Schools District 2, issued the following statement on Lindsay’s arrest:
“As you know, a 4K teacher at Boiling Springs Elementary was arrested this morning. Coverage for the teacher’s class is in place, with a substitute teacher and the assistant who has been with them since the beginning of school. Our primary focus at this time is caring for students and making the transition process as smooth and unobtrusive as possible for the class. The school will be communicating with parents about plans for the class.”
The superintendent accepted Lindsay’s resignation on Monday.
The pastor of Lake Bowen Baptist Church, Mark Williams, issued the following statement on Grabarkiewicz’s arrest:
“Today we had a most unfortunate event take place with the arrest of one of our teachers in the Child Care Program. She has been charged with her involvement in activities that took place away from the program and campus of Lake Bowen Baptist Church. None of the charges are related to her employment, nor with any of the children in our programs or ministries nor with children the age of those in our programs. As a result she has been dismissed from being employed here.”
Deputies say none of the suspects children appear to be involved in the parties.
Source:News7
Nightclub security officer shot-patron killed www.privateofficer.com
Tulare County CA Sept 22 2010 An argument at the Cutler Latin American Club Saturday night that left one man dead, and three other men — including the suspected killer and a security — hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
Killed was Robert John Hernandez, 22, who was at the club at 12255 Ave. 408 in Cutler attending a party when the violence broke out shortly before 10:30 p.m., according to a Tulare County Sheriff’s report.
It states that Hernandez reportedly got into an argument with Bolivar Ambriz of Dinuba, and Ambriz shot him. The report doesn’t disclose what the argument may have been about.
Ambriz then reportedly shot Noel Espinoza, 21, of Cutler several times before being confronted by Jose Villegas, 41, an armed security guard working at the club, investigators report.
He and Ambriz shot each other, and despite his injury, Ambriz fled on foot. He was followed and captured a short distance away by another security guard — not identified in the sheriff’s report — and held Ambriz until deputies arrived.
The arriving deputies reported that one man, later identified as Hernandez, was dead at the scene.
Espinoza, Villegas and Ambriz were taken area hospitals, where they were listed in stable condition today, according to the sheriff’s report. Officials didn’t disclose the nature of their injuries or Hernandez’ wound.
Source:Times-Delta
Security officer kills attacker www.privateofficer.com
FRESNO CA SEPT 22 2010 Police are investigating the death of a 24-year-old Fresno man who was allegedly beating a security guard at a central Fresno strip mall when the guard shot him.
The incident occurred shortly before 2:30 a.m. this morning. The suspect was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died, police Capt. Dennis Bridges said. The Fresno County Coroner’s Office identified him as Andrew Hebert.
The security guard, a 39-year-old male whose name has not been released, also was taken to the hospital, where he is listed in serious but stable condition with head and internal injuries.
Police said the guard encountered the suspect and a male friend at the center on the southeast corner of
The suspect assaulted the guard and then got into his car with his friend, Bridges said. The guard followed the men and was trying to call police on his cellphone when the suspect got out of his car and assaulted the guard again, Bridges said. The guard was on the ground when he shot the suspect.
No charges will be filed against the suspect’s friend, who did not assault the guard, Bridges said.
Source:Fresno Bee
Atlantic City school guard arrested in burglary www.privateofficer.com
Four homes on the north side of town were burglarized between Feb. 9 and March 30, with $5,500 worth of items taken, police said.
On Sept. 8, Detectives Robert Wright and Stacey Williams arrested two people and charged them with the thefts, police said. Kevin Robinson, 18, and a 13-year-old juvenile, both of Pleasantville, were charged with burglary, theft and conspiracy. Robinson was released on a summons and the juvenile was released to his parents.
A laptop computer and a desktop computer were noticed missing from Pleasantville High School late last month, police said. Hector Martinez, 28, of Pleasantville, a security guard at the high school, was arrested by Wright and Williams on Sept. 7 and charged with theft. Martinez was released on a summons.
Source:AtlanticCity.com
