In California, a new law will take effect in July requiring all employees to be trained to protect against workplace violence. Various situations can lead to workplace violence, such as burglary, stalking an employee, assault, random attacks, or someone entering an office to attack a person with whom they have a personal connection.
These attacks may have nothing to do with the company or place of work and could be completely random or related to domestic violence, which can escalate into fights, violence, or even death. In Los Angeles, there is also increased violence on the metro public transportation, with more attacks on bus drivers in particular, making things more dangerous for those employees.
The city and companies need a security plan to protect employees from robberies, thefts, and increased crime in Los Angeles and California. Employees need to understand what is expected of them when there is no security: should they do nothing and let the criminal commit the crime and leave, or should they try to stop the criminal? If the latter is the plan, then there is a significant risk that the employee could become injured.
Businesses Must Have a Game Plan
We often hear stories of stores being broken into and employees being harmed or incidents of domestic violence playing out at a spouse’s place of work, sometimes resulting in multiple murders. It emerges that the store or office had no security cameras, armed security officers, or even ID checks at the entrance of the office building. This not only empowers criminals to carry out their crimes but also means there is no one there to intervene or stop them.
In the past, people felt comfortable relying on the police to get involved. However, due to funding cuts and difficulty recruiting, the police must be more staffed and under-resourced. As a result, the police often need more time to arrive at the scene to stop crimes. This leads to more crime and loss of life, with everyone unsure of how to react or respond.
Businesses need to learn that they cannot wait until something happens, like a store being robbed or an incident of violence. They need to have a plan and ensure that everyone is aware of it and understands what will happen and what they need to do if a criminal comes to the business. There must be a game plan.
This is relevant to more than just stores and offices. High-net-wealth individuals and celebrities are often victims because they lack security preparations. Sometimes, these individuals feel that if they maintain a low profile or take some precautions, that is enough, and they do not need security on their estate despite having many tangible assets there. This often results in them being targeted by criminals and experiencing intrusions and robberies before they call the security firm. This call is made in a panic because they realize their vulnerability and need high-quality, comprehensive security on their estate.
This demonstrates the importance of security planning for everyone, individuals and companies alike. If they do have a plan, it is often outdated, the security system barely works, or they do not even bother turning it on. Security should be an ongoing, adaptable plan that changes with someone’s needs and lifestyle.
Proactive and Preventative Security
Ultimately, the best security is proactive security. This means having a security team that has carried out a risk vulnerability assessment to gauge the needs of the individual and the estate and to find any potential gaps in security or new measures that need to be taken. This assessment is not just for high-profile individuals or celebrities; the same applies to events, companies, and public spaces like churches or malls.
By being proactive with your security plan, you can foresee all the different types of risks that could emerge and, therefore, be able to prevent them. This is crucial. When you hire a high quality protection team, you avoid risks and threats by not reacting to them.
The same principles apply to companies, which have a duty of care toward their employees and must do everything possible to keep them safe. In an increasingly dangerous city with rising crime rates and emboldened criminals, planning for security ahead of time is more crucial than ever.
This creates a much safer working environment and makes people feel more confident and safe daily. Companies cannot afford to have employees injured or attacked in the workplace. Contact a security professional to help you protect your company.
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