Prevention Works

Everybody's Business

This morning in Indiana, a man opened fire at his workplace and shot four coworkers.  Luckily, all four of the victims will survive, but the incident is a harsh reminder that crime is not limited only to peoples' homes or neighborhoods.  Sometimes it finds people at their jobs as well.

Recently, we have reported on many unfortunate incidents of school violence, especially the recent national spate of school shootings.  But workplace violence seems to be an issue that often passes under the radar without much notice.  For one reason or another, people might not think about their safety at work as much as they would in other environments.  However, a safe workplace is incredibly important no matter what the business may be, and many of the prevention strategies concerning school safety also apply directly to work safety. 

To keep prevention on everyone's mind, here are some things you should consider about your place of employment:

• Is there an easy-to-use phone system with emergency buttons?  Is there a sign-in policy for visitors?  Panic buttons, safe rooms, security guards?  Good lighting?  Safety training?
• Before hiring new employees, do managers look for gaps in employment, check references, and examine criminal and educational records?  Are termination procedures defined clearly with attention to advance notice, severance pay, and placement services?
• Could you recognize a potentially dangerous employee?  Are you encouraged to report unusual or worrisome behavior?  Do you know to whom you should report that behavior?
• Is there a clear, written policy that spells out procedures in case of violence and sanctions for violators?

Asking yourself these questions could help you to identify potential threats at your office or areas that need improvement.  Encourage every professional to read NCPC's work safety resources.  Don't be scared, but be prepared.  A safe workplace is everybody's business.

A Nation of 300 Million

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's estimates, the 300 millionth American was born this morning.

The event has been covered by major newspapers worldwide. In coverage this week, the Washington Post focused largely on the anxiety that a large population causes policymakers, quoting one demographer who claims that "at 300 million, we are beginning to be crushed under the weight of our own quality-of-life degradation."  The Economist, on the other hand, claimed that "American’s rising population will solve more problems than it creates" and offers a generally glad (though qualified) view of a rapidly growing American population.

With booming population growth, the need to focus on crime prevention becomes even greater. As explained by Martha Farnsworth Riche a former Census Bureau official, in the Washington Post, "We are not the wide-open spaces anymore." Greater density does not necessarily mean higher crime, however. Indeed, as America grew through the 1990s, crime actually decreased, and it fell first in big cities (PDF). It is essential that we continue to educate young Americans about crime prevention from an early age, and with so many more young Americans, this effort must be redoubled, despite the rising costs of educating ever more children. Through early and continual crime prevention education, we can create an informed and involved citizenry that is safe when young and less likely to engage in violent or dangerous activities as it matures. Adults must continue to be vigilant about their own safety and protecting personal property with the same techniques that helped reduce crime over the last 20 years. Communities must continue to organize and work with local law enforcement and to integrate new residents into these organizations; organized, involved citizens are vital to crime prevention.

Although population growth is not without its challenges, it is through this same growth that the United States remains a dynamic, attractive country. The perceived negatives of population growth can be mitigated through education and community involvement, and we can all benefit from the extraordinary growth America is enjoying.

Preparedness and Prevention to Protect America

September 11 marked the fifth anniversary of the world’s worst terrorist attack, one that changed the lives of all Americans. Americans remember the exact moment they turned on the news or heard on the radio that three of our most well-known structures were burning and that a plane had crashed in a Pennsylvania field. It was at that moment we all realized that terrorists are not military, do not practice conventional warfare, and attack wherever they please. It was on September 11, 2001, that we all realized that we had to be prepared for and ready to prevent these terrorists from destroying our homeland.

The attacks of September 11th not only resulted in the creation of a government agency to fight terrorism, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but challenged every American to become involved in local homeland security. For years Americans have participated in Neighborhood Watch to reduce crime and fear of crime in their communities. Today, Neighborhood Watch can have an impact on preventing terrorism through training community members how to spot suspicious behavior, developing evacuation plans, discussing potential terrorist targets in the community, and assessing the impact an attack on one of these targets may have. To start a Neighborhood Watch in your community, please visit the National Sheriffs' Association website.  You can find more information and resources on our website, as well.

Terrorism is, perhaps, the most dangerous crime, so crime prevention can play an important part in our fight against terror. Using new and established crime prevention principles, communities must work with local law enforcement to prevent terrorism. Ways to prevent terrorism include understanding the nature and complexity of the problem, each individual’s role, the use of both formal and informal neighborhood-level groups, instruction on how to make an accurate and useful observations, reporting these observations to the proper authorities, establishing reliable links between the community and local law enforcement, and recognizing when community routines change.