Frontline: Des Moines – continued from page 4


friendly, open and people can come and access our services, so we have thousands of people that come and go every day," says Miller. "Then you add to that the expectation that we make our campus safe. We’re no different really from the mall or a big box department store where people come and go every day also and have that same expectation." Miller explains how campus security has evolved from a reactive approach to a more proactive approach. This includes making people aware, incorporating training and response activities and putting in more CCTV cameras as diagnostic tools. Today’s technology has also played a big role in helping schools to mitigate threats due to increased quality and more user-friendly platforms.


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School Security Advocates Should Look to R.I., Indiana, Experts Say


School-safety experts say that longtime state laws such as those in place in Rhode Island and Indiana are the best bet for ensuring safety on campuses. Rhode Island requires its schools to drill 15 times a year, practicing for fires, the release of hazardous materials and lockdowns. Effective legislation focuses not only on shootings, but embraces a well-rounded approach and relies on research and evidence to support its proposals. “The bottom line is that any legislation should support balanced, comprehensive and practical measures, along with reasonable financial resources, to allow schools to upgrade their individual needs to strengthen fundamental best practices in school security and preparedness,” said Kenneth Trump, president of the Ohio-based National School Safety and Security Services.. In the wake of Sandy Hook, lawmakers put forth more than 450 school-safety bills. However, Michael Dorn of Safe Havens International warns that this legislation may be premature. “The police report hasn’t been released yet. We’re basing legislation on conjecture and what’s been reported in the media without knowing the facts of the day,” said Dorn. “And often the events of a shooting are very different from the public perception.” Read more


GUNS AND WORKPLACE VIOLENCE


Bring Your Guns to Work: How State Gun Laws are Aiming Directly at the Workplace


Amid concerns of workplace violence and the legal claims that often accompany such incidents, employers must now navigate an expanding universe of state laws governing the presence of guns in the workplace. Currently, approximately 20 states have


Have a question about workplace violence? Email us at Barry@WVPReport.com to get help.


passed so-called "bring your guns to work laws," which allow licensed employees to bring firearms to work. Employers with operations in multiple states are finding it increasingly difficult to balance competing concerns of employee safety and compliance with these myriad new laws. There are a number of factors that employers must consider in formulating policies and procedures relating to their employees' concealed carry rights, including whether their business space is leased or owned, the presence of on-site childcare facilities, and the applicability of certain special provisions in the statute that afford some employers greater flexibility to regulate conceal and carry. As with most recently enacted laws, details are often lacking, and interpretation by the courts takes time. In the meantime, employers should review the state laws in which they operate to ensure their internal policies and procedures strike the appropriate balance between complying with concealed carry laws and management interest in providing all employees with a safe and secure workplace.


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Gun Violence Study Links State Levels of Gun Ownership and Homicide


A new study of gun violence published by the American Journal of Public Health found that states with greater levels of gun ownership tend to have higher rates of gun-related murder. The study, conducted by Boston University professor Michael Siegel and coauthors Craig S. Ross and Charles King III, examines this relationship in all 50 states from 1981 to 2010. The researchers found that "for each percentage point increase in gun ownership, the firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9 percent." The authors note that, though they can't prove a causal relationship between higher levels of gun ownership and homicide, "states with higher rates of gun ownership had disproportionately large numbers of deaths from firearm-related homicides." Their findings echo past studies about the relationship between gun ownership and homicide, though Siegel, Ross and King look at the relationship over a larger window of time than previous research. Also, according to a fact sheet from the Harvard School of Public Health, a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the U.S. and across high-income countries.


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