Types of Violence and Risks - Type 1

No company is immune from the threat of violence in the workplace.  Even the Department of Homeland Security found evidence an employee was planning to commit a violent crime, including carrying a gun, a knife, pepper spray and two hand-held radios on June 22, 2016.  Thankfully, security screening procedures found the weapons before the employee had a chance to follow through on the alleged action. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-homeland-security-employee-caught-gun-knife-40036346

What does your business do to detect threats and prevent violence in the workplace?  There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to business security, but there are basic tenets that can guide your security program.  The first thing to understand is what relationship exists between the workplace and the violent offender.  The FBI breaks violence down into four basic categories:

TYPE 1: Violent acts by criminals who have no other connection with the workplace,

but enter to commit robbery or another crime.

TYPE 2: Violence directed at employees by customers, clients, patients, students,

inmates, or any others for whom an organization provides services.

TYPE 3: Violence against coworkers, supervisors, or managers by a present or former

employee.

TYPE 4: Violence committed in the workplace by someone who doesn’t work there, but

has a personal relationship with an employee—an abusive spouse or domestic partner.

-Workplace Violence, Issues in Response 2002

While there will be overlap with some security measures and the type of violence, we’ll break down each category and address some of the unique aspects of each.

A criminal act by a person with no affiliation with the workplace is type 1 violence.  This is a typical robbery of a bank or convenience store or any other place of business.  The violent actor is not connected with the business, but chooses the business as the place to commit their intended crime.  There are several factors to consider when planning for type 1 violence.

Just because the person is not affiliated with the business does not mean s/he is not familiar with the location.  Some criminals plan ahead, looking for routines, identifying security weaknesses and opportunities to achieve the greatest success.  A skilled bank robber may know the policies regarding wearing hats and sunglasses, watch the flow of patrons through the lobby or watch for pick-ups or deliveries to determine the best opportunity for getting a large amount of money.  These same kinds of surveillance techniques may be used by someone planning to commit homicide with guns, knives or explosives.  Many law enforcement agencies and identified “soft” high-value targets such as electrical grids and infrastructure promote programs to report suspicious behaviors such as “See Something, Say Something.”  These programs help develop the reporting mindset, which could result in prevention of a crime, saving money and lives.

A person may target a specific business, despite having no direct connection to the business, for a variety of reasons.  Political or ideological extremism, mental health issues or revenge for real or perceived wrongs are some such examples.  These factors and others may overlap, as some reports from the Orlando night club shooting in June of this year potentially indicate.  Preparations for this kind of attack may be hard to detect, but vigilant and thorough security procedures afford at least some opportunity.

Businesses with smaller amounts of money on hand or less draw for ideological violence may face different types of threats.  For example, convenience stores may have less cash available to be gained through robbery, but may instead be robbed by more impulsive, less prepared criminals.  There is a strong correlation between many violent crimes including robbery and drug use, either being under the influence at the time of the crime or committing the crime for the means to get drugs for use. (September 1994, NCJ–149286, DOJ / How Much Crime Is Drug Related? Caulkins, Mark A.R. Kleiman) 

A person committing a violent crime under the influence of drugs or in sickness or withdrawals for lack of a substance s/he is addicted to may be erratic and unpredictable, rather than the carefully and methodical offender described above.  Although the risk to an individual threatened with a weapon by a violent criminal is great regardless of the type of offender, the considerations for how many victims each type of offender to harm are different.  A person affected by drug who commits a crime as a means to get their next high will most likely harm fewer people than a person bent on mass homicide, both because of intent and also potentially because of the physical effects of substances.

Some steps to take to protect your business from type 1 violence include:

1) See something, say something.  Encourage your employees to speak up if a person or object or behavior doesn’t fit in the location.  Train your employees to identify particular actions or traits to identify to minimize the risk of “profiling” while encouraging them to speak up if something doesn’t seem right.

2)  Establish protective policies and post them publicly.  Put a sign at the door that customers must remove their hat and sunglasses upon entering the establishment and then enforce this policy equally and consistently.

3)  Develop a relationship with your local law enforcement.  Police agencies are usually happy to help with community policing which could include regular businesses checks and responding to calls when your employees report someone with specific actions or behaviors that are suspicious.



4) Train for emergencies.  Talk to your employees about the company’s expectations and ways to respond in a violent emergency.  If you don’t have the expertise, find a source such as a local police department, private security professional or at least look for online resources.

Next week we’ll look at Type 2 offenders, violence from someone in the customer base.

Stay Safe.