The following
scenarios are taken from actual events in northern Michigan:
STALKING: An employee
at a local business expresses concern to a coworker after
noticing that an old boyfriend whom she dated several
times some months ago has been showing up at odd times
during the day and his truck always seemed to be around
when she left for lunch. On one occasion he came into
the office where she worked and asked specifically for
her when anyone in the office could have helped him with
his question.
THREATENING FORMER EMPLOYEE:
A former employee, upset over his dismissal, vows revenge
on the supervisor and coworkers he feels were responsible
for his situation. During the work week, several employees
have seen this individual walking around the building
near the entrance. They have also heard that he has been
drinking heavily and making threats to others while intoxicated.
Several employees have expressed their concerns to their
supervisors.
EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENT:
The staff members at a local emergency department are
notified that EMS staff is bringing in an intoxicated
accident victim who has been very combative. At the scene
of the accident several police officers, the EMS staff
and first responders had to grapple with the subject,
resulting in some minor injuries to several of the people
involved. The emergency department staff start preparing
for a possible "manpower" situation.
COURTHOUSE: An irate
father who was called into a probate court hearing following
a determination that his parental rights should be terminated,
attacked one of the attorneys during a short recess. The
county attorney, several witnesses, the court recorder
and finally deputies were forced to subdue the angry man
and in the process several people were injured.
JUVENILE: A young
man was raised by an alcoholic father who was abusive,
and a passive-aggressive mother who seemed to take out
her anger on her children. The young man began running
away at an early age, started several fires, did poorly
in school, and finally came to the attention of the juvenile
authorities after several referrals from school. He eventually
ended up in a specialized foster care situation for several
years, but ran away. During one of his escapes, he confronted
an elderly woman late one evening in a laundromat, and
when she refused to give him any money he stabbed her
in the chest with a small pocket knife. The woman died
several hours later. The young man was later found, arrested
and charged with murder.
If these scenarios sound all too familiar, your organization or
agency has joined the millions of individuals and businesses
nationwide who have experienced some form of workplace violence.
In their last, most comprehensive study, the Justice Department
estimated that in 1994 nearly 1 million violent crimes took
place on the job. Recent studies show a slight decline in
the overall rate of violent crime. The actual cost to businesses
and agencies was staggering, not to mention the human toll
and subsequent loss in productivity.
Those service agencies and businesses dealing directly with the
public rank highest in workplace violence. As can be expected,
work environments where money changes hands are at greatest
risk. Store clerks are at greater risk than long haul truck
drivers, emergency department staff are at greater risk
than persons who work in the labs, and court workers are
at greater risk than their co-workers in the building inspection
department, and so on.
Understanding these situations and assessing the security needs
of work environments has been the objective of Professional
Defense Consultants. The staff at PDC has the experience
and professionalism necessary to meet the workplace security
needs of most businesses, agencies and organizations. The
main areas of focus are improving workplace security, instructing
employers and employees in de-escalation techniques, teaching
nonviolent physical management for hospitals and clinic
settings, and improving the ability of an agency or business
to respond to an internal crisis situation.
