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�Managing Security in a Changing World�
Security professionals and the Dallas PD
by David M. Kunkle, Chief of Police
Dallas Police Department
The City of Dallas is proud to host the 2005 ASSIST Convention, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Dallas. The theme this year, �Managing Security in a Changing World,� applies to both security and law enforcement. I hope you will attend.
Today in Dallas, we are fortunate to have valuable partnerships with private security that increase our ability to address crime. Two programs, L.E.A.P.S. and D.E.R.T., in place prior to 9-11, significantly enhanced our ability to deal both with disasters and crime issues. The relationships built with security professionals have been beneficial to our efforts at crime reduction. Additionally, the ability to communicate with approximately 400 security professionals downtown and 15,000 security professionals citywide increases our capacity for observation and intelligence gathering.
In 1995, the Law Enforcement Assisting Private Security program was established. Its goal was to bring law enforcement and private security together. Increasing not only communication, but the actual sharing of information became L.E.A.P.S. mission. Marieta Oglesby, President of L.E.A.P.S., said, �It could be something as mundane as a suspicious motor vehicle or as critical as a potential terrorist.� Now security professionals have a direct contact in the police department that provides improved communication. The benefits of this alliance were illustrated April 10. Aprivate security officer, watching a video camera, observed a suspect sit down outside of their building and rummage through a purse, taking property and discarding the purse under some nearby bushes. The officer carefully recorded the suspect�s face and actions and turned the tape over to the Dallas PD. Within an hour after viewing the video, police officers had recovered the purse, identified the suspect, and placed him in custody.
The Dallas PD hosts monthly workshops for private security professionals, providing them with information in areas related to police procedures and security issues. The success stories range from the arrest of felons to the mobilization of security professionals as search and rescue volunteers. The workshops and meetings are open to everyone. Hotels, motels, retail outlets, mortgage companies, restaurants, and hospitals all had representatives attending the meetings. The department learned that security touches all types of infrastructures.
In the aftermath of a devastating tornado in nearby Fort Worth in March 2000, downtown Dallas public and private officials identified a need for response plan aimed at the Central Business District, which houses approximately 130,000 workers each day. A 15-member committee made up of American Red Cross, ASIS International�s North Texas Chapter, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Downtown Security Directors Association, the Downtown Improvement District and media developed what is known as the Downtown Emergency Response Plan. The goal of this plan was to provide a coordinated public and private response to natural disasters, floods, fires, and potential terrorist activity including weapons of mass destruction.
After 9-11, Homeland Security preparedness became the main priority and the Downtown Emergency Response Team was tasked with developing emergency plans. An e-mail based textmessaging system with the capability to notify mobile devices, an AM radio station dedicated to emergency announcements, an access plan for engineers, property managers, and security directors to the command post, and
CD-ROMS with building schematics all left the drawing board and are now available in the event of any disaster.
Martin Cramer, Vice President of Operations for United Building Security Inc., recalls that �our group was addressing the same issues, but it became much more important to consider man-made incidents as well as natural events.� Joint training exercises were completed and the results of the partnership were obvious. The Dallas PD is replicating D.E.R.T at all six of its patrol divisions. The Hotel Association of Greater Dallas now has its own security fax network. Pursuant to the partnership between private security and the Dallas Police Department, a private security liaison position has been established and will be admitted into the Emergency Operations Center if necessitated by the nature of the critical incident.
The future of the partnership is dependent on daily contacts and joint training. Most training will be in the form of table top exercises or disaster drills designed to challenge all participants. New ideas are ready to be implemented and include the following:
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Modifying the L.E.A.P.S. certification process,
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Sharing video surveillance files,
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Integrating Crime Watch Captains into D.E.R.T.,
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Taking advantage of new communication tools for employees as well as emergency personnel, and
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Expanding internet-based resources.
Currently, the Dallas Police Department along with L.E.A.P.S. and the Downtown Security Directors Association is building curriculum to provide training to security professionals related to identifying potential terrorist activities. The relationships that have been formed are proving to be invaluable in identifying topic experts and trainers that will produce a quality training program. The future potential of these partnerships is exciting as police and private security work together towards common public safety goals.
Once again, the Dallas Police Department would like to take this opportunity to welcome ASSIST to Dallas.
For more information, contact D. V. Garcia, Assistant Chief of Police at (214) 671-3921 or email him at
[email protected].
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