Volume 3, Issue 7

May 2006  

About Per Mar

Contact Us

CORPORATE OFFICE

Per Mar Security Services
Per Mar Centre
1910 East Kimberly Rd
Davenport, IA 52807
Tel# 1-800-4-PERMAR (737627)
Fax # 563-359-6700

Per Mar Officer Virgilio Dupit Awarded Certificate of Appreciation

Facts and Figures on Private Security

Turf Wars Delay Response

Family Business Makes Millions Forging Documents

Rise in Security Van Cash Attacks

First Homeland Security Majors Set to Graduate

Per Mar Officer Virgilio Dupit Awarded Certificate of Appreciation

It is always with great pride that we like to share when one of our security officers either does something above and beyond the call of duty or displays the kind of integrity that we believe is one of our core values. The following is an example of one of our security officers performing their duties with a high degree of integrity.

On March 22, while on scheduled rounds at a large, international manufacturing company in Burr Ridge, IL, Security Officer Virgilio Dupit noticed an unattended envelope in the cafeteria containing $1,080 in cash. Security Officer Dupit took immediate control of the envelope, and following established protocol, attempted to notify the cafeteria manager. His attempts, however, were unsuccessful, so he continued to make phone calls in an effort to reach another facility manager. Later that evening, he finally reached a manager, and after explaining what he found, that person arrived, took possession of, and secured the envelope in a safe location.

Security Officer Dupit was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a gift certificate for displaying a high level of honesty and integrity.

Facts and Figures on Private Security

At least 85 percent of the critical infrastructure in the United States is protected by private, contracted security officers. The National Association of Security Companies (NASCO) has released the following facts and figures regarding the contract security industry:

• Private security contracting (security personnel) is an approximately $13 billion industry in the United States with 11,000 to 15,000 companies employing some 1.2 million contract security officers.
• Contract security officers are increasingly protecting military bases and installations across the country and around the world, freeing up important resources for more vital roles. Department of Defense (DoD) reports indicate these programs have been successful and cost-effective, as well as providing employment for veterans.
• Security officers are the "true" first responders. They are on the scene as situations occur and are increasingly being asked to support law enforcement and emergency personnel.

Source: www.securitysolutions.com (05/09/06)

Turf Wars Delay Response

Unless police, firefighters and other emergency responders end turf wars and talk to each other during disasters, billions of dollars spent on high tech communication systems will go to waste, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Monday, May 8. Chertoff said the value of the technology provided through federal grants has been diminished by local and state disagreements over control of the equipment.

"What these various turf issues mean or these lack of priority issues mean is that first responders, even if they're given the tools, don't have the availability to use these tools to share vital information," Chertoff said. "And therefore lives and property are put at risk."

Chertoff said his department has provided $2.1 billion over the last three years to buy the equipment and train emergency responders to use it. But police and fire officials said those funds only scratch the surface of what's needed nationwide.

Source: Associated Press (05/08/06)

Family Business Makes Millions Forging Documents

Forgers are making tens of millions of dollars selling counterfeit Social Security cards, driver's licenses, immigrant registration cards, and other identity papers to illegal immigrants. The dominant forgery and distribution network in the U.S. is controlled by the Castorena family, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say. The Castorena Family Organization, or CFO, has spread to at least 50 cities in 33 states. Julie Myers, assistant secretary for immigration enforcement, calls document forging an epidemic. Her agency is waging a nationwide crackdown on forgery rings and has formed multi-agency task forces in Detroit and nine other cities. Agency investigators say the CFO family enterprise continues to dominate the illicit document trade in the U.S. Agents are conducting more than 3,500 investigations nationwide into document forging. They've closed document mills in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Denver, and several other cities recently. But CFO cells continue to operate. Illegal immigrants are given packages of phony documents as part of a $2,000 smuggling fee. Others can easily make contact with vendors who operate on street corners. The CFO organization grew by employing the same principles used by successful legitimate corporations: a superior product, franchises in major cities, and a coast to coast sales force.

Source: Knight Ridder Tribune

Quote of the Month: For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. - Ralph Waldo Emerson; 1803 – 1882

Rise in Security Van Cash Attacks

Over the past year, there has been a 12 percent increase in armed attacks against security guards who collect money from banks and businesses in the United Kingdom, according to statistics from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). During the first quarter of 2005, there were 201 "cash in transit" robberies, compared with 226 such robberies during the first quarter of 2006. For all of 2005, there were 836 attacks on security guards who collect money, with 170 of these attacks resulting in injury and about 25 percent of these attacks involving the use of guns. Over the past three years, 447 security guards have been wounded in attacks, with 58 suffering serious injuries. "Cash-in-transit couriers are being threatened, handing over the cash, and then being shot anyway," said BSIA CEO David Dickinson. Security consultant Colin Breen says that copycat robberies are at least partly to blame for the increase in attacks, and he also suggests that robbers view guards as easier targets than businesses that are protected by sophisticated security systems.

Source: BBC News (04/18/06)

First Homeland Security Majors Set to Graduate

Virginia Commonwealth University this month will award diplomas to the first group of students to complete the only bachelor's degree program in homeland security and emergency preparedness at a major research university in the United States.

"They have a degree that no one else does. They are pioneers. It gets them noticed," said William W. Newmann, Ph.D., associate professor and director of undergraduate programs for VCU's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

Newmann said VCU's degree program is getting noticed by potential employers. "Within the Pentagon, the FBI was practically doing back flips when they learned we were starting this," he said. "The Virginia Department of Emergency Management is also very interested and excited."

VCU received approval for a Bachelor of Arts degree in homeland security and emergency preparedness from the State Council of Higher Education on May 10, 2005. The first courses were offered during the fall semester. A master's degree program has been developed and is expected to be offered starting in the spring of 2007.

Source: PRNewswire (05/10/06)