“We’re beginning to realize that coronavirus disease, COVID-19, will be an event burned into our minds and hearts for generations.” This was written by Chris Peterson, former President of Protus3, in March 2020. Little did we know then just how much COVID-19 would affect us and change who we are. “Most of our workforce today has nothing by which to …
During “normal” times the police generally control the masses because the masses allow that control. Or to put it another way, the public allows law enforcement to do their jobs. Thus the delicate balance and fragile trust relationship is born. These are not normal times! Just consider that within the framework of racial strife, societal unrest, police misconduct, political polarization …
Where is a cop when you need one? The answer depends on where you live. Data reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI depict a wide variation in the size of departments across the nation. Despite what you may hear or have read, there is no national standard for how many police officers a department needs or any type of …
At Protus3, we take great pride in helping our clients identify risks and develop practical and sound strategies to manage, mitigate, and leverage those risks. Usually those risks involve insider or outsider threats carried out by persons with nefarious intent. The threats come in various forms – overt and plainly visible (think intruder) or covert and not plainly evident (think …
In the first post, we addressed what constitutes an emergency, when to call 911, call prioritization, finite resources, and differing priorities. For good measure, we discussed that the police may alter their level and type of responses to both emergency and non-emergency situations due to COVID-19. In this post, we will attempt to convey and emphasize the importance of not …
Calling 911 to request emergency assistance is ingrained into the mindset of Americans across the nation. Many Americans have no recollection of the patchwork and disjointed processes of the past when you needed emergency assistance. From calling an operator (remember those?), a neighbor who was a cop or firefighter or calling the police directly, it was a convoluted affair that …
We’ve all heard the saying “necessity is the mother of invention” (or innovation). That is absolutely true today. During COVID-19, we have not seen a big shift in how businesses are set up. What we are starting to see is a major shift in multi-disciplined teams working together. As someone who has helped companies develop multi-disciplined risk assessment teams, I …
A recent online Forbes article written by Carrie Rubinstein pointed out 3 Cyber Security Risks created by employees working remotely. Prior to COVID-19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics identified that approximately 29 percent of Americans were able to work remotely. As a result of the implementation of safety measures related to COVID-19, employers are requiring more of their staff to …
We find ourselves in very unique times. As of April 3, 2020, there are 311 million people in at least 41 states, three counties, eight cities, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico being urged to stay home. This rapid change has put many employers in a position to allow employees to work from home. Because of that, employers are …
In a typical week, I spend a good part of my time conducting background investigations. So what’s different now that we’re all dealing with COVID-19? Honestly? Not much. Nearly every background investigation we conduct includes a criminal search. For locations where the process is automated (i.e. records are online), there is no change based on COVID-19. Records were readily available …