Unsettled by NYC shooting, companies wonder if their offices are safe
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and MATT SEDENSKY Associated Press NEW YORK AP Businesses around the country are reevaluating protection after a brazen shooting at a New York City office building raised questions about what it takes to keep workplaces safe The attack on a seemingly secure building in a gilded part of Manhattan where the rich live in sprawling apartments and tourists window-shop designer stores has rattled workers and prompted managers to examine whether they are adequately protected What should we be doing different clients are asking mentioned Brian Higgins founder of Group a Mahwah New Jersey safeguard company that is among those getting peppered with an influx of calls How can we prevent something like this The gut reaction of chosen companies Higgins declared is to buy the latest system and blanket their workplace in cameras But he cautioned that s only only effective if paired with consistency and long-term monitoring If you re going to add a shield measure you have to make sure you maintain it noted Higgins a former police chief who teaches protection at John Jay College of Criminal Justice Police officers stand in front of a door with a bullet hole at scene of Monday s deadly shooting Tuesday July in New York AP Photo Yuki Iwamura Four people were killed in the shooting Monday before the gunman died by suicide Images of the shooter toting a long rifle on a street in the biggest U S city then terrorizing an office building have companies desperate to do something to keep the scene from repeating People are frightened people are asking questions disclosed Dave Komendat the Seattle-based chief protection officer at Corporate Guard Advisors where calls are also spiking With the U S locked in a pattern of gun violence virtually unparalleled in the world guard firms are used to the rhythms of the business While attacks at a corporate office are less commonplace a major shooting or an attack on an executive focuses attention back on defense for a time before receding Give it a couple weeks a month or so it ll go back Higgins stated of the increased call volume When precaution issues don t happen for a while and companies start reexamining their budget measure is one of those things that companies cut Pedestrians walk by police tape on the corner of Lexington Avenue and rd Street near a Manhattan office building after a shooting Monday July in New York AP Photo Angelina Katsanis Gene Petrino CEO of Survival Response in Coral Springs Florida has also seen an uptick in calls from prospective new customers but expects it to be fleeting When things are calm it s seen as an expense they don t need right away he stated and then when a tragedy happens it s a priority again Petrino reported companies can make changes that aren t intrusive like using cameras with artificial intelligence capabilities to identify weapons Sometimes it may just be a matter of improving lighting in a hallway or putting up convex mirrors to see around a corner Everything doesn t have to be bulletproof and locked with safety cameras everywhere he mentioned You don t have to be Fort Knox You can have very basic things Related Articles Recall issued over power drinks mistakenly containing vodka Virginia city councilman set on fire in workplace attack suspect charged with attempted murder NYC gunman Shane Tamura apologized to parents in second suicide note Ohio city whose Haitian settlers were disparaged by Trump braces to defend them against deportation Judge considers whether Alligator Alcatraz challenge was filed in wrong venue Michael Evanoff chief precaution officer of Verkada a building defense company based in San Mateo California noted machinery like AI-enabled cameras to help identify threats have become even more major amid a shortage of guards It s harder than various realize to find and retain trained personnel Evanoff announced That makes it even more essential that guards are equipped with tool that can extend their reach Defense at Park Avenue the site of the shooting included a New York Police Department officer working a uniformed safety assignment He was among those killed Rudin the leasing company that manages the building did not respond to a query about when the building will reopen or whether new shield measures will be implemented No matter what though every workplace has vulnerabilities The safety gang has to be perfect to of the time mentioned Komendat a former chief guard officer for Boeing Someone like this just necessities to be lucky once
