Attendees flock to preseminar workshops.

Hundreds of security professionals arrived on the weekend before the official start of the ASIS International 50th Annual Seminar and Exhibits to attend various preseminar programs. The one-day workshops covered security specifics for banking, campuses, retail supply chain, consulting, and systems integration. Several workshops were sponsored by ASIS councils. Others were cosponsored by ASIS and specialized industry groups.

New views on banking. Participants in the banking workshop were briefed on the latest bank robbery, fraud-recovery, background-screening, and identity-theft tactics. The workshop, sponsored by the ASIS International Banking and Financial Services Council, also featured a panel discussion during which speakers encouraged attendees to "bring out your dirty laundry" and discuss specific security issues within their organizations.

In their session, "Civil Remedies for Fraud Victims," Lincoln Caylor and Jim Patterson discussed methods for recouping fraud losses using civil lawsuits. The pair, lawyers with Bennette Jones of Canada, encouraged businesses to "think outside the box" when naming defendants in a civil lawsuit. For instance, perpetrators of a fraud might give stolen cash to relatives or friends. They could then be included in a lawsuit and even be required to pay restitution in lieu of payment by the perpetrator.

Another session was "How Safe Is Your Customer Information?" Buddy Tinnell of Visa discussed methods criminals can use to steal customer information. He presented several examples, including a photo of an ATM machine that had been fitted with a false card swipe that recorded the card data.

Campus site surveys. Attendees sat stupefied as the young man, who had entered the room looking no different than anyone else, proceeded to pull weapon after weapon from beneath his clothing--hunting knives with enormous blades, handguns, brass knuckles, and even a full-sized axe, a broadsword, and an assault rifle. In all, Chris Dorn, son of program presenter Michael Dorn, had concealed 115 weapons on his person.

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The elder Dorn, who is senior public safety and emergency management analyst at Jane's Consultancy, led Sunday's full-day course, "Safety and Security Site Surveys for Campuses: What You Need to Know," sponsored by Campus Safety Journal. Dorn began with the troubling tale of a boy named Steven who began elementary school full of enthusiasm, only to suffer from chronic bullying that included regular beatings, humiliation, and sexual assault. Steven eventually lashed out at his attackers in an explosive episode.

Steven's story illustrates what Dorn calls the "weak fish" and "barracuda" model that can lead to acts of violence in schools where the behavior is not caught and mediated. Of all chronically bullied children, up to 18 percent never confide in an adult because they believe that adults will not help and that the bullying will increase, said Dorn, terming the phenomenon "negligent privacy."

Dorn suggested that in many schools, the assessment by these children is correct. The key to preventing the kind of bullying that drove Steven to retaliate violently is the involvement and presence of teachers and administrators who watch and listen for signs of bullying, then intercede.

Similarly, said Dorn, entire districts suffer from "deadly overconfidence" in the effectiveness of untested school emergency plans that were written by outsiders who did not work with local law enforcement, fire and rescue, and other agencies. The program continued with Dorn providing in-depth instruction on conducting tactical site surveys, terrorism assessments, and emergency operations for schools.

Kinks in the supply chain. The role of security in the retail supply chain is evolving in the post 9-11 world, just as the role of the U.S. Customs Service, which heretofore governed it, has changed. So said Mike Laden, president and director of importation administration for Target Imports, at the Retail Supply Chain Security Seminar, which took place Sunday and Monday at the Hyatt Reunion. The seminar was sponsored by the National Cargo Security Council (NCSC).

Laden was only one of a notable list of speakers, including Tommy Fields, chairman of the NCSC's Retail Cargo Security Committee; King Rogers, president and CEO of King Rogers, Inc.; David Carmell, president of Blue and Gray Transportation; David LeValley of the FBI; Lt. Michael Carew of the Dallas Police Department; and Millie DeAnda of the Greater Dallas Crime Commission.

Laden discussed the complex security efforts of Target, the second largest importer of retail goods into the United States. The company transports $6 billion worth of items from 82 countries into four U. S. ports. A self-confessed "Customs groupie," Laden says that the agency--now under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security--is redefining itself as a security-oriented agency rather than a revenue collector. "It's no longer about money but about weapons of mass destruction, specifically biochemical weapons," he said.

Laden told attendees about the benefits of working with the Customs Service to achieve the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) certification. The result is greater control of cargo and an opportunity to test new technology.

Successful consulting. "Market yourself even when you're too busy," and "Find low-cost ways to get your name out into the industry by writing articles or speaking at conferences." These were among hundreds of tips offered at a preseminar session titled "Successful Security Consulting."

The 32 attendees were treated to presentations on creating business plans, marketing, completing assignments, dealing with money, crafting winning proposals, writing effective reports, consulting on forensic issues, and testifying as an expert witness.

In addition to offering practical advice to attendees, presenters also added a dash of reality. "Starting out, I spoke for free at ASIS chapter meetings, schools, associations, companies; any group that was a potential client base," said Steve Kaufer of Inter/Action Associates, Inc. "This is a great way to get exposure, but expect to pay all of your own expenses and realize that you might not ever see a benefit for your efforts. Someday, however, a potential client will remember you."

Integrating systems. Communications, fire alarms, locks, alarms, and access control devices were all discussed at a preseminar workshop on systems integration, emphasizing how to tie them together. Attendees also were privy to insider advice on successfully installing an integrated system.

William Lee, CPP, of ADT Security Services spoke about the purpose and use of log transactions, how to evaluate the need and cost of equipment, and how to factor in future upgrades. Lee also covered the types of access control systems, including Wiegand, proximity, mag stripe, bar code, biometrics, and smart cards.

The intricacies of fire-alarm integration were discussed by Steve Lee of SafeMark, LLC. He began by describing the different types of fire-alarm systems, including central station, local, public, and remote. He then went on to define the types of signals, circuits, panels, and power supplies.

Steven Oplinger of Systems Technologies, Inc., who moderated the workshop, brought all of the components together starting with budgets and ending with a review of system performance over time. Oplinger warned that security professionals should factor in time to deal with unexpected delays and unforeseen issues.

RELATED ARTICLE: A Tip of the Ten-Gallon

Members of the North Texas Chapter spent a full year preparing to host the ASIS International 50th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Dallas, fine-tuning details that made the week go smoothly for attendees and exhibitors. The Chapter Host Seminar Committee served as a link between staffs of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau and ASIS International. Host-committee members could be found all week in the convention center's communications command post.

Kudos for a job well done belong to Jerry Zellars, CPP, committee chairman, and Randy Jordan, CPP, and Andy Chapman, cochairmen. Committee members included Carl Arbogast, Mark Bavousett, Steve Castor, Joseph Coriaggio, Martin Cramer, Robert Davis, Millie DeAnda, Steve Eklund, Lisa George, George Heike, Subrena Hurd, Linda Kirksey, William Klimczuk, LaCora McSwain, Neal Mulchrone, Marieta Oglesby, George Quin, Ellen Ray, Lisa Smith, Robert Smoot, and Curtis Tomlinson.