Whenever mass shootings occur in the United States, conversations surface with top officials, regarding what can be done to stop or slow down these horrible acts of mass shootings. According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings have increased in recent years, even during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, mental health was the constant focus, which should continue to be as organizations began to open for business-emploring employees to return into the office space. What changes to policy and procedures will businesses adapt to ensure the safety of their employees.
On Monday, March 22, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a local grocery store in Boulder, CO, which left 10 people dead. Six days before this incident, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, a gunman opened fire at several massage spas in the Atlanta area, which left 8 people dead. Before the Atlanta spa killings, there hadn’t been such a large-scale mass shooting in roughly a year. The reason for these two mass shootings is still under investigation. However, the widespread availability of guns is what creates as a society the opportunity for this kind of activity to happen.
In my opinion, soft targets and crowded places, such as sports venues, shopping venues, schools, and transportation systems, and the two incidents that occurred in Atlanta and Colorado are locations that are easily accessible to large numbers of people and have limited security or protective measures in place making them vulnerable to attacks. Addressing these challenges can be a daunting task. However, banning assault weapon which could likely work though some experts doubt the results of assault weapon bans, many see it as an appropriate first step to keeping the highly lethal weapons beyond reach for good and bad actors alike. Also, companies need to understand budget constraints or not, to ensure the protection of a soft target, technology, and strategic planning is required to gather information, quickly detect vulnerabilities, respond to risks and eliminate threats.
Overall, regular and consistent physical security assessments are critical in safeguarding the resources associated with your company as well as with the employees that work under you and rely on a safe workplace in which to get their work done. Without a comprehensive policy of physical security assessment, it is nearly impossible to manage your businesses without encountering high levels of risks.
