Maria Vinson Landry Wins "Wayne Wunder Memorial Award"

The National Council of Investigative and Security Services “NCISS” met in New York City for their 33th Annual Conference from April 30th through May 3rd. Mr. Joseph D. Vinson, Sr. was one of the founding members of NCISS and host of the 1st meeting of the council in New Orleans, LA. In 1976, since its inception, Vinson Guard Service has maintained an active presence in NCISS.

This year Maria Vinson Landry was honored during the Past President’s Award luncheon with the “Wayne Wunder Memorial Award”. Eddy McClain, President Emeritus and a past recipient, presented Maria with the award. In 1994 Mr. Joseph D. Vinson, Sr. was also a Wayne Wunder Award recipient. The award recognizes exceptional contributions by members of NCISS who characteristically are not in the forefront in terms of recognition. Earlier that same day during the election of officers and board members, Maria was elected to the 3rd Vice President position of NCISS. She had been on the Board of Directors since 2001.

Some of the main objectives of NCISS are to monitor national and state legislative and regulatory activities affecting the investigation and guard industry, and to develop and encourage the practice of high standards of personal and professional conduct among those persons serving in the investigation and guard industry.

Bicycle Patrols Key For Improving Police/Community Relations

If departments want to enhance relations with the communities they serve, they should consider implementing bicycle patrols in lieu of some automobile patrols, a new study conducted by Dr. Chris Menton, associate professor of criminal justice at Roger Williams University, suggests.

In researching the topic, Menton accompanied police officers in motor vehicles and on bicycle patrols during 32 separate shifts in urban residential and commercial downtown areas of five cities: Boston, Washington, Charlotte, N.C., Providence, R.I., and Hartford, Conn.

Menton recorded and coded all contacts between officers and members of the public, and the results indicate that officers on bicycles handled more than double the number of incidents and spoke with more than two times as many community members.  Read the entire article...

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Pentagon Changes Policy for Security Clearance Applicants

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said applicants for government security clearances would no longer be required to reveal whether they received treatment for combat-related mental-health problems. The policy changes comes after a report by the Army's inspector general last year discovered that some military members did not want to receive treatment because they feared it would affect their security clearances. A recent study by Rand. Corp found that 20 percent of those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan experience post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, however, just a little over half seek treatment, mostly because they are afraid it could hurt their careers.

Source: Washington Post (05/02/08) P. A4 ; Tyson, Ann Scott

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FACT:  An estimated 2 million Americans will be affected by workplace violence this year, according to the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

National CPR and AED Awareness Week Bill Passed by Congress

In reaction to the staggering 95 percent mortality rate for the more than 300,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest each year, Congress has passed a bill designating the first week of June National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week. The bill's passage will help raise awareness of how important it is that all Americans learn critical lifesaving skills -- such as how to perform CPR and how to use an AED -- and to increase public access to AEDs. House member Rep. John R. "Randy" Kuhl Jr. (R-NY), a co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation "will help Americans save lives at the community level. If you suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, you have a five percent chance of survival. It doesn't have to be that way."  Read the full release at: http://www.americanheartassociation.com/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3052527

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QUOTE: “Three rules of work: (1) Out of clutter, find simplicity; (2) From discord, find harmony; (3) In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein