Security firm Secure Environment Consultants (SEC) has partnered with law enforcement consultant Dr. Margaret Coggins to address school security gaps. They have launched a new service called the Behavioral Threat Assessment Process to help schools nationwide implement safety plans. Dr. Coggins provides guidance in site assessments, trainings, planning sessions, and other services, emphasizing implementation. SEC has also designed a consultative service called the Behavioral Threat Assessment Process, which includes training, process analyses, ongoing professional development, and 24/7 support. SEC aims to empower schools to be proactive in reducing violence on their campuses. SEC founder Jason Russell, a former Secret Service agent, highlights the company's commitment to hiring consultants with high-level security experience. SEC offers tailored site assessments, emergency preparedness planning, and critical incident response training. Dr. Coggins has over 30 years of experience in targeted violence prevention, threat assessment, and behavioral analysis. She advises on program design, policy development, communications strategies, and training for safety and security objectives.
In recent news, Risco Mention-Lewis, founder of the Council of Thought and Action (COTA), a group aimed at reducing crime and recidivism, has stepped away from leadership, leaving the future of the group uncertain. COTA, based in Wyandanch, Long Island, has not been meeting since Mention-Lewis retired in January 2024. The group also lost county funding, which was used for a case manager, outreach workers, internships, training, and youth programs. Despite the challenges, COTA members are hopeful that the principles of the group will continue to impact the lives of those who have already been changed. Mention-Lewis plans to work with the Safer Foundation in Chicago to integrate COTA's format there and make it a national movement. Victor Dickson, president and CEO of the Safer Foundation, expressed excitement about bringing back a pilot COTA program in Chicago. COTA's unique approach, which requires members to create a 'corporate plan' and be the president of their own 'corporation,' has helped many formerly incarcerated individuals find direction and become productive community members. While some members express concerns about the group's future without Mention-Lewis, others believe that COTA will survive and continue to make a difference.
Meanwhile, Caley Horan, an associate professor at MIT, studies how we handle uncertainty in modern American life. Her research includes topics such as insurance and astrology. Horan's first book, 'Insurance Era,' examined the tension between insurance as a collective endeavor and its individualistic definition in the private sector. She is currently working on a book about the history of astrology in America, focusing on its commercialization and its role in self-identity. Horan's research and teaching at MIT have earned her tenure. She plans to write about caregiver work and continue following developments in insurance [389ff8b7].