On Funerals and Lawsuits: CIS

[sec-guy]

Thanks for the welcome! I actually left CIS in 2004. I am getting ready to head back down there however to do some work with S2. I think that I briefly met Spano when I was down there a couple of weeks ago, but not formally...he was asleep on the couch at the apartment in Orlando LoL. I am sure I will run into him again though...

On another note...

I am not going to get into an argument about how great or how horrible CIS is or about anything related to the topic, but I am going to address some of the comments here...



880 Mandalay was a very different assignment than what most know CIS for. It was an assignment within the Risk Managment (unarmed) Group. I wouldn't even go as far as calling it Observe and Report due to the limited duties and responsibilities that it entailed. The officer assigned to the account was, in fact, a very good officer. To say that he was anything less than a normal quality CIS officer would be just untrue. In addition, he DID know very well what his duties were.

I can't, for the life of me, think of any possible way that CIS could be held liable for this horrible crime. The officer that was working did exactly what he was hired to do. The person that killed Aimee was an invited guest that Aimee approved to enter. He signed in and out as required. There was no vicarious (or other type) liability involved in this situation. There was nothing that he could have done to stop what happened short of being able to tell the future.

Everyone is allowed to believe what they wish. As I stated before, I am not going to get into an argument on how great CIS is or isn't. I am just going to tell you the facts and, if you choose to believe them or not, that is up to you.

The reason that CIS handled Aimee's death the way it did was due to the way that the owners feel about the employees. They look at every employee as a member of the CIS family. On Thanksgiving, turkey dinners are delivered to those that are working as a thank you. In addition, at least when I was there, CIS would do things for officers like family picnics and such. Its all about taking care of the troops. With the case of Aimee, this extended into her death. Paying for funeral expenses, arranging the honor guard and procession and many many CIS officers and staff at the funeral were just an extension of that caring. It had nothing to do with anything other than that.

In my opinion, CIS is a very good company. The owners, executives and command staff care very deeply for the employees. Aimee was not the only employee that was lost and was not the only employee that CIS went to these lengths for, it was just a highly public event.

I will leave it at that...

Thanks for your response; I think most are trying to get the facts to learn from.

[kjtw]

I don't think CIS is at fault in this case. People like to look for a scapegoat in these cases but this all falls back on the shoulders of the pile of genetic waste that killed her.

The young lady sounded like a model employee and a caring friend. CIS did her and her family right with the pomp and circumstance surrounding her funeral. They should be commended for their actions.

OMG...you have no idea! Aimee was a sweetheart! She had only been with CIS for about 2 months and, as such, was a newer dispatcher. As was standard training at the time, newer dispatchers were assigned to the St. Pete radio due to the lower level of traffic. Being that I worked patrol in South St. Pete, Aimee was often my dispatcher. She had a voice that was calming and pleasant. She was very eager to do the best job she could.

As a person, Aimee was one of those people that would do everything she could to help everyone around her. She worked at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in her spare time becuase she loved working with the fishes! She just had so much caring inside of her, she had to get it out. Unfortunately, that scum of the earth that killed her took advantage of her caring personality.

What a beautiful young woman with so much to offer...such a big heart...not a selfish bone in her body!

I remember when she first started, I was sitting in the Operations Center with her training her and she was taking traffic for one of the Lieutenants at the time. She was doing a great job but she always had an issue with speaking loud enough. She echoed back what the Lt reported and then there was a moment of silence. The Lt. came back and said "Ma'am, you are doing a great job, but I just can't hear you. You need to speak up." Just the words written down don't do it justice. The tone that he used and the bright red color that Aimee's faced turned as she just started laughing herself silly was priceless. I don't know if Hank1 was working that night, but if he was, I am sure he would recall it too.

She was very a very special person. To this day, I carry her funeral program in my clipboard and will until the day that I once again get to hear her lovely voice!!!

[Lawson]

I don't think CIS is at fault in this case. People like to look for a scapegoat in these cases but this all falls back on the shoulders of the pile of genetic waste that killed her.

The young lady sounded like a model employee and a caring friend. CIS did her and her family right with the pomp and circumstance surrounding her funeral. They should be commended for their actions.

If more companies were like CIS, the security industry might actually be a step or two ahead of where it is today.

[CorpSec]

I don't think CIS is at fault in this case. People like to look for a scapegoat in these cases but this all falls back on the shoulders of the pile of genetic waste that killed her.

The young lady sounded like a model employee and a caring friend. CIS did her and her family right with the pomp and circumstance surrounding her funeral. They should be commended for their actions.

[gixxer32404]

Got to admire a company that takes care of their troops.

[kjtw]

Kjtw, Welcome to the boards, a couple of your coworkers stop by here from time to time. You have some great leadership including KC who I've had the immense pleasure of trading correspondence with on occasion. I also worked in LA with your company during the recent Gustav deployment. Tell SMSGT Spano I'm still waiting on him to find my jacket!

Thanks for the welcome! I actually left CIS in 2004. I am getting ready to head back down there however to do some work with S2. I think that I briefly met Spano when I was down there a couple of weeks ago, but not formally...he was asleep on the couch at the apartment in Orlando LoL. I am sure I will run into him again though...

On another note...

I am not going to get into an argument about how great or how horrible CIS is or about anything related to the topic, but I am going to address some of the comments here...

Not knowing the actual layout of the Mandalay Apartments (but familiar with Clearwater area) I would offer this:

I think this might be a case where a (probably better than average) security company took an assignment and did not think hard enough about the liability of the assignment.

If they in fact took this "O&R" assignment contractually it was a misjudgement on their part.

Does an O&R assignment normally include a sign-in? I don't think so (the contract should tell you that. And what is the "doorman" duties. I'll bet he did not know totally what his responsibilities were (and he was possibly a less than average recruit).

The account also suggested that the security company was persuaded to take the job. Would they possibly put themselves in position they they could be sued without a full assessment of the property (its a public place....including a restaurant)?

880 Mandalay was a very different assignment than what most know CIS for. It was an assignment within the Risk Managment (unarmed) Group. I wouldn't even go as far as calling it Observe and Report due to the limited duties and responsibilities that it entailed. The officer assigned to the account was, in fact, a very good officer. To say that he was anything less than a normal quality CIS officer would be just untrue. In addition, he DID know very well what his duties were.

I can't, for the life of me, think of any possible way that CIS could be held liable for this horrible crime. The officer that was working did exactly what he was hired to do. The person that killed Aimee was an invited guest that Aimee approved to enter. He signed in and out as required. There was no vicarious (or other type) liability involved in this situation. There was nothing that he could have done to stop what happened short of being able to tell the future.

Everyone is allowed to believe what they wish. As I stated before, I am not going to get into an argument on how great CIS is or isn't. I am just going to tell you the facts and, if you choose to believe them or not, that is up to you.

The reason that CIS handled Aimee's death the way it did was due to the way that the owners feel about the employees. They look at every employee as a member of the CIS family. On Thanksgiving, turkey dinners are delivered to those that are working as a thank you. In addition, at least when I was there, CIS would do things for officers like family picnics and such. Its all about taking care of the troops. With the case of Aimee, this extended into her death. Paying for funeral expenses, arranging the honor guard and procession and many many CIS officers and staff at the funeral were just an extension of that caring. It had nothing to do with anything other than that.

In my opinion, CIS is a very good company. The owners, executives and command staff care very deeply for the employees. Aimee was not the only employee that was lost and was not the only employee that CIS went to these lengths for, it was just a highly public event.

I will leave it at that...

[sec-guy]

Know much about CIS?

They don't do O & R.

I have seen them "on the job" in an apartment complex in Tampa where a friend of mine lives.

If they don't do O&R then what was the problem to get them involved with a lawsuit would you say?

[gcmc security part 2]

Know much about CIS?

They don't do O & R.

[sec-guy]

Not knowing the actual layout of the Mandalay Apartments (but familiar with Clearwater area) I would offer this:

I think this might be a case where a (probably better than average) security company took an assignment and did not think hard enough about the liability of the assignment.

If they in fact took this "O&R" assignment contractually it was a misjudgement on their part.

Does an O&R assignment normally include a sign-in? I don't think so (the contract should tell you that. And what is the "doorman" duties. I'll bet he did not know totally what his responsibilities were (and he was possibly a less than average recruit).

The account also suggested that the security company was persuaded to take the job. Would they possibly put themselves in position they they could be sued without a full assessment of the property (its a public place....including a restaurant)?

[mjw064]

I would totally agree.

I don't see it that way. CIS seems to attempt to operate like a Law Enforcement Agency as much as possible. In the case of a LEO, if it can be even remotely established that a LEO's death was a LODD, the agency will generally call it a LODD, with all the included ceremonial expectations.

[sec-guy]

It occurs to me, to ask, whether or not the company bending over backwards to help the family during their time of grief was not a way to try to avoid the lawsuit or minimize the potential jury award against the company. Based on the article, it sure smells like a company rat.

I would totally agree.

[gcmc security part 2]

I was about to say she was 20. And the possession law for a firearmis 21. I believe the only exception is 19 for a LEO. Glad u explained better.

You can have a G License under 21. But you cannot take your weapon home after your shift. You must receive it when you go on duty and turn it in when you go off duty. We did this once when I was with TWC. After that officer left we choose not to do it again if we could help it.

Edit: Kjtw, Welcome to the boards, a couple of your coworkers stop by here from time to time. You have some great leadership including KC who I've had the immense pleasure of trading correspondence with on occasion. I also worked in LA with your company during the recent Gustav deployment. Tell SMSGT Spano I'm still waiting on him to find my jacket!

[gixxer32404]

I was about to say she was 20. And the possession law for a firearmis 21. I believe the only exception is 19 for a LEO. Glad u explained better.

[kjtw]

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/09/No..._sense_o.shtml

Basically, 20 year old woman worked for CIS of Clearwater, Florida. She lived on a property that CIS provided services for. If, by her retired radio call sign, they meant "ALPHA" or "ALFA," then she was an armed RMO, which is basically a regular armed officer. (No BDUs and door kicking required.)

So, a few questions for the group:

Anyone see merit in the suit? Keeping in mind that "doorman" positions are generally observe and report, something CIS isn't known for. The article implies that CIS hired the existing door guards, but they also got a call sign incorrect. (ADAM isn't in the military phonetic alphabet...)

Anyone see pros and cons for having LODD funerals for security personnel? And, having LODD funerals for those not LODD? (She was murdered in her apartment by someone she knew, not killed at work protecting someone.)

Sorry to ressurect an old thread, but I ran across this and wanted to comment.

Aimee worked in the CIS Operations Center as a communications officer (dispatcher). She did not work in the field. Her callsign was Adam 60 (Adam was, at the time, used to designate these personnel).

The location that Aimee lived, although staffed with CIS personnel, was a quiet location. The officer assigned to work that night did exactly what he was supposed to do. There was nothing more that he could have done.

Everything that CIS did for Aimee and her family was because we lost a member of our staff, more a member of our family. There was no other reason. Her death, and the circumstances that surrounded it, struck the staff of CIS to the core. I don't know of a single employee at the time that wasn't effected.

It saddened me when I heard that a lawsuit had been filed. Although I wasn't surprised (due to the environment that we live in), it angered me. Aimee's death was due to the criminal act of one person, not the fault of the property she lived or the security company hired to provide services. If there was something that could have been done, we would have done it!

CIS did what CIS does...cared for one of its own. Simple as that. Unfortunately, CIS has been involved in a number of funerals for employees over the years. Even more unfortunate, there will be more. Regardless of how the person died, the fact still remains that a part of the family was lost. CIS will do anything and everything to help take care of everyone in the company.

[N. A. Corbier]

This is a quote taken from the CIS site. "establish probable cause for law enforcement" Doesn't security with police powers have to abide by the same rules as the police when it comes to probable cause?

Security officers in Florida do not have police powers. Only a sworn law enforcement officer may make an arrest by statute. Private citizens may make "detentions" under certain circumstances, usually retail theft and disorderly in a licensed establishment.

At that time, they may, as well as a LEO, make a misdemeanor arrest for probable cause, when normally (with exceptions) a LEO may not make a probable cause arrest for a misdemeanor.

The claim of having "police" or "arrest" authority could be construed by DOACS (the licensing board) as "official authority," which FSS 493 specifically prohibits for private security.