Vector Security® Networks Launches TruIT Single-Source Solution for Networking Equipment, Broadband Internet and Managed Services

TruIT combines the best available technology and services to support in-house IT departments or businesses without IT staff.

PITTSBURGH, April 20, 2021 – Vector Security® Networks, a division of Vector Security®, Inc., and the single-source provider of physical security solutions and managed network services to multi-site businesses across North America, introduces TruIT, a bundled solution that combines secure networking equipment, broadband Internet, professional installation and managed services.

TruIT is a one-source IT solution that eliminates guesswork by combining the best available technology and services that deliver results. 

Read more in the Vendor Spotlight column below
 

Protests & Violence

NYC shootings continue to skyrocket, NYPD stats show
New York City’s sharp rise in shootings this year continued to increase last week — as the number of shooting incidents and victims rose some 250 percent compared to the same period last year.

In the seven-day period between April 12 and 18, some 29 people were shot in 28 separate shootings across the city, according to stats compiled by the NYPD and obtained by The Post.

That’s an increase of 250 percent in the shooting incident category and an increase of 262.5 percent in shooting victims compared to the same period last year, when eight people were shot in eight incidents, according to the stats.

The numbers of shootings and victims have risen drastically in 2021, with a 59.6 percent hike in the number of people shot and a 64 percent increase in the number of incidents compared to the same period last year, according to the stats.

Year over year, homicides remain up, with 106 registered this year, compared to 100 from 2020. nypost.com

Biden administration weighing how to respond after verdict in Chauvin trial
The administration is weighing how to handle the upcoming verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, including considering whether President Biden should address the nation and dispatching specially trained community facilitators from the Justice Department, aides and officials told The Associated Press.

The plans for possible presidential remarks are still fluid, with the timing, venue and nature of the remarks still being considered, in part depending on the timing of the verdict, according to two White House aides who were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. latimes.com

Police Departments Across the U.S. Have Been Listening & Learning
Awaiting Derek Chauvin Verdict, Police Prepare New Approach to Protests
As cities prepare for possible protests following a verdict in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, police departments say they are implementing new tactics after being criticized by agency watchdogs for their handling of last summer’s demonstrations.

New York City police officials said they are in the process of implementing less aggressive crowd control tactics, while Los Angeles has started new training and the Chicago Police Department has ordered its officers to be respectful of protesters. Some cities like Philadelphia banned or limited the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray on demonstrators after facing criticism from local elected leaders and civil-rights groups for deploying them on crowds over the summer.

Municipal oversight agencies and outside consultants hired by cities have found departments were unprepared, disorganized and used excessive force during the protests that swept the country following the death of George Floyd in police custody.

With a Minneapolis jury now deliberating whether to convict Mr. Chauvin for killing Mr. Floyd, some departments also said they have reached out to organizers and community leaders in advance of expected protests, in the hopes of creating less tense confrontations with demonstrators.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said at a police commission meeting last week that the reports highlighted the need for ongoing training for officers. More than 4,000 officers received new crowd control training as of October, the chief said. There are about 9,900 officers in the LAPD.

NYPD officials said they are in the process of implementing more than two dozen recommendations from the oversight body. New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said the department had “done a lot behind the scenes in trying to work with members of the clergy, leaders, elected officials, grass roots organizations.”

The Chicago Police Department, which has been facing protests over the recent shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by one of its officers, issued new guidance last week for handling demonstrations.

Among the new rules issued by Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown: Officers are instructed not to “disrupt, intimidate, harass, or discriminate against, or arrest any persons engaged in First Amendment conduct” if they are legally protesting. The directive also said dispersal orders should be given clearly, repeatedly and demonstrators should have sufficient time to comply. wsj.com

Judge in Derek Chauvin trial says Maxine Waters’ comments could lead to whole case ‘being overturned’
The judge in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial slammed Rep. Maxine Waters’ call for protesters to “get confrontational” if the ex-cop is cleared in the death of George Floyd — saying on Monday it could lead to the whole case “being overturned.”

The stunning remarks came as the city of Minneapolis braces for unrest while the jury deliberates in the case.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson had urged Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill to declare a mistrial, arguing that “an elected official, US congressperson” made statements that “I think are reasonably interpreted to be threats against the sanctity of the jury process” and had the effect of “threatening and intimidating the jury.”

Cahill denied the motion but told Nelson, “I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned.” nypost.com

Minneapolis Declared 'High-Risk Location' as Jury Decides Chauvin's Fate
Community on edge as jury deliberates in Derek Chauvin trial
Three hundred and thirty days after George Floyd died on the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and the state began a new period Monday: a time of anxiety and uncertainty until a jury decides whether the police officer who knelt on his neck is guilty of murder.

On the day that jurors began deliberations in the Derek Chauvin trial, with Minneapolis being watched around the globe, Facebook declared the city a "high-risk location" and said it would remove posts that incite violence or celebrate Floyd's death.

Locally, students walked out of class to protest racial injustice. Thousands of Minnesota National Guard soldiers joined law enforcement in standing guard. Civil rights leaders the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson led a prayer outside the courthouse. And protests continued over Daunte Wright's killing a week ago by a Brooklyn Center police officer.

The entire region remained on edge.

Kenza Hadj-Moussa, the public affairs director for TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide progressive organization, said she believes the tension is made "1,000 times worse" by the heavy military and law enforcement presence on Twin Cities streets in preparation for any violence.

"The whole world and media is watching and expecting us to burn down our city," Hanson said. "This affects us all. This is not us vs. them. … We have an opportunity where we can heal and get reform accomplished, and that's a unique position to be in. Minnesota can lead the way on that."

The governor and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul stressed two goals: That Minnesota and the nation address racial inequality whatever the outcome of the trial and that people not repeat last year's destruction.

"Rioting won't solve this problem," said Melvin Carter, St. Paul's mayor. "And looting won't breathe life back into the bodies of our lost loved ones. We cannot cure harm by inflicting harm on others." startribune.com

Minnesota Freedom Fighters
In Minneapolis, armed patrol group tries to keep the peace

Some in the crowd are trying to prevent protests from escalating into violence

As protests intensified in the Minneapolis suburb where a police officer fatally shot Daunte Wright, a group of Black men joined the crowd intent on keeping the peace and preventing protests from escalating into violence.

As several people began to rattle a fence protecting the Brooklyn Center police department, the Freedom Fighters communicated to each other over walkie-talkies. They declined to say how many are in their group.

On recent nights, the Freedom Fighters have moved through the crowd in formation, wearing body armor and dark clothing, weaving past umbrella-wielding demonstrators to create separation along a double-layer perimeter security fence. Their passive tactics are intended to deescalate the tension, preventing agitators from pressing forward and provoking the law enforcement officers standing at attention with pepper-ball and less-lethal sponge grenade launchers at the ready.

“We can keep it peaceful,” said Tyrone Hartwell, a 36-year-old former U.S. Marine who belongs to the group. “There's always somebody in the group that wants to incite something,” adding that throwing objects at the police takes the focus away from their calls for justice and saps energy from the movement. abcnews.go

Outside the courthouse, protesters press for a guilty verdict in Chauvin trial


Philadelphia PD Spying on Protesters?
Philadelphia police asked federal drug agents to ‘infiltrate’ protests last June, emails show

Critics say the request raises questions about a decades-old policy barring the Philadelphia PD from using its own officers to physically infiltrate protests.

The Philadelphia Police Department enlisted federal drug agents to infiltrate crowds of protesters during racial justice demonstrations in the city last spring, a move that critics say may have circumvented a decades-old ban aimed at deterring police from spying on activists.

The undercover operation was made public last week by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a D.C.-based think tank that obtained emails between police and federal officials through a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.

The emails show Philadelphia police requested the DEA support on June 2 and the operation lasted at least through June 6.

The Philadelphia Police Department is restricted from using its own officers to infiltrate protest groups. A 1987 mayoral directive written as part of a settlement to a lawsuit requires that to conduct covert surveillance of activists, Philadelphia police must detail a threat of criminal activity in writing and obtain approval from the police commissioner and the city managing director.

He said police did not ask the DEA to conduct undercover surveillance of protesters, saying the request “was for undercover agents to enter the crowd to look for individuals involved in violent criminal activity or about to engage in criminal activities, who have been known to hide among lawful protesters.”

Paul Hetznecker, one of the lawyers suing the city on behalf of dozens of protesters and residents alleging police overreach and brutality last spring, called the DEA operation “just the most recent chapter in a decades-old effort by law enforcement to target progressive political movements and criminalize dissent.” inquirer.com

'Strongest Anti-Rioting Measure in the Country'
Florida Adopts Nation's Toughest Restrictions On Protests
Florida's governor has signed a law that he called the "strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement measure in the country." The law was written in response to protests around the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. It provides new protections for police and increases the penalties for people who take part in property damage or violence during protests.

Florida experienced little of the violence seen elsewhere in the country last summer following Floyd's death. But Gov. Ron DeSantis said tougher laws were needed to make sure Florida doesn't see the kind of protests that occurred in Minneapolis, Portland, Ore., and other cities. At the bill signing Monday, DeSantis said, "If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you're going to jail."

The law increases penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments. It creates a new crime, "mob intimidation." And it requires that anyone arrested at a protest be denied bail until their first court appearance, likely making for overnight jail stays.

The law makes local officials in Florida liable for lawsuits from injured parties if they are found to have not done enough to respond to control violent protests. And it reacts to the "defund the police" movement, allowing officials to appeal to the governor and his Cabinet any decision by local officials to reduce funding to law enforcement. npr.org

Portland Businesses Targeted by Rioters on Monday Night
Windows smashed as vandals march in Portland; 2 arrested
Vandals smashed windows at businesses in Northeast Portland Monday night as part of a “direct action” march that also blocked traffic and caused delays. Portland police declared the event an unlawful assembly about 20 minutes after it began.

Two people were arrested: Emily Keppler, 27, arrested for felony criminal mischief; and Emma Lightstone, 27, arrested for riot and criminal mischief, both felonies.

The crowd of about 80 people — plus support vehicles — walked in the streets of Northeast Portland, toward PPB’s North Precinct. Officials with Popeye’s restaurant reported their windows were shattered. Windows were also reportedly smashed at a US Bank and and ATM machine damaged. koin.com

D.C. Bracing for More Civil Unrest
250 National Guard Troops Approved to Help DC Police Ahead of Chauvin Verdict
The D.C. National Guard announced Monday that it was activating 250 troops to assist D.C. police in case of protests after the verdict in the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year; jury deliberations started Monday. The District is preparing for more protests and possible civil unrest.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that she had requested 300 National Guard members as a quick response force, as well as additional troops for traffic control and security at Metro stations. Two weeks after submitting her request, D.C. was granted approval for 50 fewer troops than the mayor requested. nbcwashington.com

Atlanta police prepare for protests in response to Chauvin verdict

Protesters rally in Providence in support of Adam Toledo

As nation awaits Chauvin verdict, Cincinnati preps for possibility of protests

Critics call Florida's anti-riot law an 'outrageous ploy' to end protests
 

COVID Update

212M Vaccinations Given

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Enterprise Risk Management job listed for Publix Employees Federal Credit Union in Lakeland, FL
The key purpose of this position is to oversee and direct the Credit Union’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) function, the compliance program, loss prevention, BSA/AML, information security, and fraud. This position will develop and implement short- and long-term risk management plans to ensure the Credit Union maintains adequate safety and soundness, credit, compliance, and operational risk procedures. This position plans and directs the development of risk management and loss prevention programs that provide maximum protection of the Credit Union’s assets.  recruiting.ultipro.com