ASIS INTERNATIONAL HOUSTON CHAPTER
MEETING MINUTES: August 31, 2005
The luncheon meeting was held at Renaissance Hotel. Chapter Chairman Darin Dillon CPP presided. 98 members and guests attended.
Opening prayer and Pledge: Wanette Fountain
Committee Activities:
Treasurer: Bob Cascino CPP reviewed and distributed the report.
Newsletter: The deadline for submitting articles for the next issue is 9/23.
Social Activity:
Training:
Membership: Ross Johnson CPP announced we have five new local chapter members for a total of 289.
Certifications:
TPSB: The Private Security Bureau will be raising its fee structure effective September 1.
Chapter Elections: The new Executive Committee is selected in November. If you have an interest in serving or have a nomination, please submit the name(s) to Committee Chairman Mark Curran.
Special presentation:
Darin Dillon and Bob Cascino, representing the Golf Committee, formally presented scholarship checks from the proceeds of the Golf Tournament for a total amount of $19,766. Both UHD and Sam Houston State University gratefully accepted checks for $9133. We additionally presented a $1500 check to the Cyfair ISD. 152 players participated in this year’s tournament and special recognition was given to the companies that provided extraordinary donations of sponsorships and/or supplies.
Law Enforcement Recognition Award: HPD Officer Heidi Ruiz
Officer Ruiz is an exceptional officer with the Sex Crimes Division. We honored her earlier in the year for her 2004 investigation of a sexual offender that resulted in a 200 year sentence. We are honoring her again for another arrest; however what makes this arrest even more exceptional was she was off-duty with her family when she identified, pursued and participated in the capture of the suspect. Officer Ruiz was accompanied to the luncheon by her supervisor, Captain J.P. Mokwa.
July 20, 2005 -- The
actions of a Houston Police Juvenile Division investigator, Heidi Ruiz, are
being credited in the arrest and charges filed against a suspect wanted in the
kidnapping and sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy on June 4. The suspect,
identified as Jose Miguel Rodriguez (H/m, DOB 2-12-71), is in custody and has
confessed to his role in the crime. Rodriguez is charged with aggravated
kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault of a child in the 338th State District
Court and is being held without bond.
HPD Juvenile Division
Lieutenant W.C. Staney of the Sex Crimes Unit reported:
While off duty and in her personal vehicle with her husband and children on
Monday (July 18), Officer Heidi Ruiz of the Sex Crimes Unit saw a customized
white van driving on Sabo Road at Fuqua. Officer Ruiz further observed that the
driver matched surveillance photos of the suspect wanted in the June 4
incident. Following at a safe distance, Officer Ruiz called Lt. Staney with the
vehicle information. The information was relayed to a dispatcher who
coordinated a response with HPD helicopter and patrol officers. Patrol units
conducted a felony traffic stop about 6 p.m and arrested the driver of the van.
The van was towed to HPD custody and the suspect's wife and children were
transported to the Juvenile Sex Crimes office as material witnesses. Once
there, investigators obtained a statement from the suspect's wife in which she
implicated her husband in the June 4 incident and led investigators to recover
a bracelet taken from the victim in this case. The suspect confessed and
investigators are now trying to determine if he has been involved in other
offenses.
The boy and his eight-year-old cousin were leaving the Dollar General Store
about 3:25 p.m. when they met the suspect in the parking lot. The suspect told
the boys he could not speak English and needed someone to order food for him at
the McDonald's restaurant across the street. The children agreed to go with the
suspect and got into his van. The suspect gave the younger boy money and sent
him into the restaurant to order the food. He then drove away with the
12-year-old in his vehicle. The suspect drove to a secluded area, had the
victim disrobe, and then forcibly sexually assaulted him. After the assault,
the suspect dropped off the victim at a restaurant on Monroe at the Gulf
Freeway. The victim then started walking and got a ride back to his home from a
Good Samaritan. The younger boy, after discovering the van and his cousin
missing from the parking lot, walked home and told his parents what had
happened. The parents called police.
(The above was published in the Houston Chronicle.)
Officer Ruiz was presented
a plaque in appreciation of her twelve years of service to the community, with
seven years as a child sex-offender investigator.
Speaker: Ray Semko
The Diceman; Defense Security Service
Topic: “Counterintelligence Awareness in an Age of
Terror and Uncertainty”
Mr. Semko has 35 years of government security and counterespionage experience and travels all over the world to raise awareness of the threats to our National Security and the value of Operational Security to counter these threats. He uses the subliminal method of associating a pair of dice in his presentation with his message (Defensive Information to Counter Espionage). Mr. Semko’s visit is arranged and sponsored by the Houston FBI Office.
This country has the best security policies and procedures in history, yet our collective attitude towards security is poor. As professionals, we need to stop apologizing for being in security and recruit more young people into the profession. Education is the key to providing a safe future, because “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
In the early 90’s, we all felt there was no longer a security threat; the Berlin Wall was down, Russia had collapsed and it was the end of the Cold War. Our government downsized defenses and military and as a result, our enemies can now attack us more successfully. A 17th century quote still rings true: “Education is the cheapest form of security”.
As a people, we are easily influenced and require motivation. We are best at reacting, rather than being proactive. Mr. Semko wore a bright red blazer and wears his hair in a pony tail, commenting that he dresses uniquely to prove the point that you can’t judge a book by its cover. No one would guess his profession. You don’t really know people. “Bad people” are usually “nice people”. They certainly can’t abstract information covertly from their target unless they are friendly. Mr. Semko then demonstrated how easily it is to befriend someone and catch them off-guard. Sexual innuendo and entrapment are two frequent methods.
Eighty countries maintain diplomatic offices in Houston. Each one of them is collecting information. There is a critical need to prepare our employees before allowing them to go overseas. They need to know cultural issues and be aware of being placed in a compromising position either with a beautiful woman or alcohol/drugs. The enemy’s job, even from American competitors, is to find your weakest link. As Americans, we put everything out in the open, especially our technology. Technology and R&D are the greatest targets. If they can be duplicated or destroyed, the enemy can bring us down as the superpower.
War after war, communications are breached. The enemy is listening to our cell phones, our emails, our letters, and our media. Divide and conquer: anything that is said that is not pro-troops helps the enemy; just like Vietnam. Madeline Albright stated “If you are not professional about security, you are a failure”.
We need to protect what we have. We need to regain our integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is looking. We all need to live by the rules and educating your employees to protect your intellectual property helps them to protect your company.
o To believe is very dull
o To doubt is intensely energizing
o To be on the alert is to live
o To be lulled into security is to die
In summary: constant vigilance is the price of freedom. Be the “difference-maker”.
Mr. Semko was awarded a plaque in appreciation of his time and presentation to our Chapter.
He will be doing a presentation at the National Conference in Orlando on 9/14 at 13:30.
Our next meeting is on September 28. Our speaker is Don Walker, Chairman of Securitas Security Services USA, Inc.