Just exactly what does your organization do?
For more than 25 years, Assault Prevention has helped individuals, groups, and organizations proactively plan for successful mitigation of unexpected violence and emergencies – and as a result, bring about a sense of control to their daily lives. We provide the following services to individuals, companies, communities, and organizations:

• Professional Consultation.
• Certified Instruction, Training, and Coursework.
• Validated Vulnerability Assessments.
• Violence Prediction.
• Victim Support.

Since 1980, Assault Prevention has educated the public about personal safety issues. Nearly 20 years ago, we expanded our services to include individual and group consultation and instruction including personal safety, self defense and awareness training; vulnerability assessment of physical facilities, intellectual property, and key personnel; and presentation of local, national, and global trend research and analysis.

Our clients range from individuals to corporate groups, communities, and non-profit organizations: some of whom have experienced violence or have recognized their vulnerability. Some of our clients have been lucky so far but want to be proactive about protecting themselves and those around them. Our highly trained staff tailors each assessment or training session to the individuals or group’s needs, ensuring they educate and empower people in the most relevant ways.

The Assault Prevention team includes a wide range of experts who have experience dealing with real-life violence, as they have been professionally involved in violence through their careers in military, law enforcement, corrections, private security, and executive protection. They have studied extensively and received certifications in use of force, firearms, vulnerability assessment, threat assessment, forensic psychology, behavioral characteristics, interpersonal communications, emergency planning and preparedness, instructional theory, and executive protection.

What is the Science of Safety?
The Science of Safety is the foundation of Assault Prevention. We created this concept (SOS) to differentiate ourselves from others in our field.

Traditionally, people who are interested in information related to personal safety and security turn to the field often referred to as the safety or security industry. This field has served multiple purposes for many years. However, the industry as we know it has a checkered reputation. This industry hosts bodyguards, private uniform security guards, defense contractors, executive protection agents, retail theft specialists, and a variety of self-defense, tactical, and security instructors. Unfortunately, it has become very difficult to differentiate the credibility and quality of these people. Most of these entities would much rather sell you their on-going services than teach you appropriate principles you can apply and carry forward on your own.

We have reached a point in research and technology where we can be reasonably certain of the outcome of many variables; hence the Science of Safety.

• For example, we know from years of research that 85% or more of self-defense shootings occur in low light or darkness. We find it rather remarkable that many states do not require low-light shooting as part of their qualification test for civilians to obtain their permit to carry a handgun.
• Additionally, we know the statistical probability of pointing a firearm at someone, much less pulling the trigger, is highly unlikely. It is much more likely a person might have to apply force using their hands against an adversary who attacks. Why then, all the media emphasis on handguns and carry permits? We do believe in preparing for the worst case scenario, but our focus is on what is more likely rather than the improbable.
• We know that there are assessments available in which, if appropriately trained, a lay person will have just as much success as a mental health professional in determining the likelihood of violence. Why don’t Human Resource Departments use these assessments?

These are just several indicators the traditional safety and security industry is out of step with the realities of research and is disconnected from real life. This is our driving motivation; to present relevant, realistic and practical information.

All of our services are built upon years of respectable research in the areas we provide services including violence, human behavior, science, physics, learning theory and common sense.

What is your overall value added proposition to a community or organization?
Much violence is preventable and avoidable. Some violence is predictable. We help clients identify their critical assets and assess where they appear to be most vulnerable. We then identify real risk and provide recommendations and resources to respond with an appropriate reaction and a proactive plan.

Vulnerability Assessments can be relatively simple and inexpensive or complex and expensive depending what is discovered in the initial stages of the assessment. We prefer to have the opportunity to become familiar with your specific needs in order to assess real risk. To accomplish this, we need to spend time with you.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for. Yet, we are sensitive to budgets and the need for cost effectiveness. We make every attempt to keep your costs down, but we do not sacrifice quality in doing so. For all assessments, we provide a free initial consultation; in order determine the complexity of the issues.

We also provide several core courses for everyone in order to reduce their personal safety risk through appropriate self defense training.

Finally, all of our courses can be modified and are available for presentation in a public speaking or seminar format. These are also great perks for company employees. Our courses include:

• Assault Prevention Seminar
• Personal Protection Course
• Basic Handgun Safety & Self Defense
• Tactical Handgun
• Executive Safety

What are some the key things you look for when assessing an organization?

Are there identifiable assets, which if seriously degraded, compromised or destroyed, would threaten the mission of the organization?

Our Assessors have been trained by some of the top defense experts in the world. We offer vulnerability assessments to a wide range of clients, including municipalities, corporations, agencies, groups, organizations, communities, institutions, individuals, and families.

These assessments determine, using our strategic proprietary formula, what assets are of critical value to the mission of the organization. These are assets which if destroyed, compromised, or otherwise degraded, would seriously jeopardize the organization’s mission. Once we determine those assets, we conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment of probable threats and risks to those assets.

An organization’s specific assets may include a person, a thing, a place, or a procedure. Examples include:

• A municipality that desires security plans for critical assets.
• A corporation whose vision and mission may be compromised by vulnerabilities to their critical assets.
• An agency or corporation that has a person of such value that if he or she were kidnapped or attacked the agency or corporation would suffer serious setback.
• A gated community desiring an effective screening process for anyone who enters or an effective neighborhood response to an emergency.
• The physical location of documents or critical information that, if stolen or destroyed, would throw the organization into chaos.
• An institution that has a significant history of problem employees who have caused damage and as a result that institution may be interested in methods of effectively screening potential employees.
• An organization that, because of its geopolitical presence in the world or demographic location of its facility, desires basic safety measures at its location and safety awareness tactics for its employees.
• A corporation or agency that is exposed to a greater risk of violence due to present geo-political circumstances, such as media outlets, churches, financial institutions, and major events involved in capitalism, free speech, or religion.
• Major public events that require a security plan.

Are you certified by any sort of agency?
We are certified specialists in the field.
Bonded and insured.

How many employees do you have?
AP has a staff of 7 principals and 15 consultants that are experts in various areas of the Science of Safety. Additionally, we have strategic partnerships with several companies whose expertise includes private investigation, traditional uniform and plainclothes security.

What are your sales revenues?
We’re a privately held company, and do not disclose financial information. However, we can tell you that there has never been greater market demand for our services than there is today.

How much do you charge for your services?
Fees are dependent on the complexity of services so we can’t quote a fee without further analysis. However, we provide a high return on your investment. Our goal is to educate our clients and make knowledge transfer a significant part of our overall plan.

What all is included in the fee?
Using an objective manner, we estimate the likelihood of attack or security breach as well as the likelihood of an accompanying economic loss, loss of life, and/or loss of mission. After conducting this thorough assessment, we then submit a plan with our recommendations; which include details on your vulnerabilities, suggestions for various layers and levels of protection, and resources to act upon our recommendations, such as certified training, class materials, hardware and technology, or personnel.

Do you have public sector experience?
Please see below.

What are some of your case studies?

Client Name: Mega-Church
Industry Sector: Non-profit
Size of the organization: 10,000
Top 3 issues identified: Mission, Identified Critical Assets, Vulnerabilities
Proposed Solutions: Training (Courses), Aggressive Recruitment of Appropriate Personnel
Length of Assessment: Long term relationship: 4 years

Client Name: Minnesota Department of Corrections
Industry Sector: Government
Size of the organization: Unknown
Top 3 issues identified: Identify Use of Force Issues in Field Personnel, Legal Liability, Training Model
Proposed Solutions: Training (Courses)
Length of Assessment: Long term relationship: 5 years

Client Name: Mega-Church
Industry Sector: Non-profit
Size of the organization: 13,000
Top 3 issues identified: Mission, Identified Critical Assets, Vulnerabilities
Proposed Solutions: Training (Courses), Hardware, Personnel
Length of Assessment: 6 months

Client Name: Gubernatorial Candidate
Industry Sector: Private – gubernatorial candidate
Size of the organization: 10
Top 3 issues identified: Threat Assessment, Vulnerabilities, Violence Probability Prediction
Proposed Solutions: Training, Hardware, Personnel
Length of Assessment: 1 month

Client Name: CEO / Industry Sector: Privately held business owner
Size of the organization: 300
Top 3 issues identified: Threat Assessment, Vulnerabilities, Violence Probability Prediction
Proposed Solutions: Executive Protection, Hardware, Personnel
Length of Assessment: 4 months

Client Name: Illinois - County Probation & Parole Department
Industry Sector: Government
Size of the organization: unknown
Top 3 issues identified: Identify Safety Issues of Officers, Vulnerabilities, Training Needs
Proposed Solutions: Training, Equipment, Working Model of Assessing Violence in Offenders
Length of Assessment: 2 months

Who are some of your past clients?
National Institute of Corrections
Minnesota Department of Corrections
Minnesota State Legislature
OSHA Violence in the Workplace Committee
U. S. Federal Probation Services
Minnesota Corrections Association
Maricopa County, AZ, Probation and Parole
Massachusetts Probation Service
Minneapolis Police Department/ MAVI
Minnesota Department of Corrections Intensive Supervision
Hennepin County Community Corrections
Minneapolis Anti-Violence Initiative
Multiple County Court Services
Multiple Residential Treatment Centers
Multiple Community Corrections Departments
Multiple Public, Private & Government Safety Committees
Multiple Sheriff’s & Police Departments
Multiple Correctional Facilities
Multiple Social Work Agencies
Multiple Professional Field Work Organizations
Multiple Churches and Synagogues
Mega-Churches
Gubernatorial candidates
Military Officials
Business Executives
Celebrity VIP’s
Private civilians