Insights Archive
Tailored Safety Solutions for Campuses and Classrooms
Creating a safe and welcoming environment is essential for any educational setting. But safety isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Schools and campuses face unique challenges—and opportunities—when it comes to fostering trust, well-being, and security for students, faculty, and staff.
At 21CP Solutions, we provide tailored services that respect and enhance the educational environment, whether it’s for K-12 or higher education. Our work helps campuses strengthen public safety while building deeper connections with the communities they serve.
What We Offer for Higher Education:
Comprehensive Campus Safety Assessments. We’ve evaluated numerous campus police departments and safety organizations, providing actionable, community-informed recommendations to improve safety and foster a stronger sense of belonging on campus.
Community and Public Safety Climate Assessments. We conduct in-depth evaluations of both campus police operations and the broader campus community’s experiences with safety and well-being, ensuring that our guidance is rooted in lived experiences, diverse perspectives, and institutional history.
Support for Campus-Driven Safety Initiatives. From advising on police reform efforts to supporting campus-led safety projects, we provide technical expertise to help university leaders, students, faculty, and staff enhance public safety services and accountability.
Integrated Safety Frameworks. Many campuses offer safety-related resources beyond traditional policing, including mental health services, crisis response, and student support. We help universities create dynamic, integrated safety systems that better align and coordinate these resources.
Campus Safety Staffing Studies. Determining the optimal number and type of safety personnel is critical. We analyze campus needs, call volume, and current staffing to help leaders plan for future personnel requirements in a thoughtful, data-driven way.
Strategic Counsel for Campus Safety Leaders. Whether it’s navigating a critical incident, adopting new safety approaches, or managing daily operational challenges, we provide ongoing strategic guidance and technical support to campus police and public safety leaders.
What We Offer for K-12:
School Safety Assessments We conduct thorough reviews of school safety programs and school-based law enforcement operations, offering actionable, community-informed recommendations to improve safety practices and help every student feel they belong.
Climate and Trust Assessments We assess how students, families, teachers, and school safety personnel experience safety, support, and inclusion on campus—ensuring our guidance reflects lived experiences, cultural dynamics, and the specific needs of each school community.
Support for School-Led Safety Initiatives Whether a district is rethinking the role of police in schools, launching new mental health supports, planning for critical incidents, or addressing discipline practices, we provide technical assistance to help implement fair, effective, and accountable safety solutions.
Integrated School Safety Frameworks Safety in schools involves more than security personnel. We help schools align all student support services—like counseling, behavioral health, and crisis response—into a coordinated, responsive system that meets students where they are.
School Safety Staffing Studies We help districts analyze safety and security staffing needs based on school size, incident trends, and student needs—offering data-informed insights to guide thoughtful decisions about safety personnel and resources.
Strategic Counsel for School Safety Leaders From navigating critical incidents to adopting new safety strategies, we offer ongoing guidance to principals, district leaders, and school-based law enforcement to build safer, more supportive learning environments.
At 21CP Solutions, we’re committed to helping schools and campuses create nurturing spaces where students can learn and thrive—students, faculty, and staff—feel valued and secure. Let’s work together to reimagine what safety can be.
Strategic Assessments: Modern Challenges Require Modern Solutions
In today’s dynamic public safety environment, the expectations placed on law enforcement agencies have never been higher. Communities demand transparency. Officers need support. And every interaction, from routine calls to high-stakes incidents, must reflect the professionalism, fairness, and constitutional values that define modern policing.
But meeting these expectations doesn’t happen by chance. It takes intentional effort, regular self-assessment, and a willingness to adapt.
So ask yourself: When was the last time your agency took a hard look at its policies, practices, and priorities?
At 21CP Solutions, we help law enforcement agencies evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of 21st-century policing. Our approach is community-focused, data-informed, and designed to strengthen public trust while supporting the professionals who serve.
21CP partners with agencies across the country to conduct strategic reviews and implement reforms that are practical, mission-aligned, and responsive to local needs. Whether your agency is looking to build stronger community relationships, improve officer well-being, or modernize training and policy, we bring the experience and insight to help you get there.
Today’s policing environment is complex, but it also presents an opportunity. Agencies that proactively assess their operations and invest in meaningful change are better positioned to earn community trust, retain talented officers, and ensure lasting safety and stability.
Don’t just react to change, lead it. At 21CP we will meet you where you are and help you move forward with confidence.
21CP Risk: Strengthening Security and Preserving Public Trust
In a time of rising threats against public servants and institutions, security is no longer just a matter of gates and guards—it’s a matter of public trust. Judges, elected officials, agency leaders, educators, and others who serve the public are increasingly targeted not for who they are, but for the roles they hold. These evolving risks demand not only strategic protection but also a deep understanding of the public mission at stake.
At 21CP Risk, we believe that safety and democracy are not opposing forces—they are co-dependent. Protection strategies must go hand-in-hand with transparency, accessibility, and the core values that define public service. We work with institutions and individuals to develop discreet, effective, and mission-aligned approaches to security—helping them respond to threats without retreating from their responsibilities.
What Makes 21CP Risk Different
21CP Risk brings together seasoned experts with firsthand experience safeguarding public leaders and institutions—ranging from high-profile legislators and judges to executives and educators. Our team understands that security is more than physical barriers; it is also operational, reputational, and relational. The stakes are not only about harm prevention, but also about sustaining public confidence and institutional integrity.
We serve:
Government agencies and departments charged with protecting public officials and spaces
Individual public servants and institutional leaders facing elevated risks
Courts, legislatures, universities, and schools navigating new security realities
Customized Solutions for Complex Challenges
Our services are built around the understanding that no two threats—or institutions—are alike. Whether your organization is responding to a sentinel event, rethinking its long-term approach to safety, or launching new protections for leadership and staff, we provide tailored support across a range of focus areas:
Facility and Personnel Risk Assessments
We conduct independent, expert-driven security assessments for state courts, capitols, and local government buildings. Working in collaboration with the primary law enforcement agency, we help agencies identify vulnerabilities and implement practical solutions—ensuring that public servants and staff feel safe, even without a personal security detail.
Public Meeting Security
We offer straightforward, flat-fee packages for towns, school boards, and smaller local governments seeking to improve the safety of public meetings and civic spaces. Our approach helps elected officials and law enforcement partners enhance protection for all participants—without discouraging civic participation or limiting democratic access.
Education, Briefings, and Expert Testimony
Our team provides targeted education for elected officials, staff, and their families on personal safety and risk management. We can support government agencies by presenting at the start of a legislative session or providing expert guidance to inform protocols, trainings, or testimony on safety best practices.
All-Hazards Risk Planning
We support agencies and communities in preparing for a full range of emergencies—from active shooter threats to natural disasters. Our work includes evaluating communication systems, emergency protocols, and alert infrastructure to ensure that when crises strike, life-saving actions can be taken quickly and clearly.
Sentinel Event Reviews
Following major incidents or near misses, we conduct independent, multidisciplinary reviews that identify root causes and actionable improvements. We also assist new agency leadership in reexamining past events to inform forward-looking reforms and accountability.
A Trusted Partner in a Changing World
The landscape of public service is shifting. Threats are more complex. Visibility is more constant. And the margin for error is smaller than ever. Through it all, 21CP Risk stands as a trusted partner—helping public servants and institutions protect what matters most: their people, their mission, and the trust of the communities they serve.
Hospital Security: An Urgent Call for Action
Mary Eileen Paradis has more than 40 years of experience in law enforcement, public safety, higher education, and emergency management. She most recently served as Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety for the University of Mississippi Medical Center Police Department, overseeing law enforcement, behavioral threat assessment, emergency management, and compliance functions. She joined 21CP Solutions in 2025.
In my professional life I have witnessed firsthand the persistent and alarming gaps in hospital and healthcare center security. The safety of both patients and healthcare professionals is under constant threat, and the urgency to address these vulnerabilities has never been greater. Every day, resolute staff and vulnerable individuals walk into facilities that should be sanctuaries of healing, yet too often they face risks that extend far beyond illness or injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than employees in other industries.
Current State: Security Gaps in Healthcare Settings
Many hospitals and healthcare centers lack the security infrastructure necessary to protect their occupants. Entrances and exits are rarely supervised, visitor screening is inconsistent, security personnel are insufficient in numbers, and staff members often manage aggressive situations without adequate support or training. These lapses create opportunities for serious acts of violence, putting lives in jeopardy and undermining the mission of care.
Recent Case Reference: New York Nurses Union Strike
A December 24, 2025, article in the Staten Island Advance underscores the dire conditions healthcare professionals face, when they reported that the New York State Nurses Association authorized strikes at twelve regional hospitals. While much of the public discussion of labor strikes centers on staffing and compensation, safety concerns are at the heart of many healthcare worker actions. A member of the union’s negotiating executive committee told the news outlet that the nurses’ main concern at her hospital was the lack of security, “which she said can often leave her and her colleagues at risk of becoming victims of violence.”[1] Nurses and other staff are demanding not only fair treatment but a secure environment in which to do their jobs without fear of violence.
Regulatory Update: Joint Commission Reporting Requirement
In January 2022, the Joint Commission, the non-profit organization that accredits and certifies thousands of healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S., issued standards to provide a framework to guide hospitals and other healthcare facilities in developing workplace violence prevention systems, including leadership oversight, policies and procedures, reporting systems, data collection and analysis, post-incident strategies, training, and education to decrease workplace violence. This regulatory change represented a critical step forward in acknowledging the reality of violence in healthcare settings. By requiring transparent reporting, the Joint Commission is pushing institutions to confront their weaknesses and implement effective solutions.
While this has had the impact of improving transparency and security planning for accredited healthcare facilities, there is still more to be done. And the Joint Commission recognized this, further elevating workplace violence to a "National Performance Goal," in 2026 ensuring it remains a central focus for hospital leadership.
Impact: Real-World Consequences
The consequences of inadequate security are devastating. Patients seeking care can become victims, and healthcare professionals—who are essential to our communities—have lost their lives in environments that should protect them. On Christmas Day 2025, a hospital security officer was fatally beaten by a patient attempting to flee a medical hold in Minnesota.[2] Earlier in the year the husband of a patient, upset about his wife's care, shot and killed a police officer and wounded several others in Pennsylvania.[3] These fatalities create shocking headlines, but the pervasiveness of the problem should give us all pause; a 2024 nationwide survey conducted by National Nurses United found that 81.6% of nurses had experienced at least one type of workplace violence incident.[4]
[1] Paul Liotta, "N.Y. Nurses Union Authorizes Strikes at 12 Hospitals Including One on Staten Island," Staten Island Advance, December 24, 2025, https://www.silive.com/news/2025/12/ny-nurses-union-authorizes-strikes-at-12-hospitals-including-one-on-staten-island.html
[2] "Minn. Hospital Security Officer Killed in Attack by Patient Escaping Medical Hold," EMS1, accessed January 4, 2026, https://www.ems1.com/fatal-incidents/minn-hospital-security-officer-killed-in-atack-by-patient-escaping-medical-hold
[3] "Pennsylvania UPMC Memorial Hospital Active Shooter," CNN, February 22, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/22/us/pennsylvania-upmc-memorial-hospital-active-shooter
[4] National Nurses United, High and Rising Rates of Workplace Violence and Employer Failure to Implement Effective Prevention Strategies Is Contributing to the Staffing Crisis, February 2024, https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/sites/default/files/nnu/documents/0224_Workplace_Violence_Report.pdf
Call to Action: Recommendations for Improving Security
Hospitals and healthcare leaders must prioritize security upgrades, including controlled access points, robust visitor management systems, comprehensive staff training in de-escalation, and enhanced partnerships with law enforcement. Furthermore, compliance with reporting requirements should be seen not as a burden but as an opportunity to learn, improve, and save lives. It is imperative that administrators, policymakers, and healthcare professionals work together to make safety a non-negotiable standard in every facility.
Our hospitals must become places of healing and hope, not sites of fear and tragedy. The time to act is now.
21CP Solutions Can Help
Healthcare workplace violence is preventable. It requires expertise, data-driven strategies, and a commitment to proactive security. 21CP partners with healthcare facilities to conduct comprehensive security assessments, develop evidence-based violence prevention programs, train staff in de-escalation and threat recognition, and build sustainable safety cultures that protect patients, visitors, and staff.
Don't wait for the next incident. Contact us at info@21cpsolutions.com to learn how 21CP can help your organization create a safer environment for healing.