Why is robbery on the increase?

Why is robbery on the increase? Robbery is the taking or attempting to take something of value from another person by threats of violence or by violence itself. Robbery can be committed against an individual person, an organization like a bank or even businesses. Robbery is a felony in all states of the world. There are two kinds of robberies which have been happening in our organization namely: Violent robbery where one uses weapons and aggravated robbery (use of toy pistols) where one uses a very deadly weapon or an imitation of a deadly weapon. It is with great concern that the company has continued to loose a lot of its assets and employees through robbery and it is therefore with this concern in mind that we have to set out the ways to minimize this vice. Our Company lost three employees and close to 30000 dollars last year as a result of robbery with violence. It is therefore in this accord that I decided to consult a lot of organizations and stakeholders in the security sector to get the possible advice of how we can be able to reduce this vice. Among the people I consulted are the Police units of this country and the various prominent security companies in this nation. I got the relevant information which I do wholly believe will be of help to our organization. My report has dealt with the initial definition of the term Robbery and I have outlined the objectives of my report. The findings and outcomes of my research have also been addressed as well as the very sensitive places/areas we need to direct our security manpower to. Lastly I have given crucial recommendations which I hope the top management of our company will adopt and lastly, I have given my personal reflection towards the whole topic of robbery. Findings and outcomes: It was noted that in order to reduce armed robberies in our organization, we should be able to train our staff with some of the best procedures which can help us reduce them. It was noted that people who handle cash should observe the following: Cash handling: Large amounts of cash should not be kept in hand and that our organization should only keep minimal cash on the premises. Conspicuous bags should always be used instead of the bank bags when carrying cash. The staff involved should always be on the alert when carrying cash. Cash should never be left lying around and it should never be counted in view of the public. Cash handling procedures should never be discussed in public. Office precautions: For us to help reduce the risk of armed robberies in our premises, I propose that: Staff should always be on the lookout for suspicious activities near our premises. The description of suspicious people and the registration of vehicles should be noted and the police informed immediately. The windows and doors at the rear of our organization should always be secured with bars and deadlocks. Electronic beepers and other security devices should be put in place to indicate when our staff are entering or leaving the business when we are open for business. The office frontage should always be uncluttered to give a clear view of the street the service area should also be placed in the street frontage. A silent alarm should be connected to a security Company or the police so that it can be activated from near our cash drawers or registers. Security cameras should also be installed so that offenders can be photographed while committing the armed robbery. Victims of robbery with violence: If one of our staff fall a victim of an armed robbery, then it is my advice that you remain calm. In any case the armed robbery is being committed; useful information such as the description of the offenders and vehicles can help in the early arrest of the offenders. However, the following should be remembered: Dont be heroic by putting your life in danger. No amount of cash is worthy a life lost. Always obey the offenders instructions and do what they tell you to do and nothing else. Dont volunteer to give any information. Always avoid eye contact with offenders and their weapons and instead concentrate on the features of the offenders. If you are not directly involved, stay out of danger by leaving the building safely and raising an alarm. A victim should be deliberate in his/her actions. Lower denomination notes should he handed to the offenders if you are ordered to hand over money, but ones safety should always be considered first. If one of you or another responsible member of staff is able, the police emergency number should be phoned immediately and the line kept open. The registration number, type and color of the vehicles used in the robbery should be carefully observed. Minor details assist the police in faster apprehension of the culprits. Physical appearance details such as age, height, build and hair color should be well noted and behavioral details like mannerisms, speech, clothing, tattoos and scars should be considered. The type of weapon used, the method and direction of escape should also be noted. All witnesses should be requested to stay until the police come since they will want to speak to them. Assure them that their evidence could be of importance when put together with other evidence and dont allow witnesses to talk about the incident. Victims of armed robbery suffer from trauma and therefore the organization should seek professional victim liaison officers to provide advice in contacting required agencies. Preventive techniques that should be implemented to prevent armed robbery: Armed robbery is one of the most potentially serious offenses committed all over the world. It is therefore important that organizations including ours must try by all means to prevent these robberies. To be able to do this, the following opening and closing procedures should always be observed: Two employees should be present during the opening and closing of the premises. When opening the premise, thorough inspection should be done to detect any signs of forcible entry before anyone enters the business. At closing time, the security officers should ensure that nobody is hiding in the business or loitering inside the compound prior to leaving the business. A well maintained and light interior and exterior should always be place. Security measures which allow the workers to have a complete view of the environment such as elevated vantage points, convex mirrors and the placement of the customer service and cash area should be visible the counter or work area should be regularly cleaned to remove old fingerprints. Make public the point that the organization uses good cash protection skills and uses very high security surveillance machines. Employees should be trained to report and watch for suspicious people outside and inside the organization. Police should be called if the employees are worried about a potential risk. Lunch hours and breaks should always be varied so that some employees are always visible in the organization. Our organization should cut back and maintain trees and shrubbery which criminals could use to hide. Employees should be informed to ask for identification from repair people, workers, guards e.t.c before they are allowed to enter into restricted areas. Our organization should consider having an automatic silent alarm system with a panic alarm system. Our organization should consider using doors that lock automatically upon closing in the secure areas. Drop or delay action time lock safe that use a dual key should be used by our organization. Use of greater criminal prosecution in Robbery cases: We as an organization wholly believe that criminal prosecution is a very effective tool in dealing with the robbery with violence cases. We also strongly believe that by enforcing greater criminal prosecution for suspected robbery suspects, we shall be demonstrating the societys opprobrium of a very offensive character in way that some methods cannot. Greater criminal prosecution should be used so as to set criminalization far apart from the regulatory sanctions which if set properly can be able to deter and punish criminals rather than deterrence and penalty. However, practical and circumstantial use of greater criminal prosecution cannot always be the best for our organization and it can lead limit its effectiveness as an instrument for solving regulatory crimes because: It always inhibits the use of more flexible and alternative sanctions. It will brand our organization with criminality when circumstances leading to these prosecutions may not be of direct consequence of our actions. It always takes a long time to come to the courts and the respondent concerned may at last be acquitted. Use of greater criminal prosecution will always fail to correct the damage already caused by that offence. It may result in the high cost in relation to the proper penalty for the offender. RECOMMENDATIONS: I highly recommend that the top management should be holding security meetings with all the employees and inform them that the security of our organization is paramount to everything else. We therefore recommend that all our staff should be taken through all the necessary security trainings so that they can be informed that the security of an organization does not entirely depend on the security personnel alone but on everyone. I will recommend that the top management to allocate a certain percentage of the income in this financial year so that sophisticated security systems and cameras are purchased and installed in the organization. This will ensure that possible robbery threats in our organization are dealt with. My personal Reflection: I have personally heard many friends tell me about how their houses, organizations, businesses have robbed and the associated trauma they have suffered as a result of this robbery. In some instances, many victims have lived to tell the story but in some other unfortunate incidences, the victims have fallen victims of this inhuman behaviour and thereby succumbed to death. I personally tried to interview some security personnel and at most times, most of them have blankly told me that their companies are seldom well equipped to deal with the robbers. They claim the top management is very uncooperative as far as security concerns are concerned. I therefore realized that the loss of assets and human life could be tremendously reduced if all the stakeholders in an organization worked as a team and put in strong security mechanisms to deter robbery with violence. I could therefore like to urge everyone everywhere to realize that security doesnt involve the security personnel or the police alone but is a collective responsibility for each and every individual. We must all join hands towards the prevention of robbery.

‘Miss Brill’ by Katherine Mansfield Essay

The short story ‘Miss Brill’ written in 1922 by Katherine Mansfield revolves around an elderly woman named Miss Brill. This particular short story is deeply influenced by Mansfield’s private life. Miss Brill is an unmarried, older English woman who lives by herself in a tiny apartment in France. She teaches English to students in France and reads the newspaper several times a week to an elderly man. The story is a reflection of Miss Brill’s inner conflicts, feelings of estrangement, loneliness and deep desire to be an important person. The old woman in the story wants very badly to belong to a family or a group. So every Sunday she goes to a seaside park, listens to the conversations of strangers and hears the band play. Her park visits help her in coping with her loneliness and provide her with much enjoyment. She sits on a special bench every week and listens to the conversations of others. While she listens to strangers she feels included and part of their lives. She experiences a sense of communion with the strangers in the park and imagines being a family member of the band. In this way, her rose colored glasses protect her from her lonely existence and empty life. Everything in the park is in great contrast to her actual life. The park for her is an alternate reality where she plays the part of an actress on a great stage. In reality, she is no longer important to anyone. However, in the park as an actress, her mere absence would cause great dismay to others. Her living conditions are gloomy and dark but the park that she visits is bright, sunny and filled with happiness. Her fur stole also becomes a dear pet when she visits the park. She attributes feelings and personality to the inanimate fur. She calls it her â€Å"little rogue!† and often strokes it affectionately. Another indicator of skewed reality is the fact that Miss Brill forgets that she herself is an old, odd, silent woman who had just come out of a dark room. She puts other elder people who also visit the park every Sunday in this category but not herself. By using these defenses she feels included, important and connected to other people around her. She fools herself into believing that she has a deep purpose in life. She has unintentionally set herself up to be hurt by reality. On one particular Sunday all her illusions are shattered. She is forced to understand her self-deception.   While looking at strangers, she sees an elderly woman with a fur hat. Miss Brill can identify with this other elderly woman. She sees the other woman being met by a gentleman. Like her lonely self, the other woman is also quite excited by new company.   The man pays no attention to her and instead rudely puffs into the other woman’s face. The man walks away but leaves the other woman humiliated. Miss Brill empathizes with the other woman and feels he has hurt both women equally. She quickly puts herself in her actress mode to avoid hurt and continues listening to others. She starts paying attention to the conversation of a young couple seated besides her.   The young man callously refers to her as â€Å"that stupid old thing†. He questions why the old lady comes to the park and why she strokes her stole. Instantaneously, her world of self deception is completely shattered. She finally understands that she is neither an actress on a stage nor an important part of this crowd. She has no choice but to return to her little apartment or her dark cupboard like room. This particular Sunday she does not stop by the bakers on her way back home. She feels no need to buy herself her usual slice of honey cake. She realizes that her coping mechanisms cannot help her cope with reality forever. At last, the young man’s rude remarks had woken her up from her happy dream into her nightmarish reality.

A Comparison Between ‘Requiem For The croppies’ And ‘The Tollund Man’, both by Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heany is a poet, born in Northern Ireland in 1939. He currently divides his time between his home in Dublin and Harvard University, where he is ‘Emerson poet in residence'. Heaney's poems are rarely political but two poems which comment indirectly on sectarian violence are ‘Requiem For The Croppies'- written in 1966, and ‘The Tollund Man' which was published in 1972. Each poem is inspired by the past but is revolving to the recent troubles. Heaney was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize for Literature' in 1995. ‘Requiem For The Croppies' was written in 1966 to mark the anniversary of the Easter rising (the Easter rising refers to a rebellion against the British by the catholic Irish which brought about the civil war.). The poem tells of an earlier rebellion of the Irish against the protestant British in 1798 and how this rebellion can be linked to the Easter rising and current sectarian violence in Ireland. Heany writes the poem in the first person, as if he were one of the croppies; a peasant youth rebelling against the protestant British who are running catholic Ireland. ‘The Tollund Man' is another of Heaney's poems in which he comments indirectly on the sectarian violence in Ireland. This poem was written after Heaney was inspired by a book by P.V Glob which features recently discovered two-thousand year old bodies, which had been perfectly preserved in a peat bog in Denmark. This poem opens with the poet, Heany, saying how he would like to visit the body of ‘The Tollund Man' at a museum in Aarhus, Denmark; something he actually did in 1973. ‘Requiem For The Croppies' opens with the lines: ‘The pockets of our greatcoats full of barley – No kitchens on the run, no striking camp- We moved quick and sudden in our own country', This refers to how the croppies, a small unprepared army of catholic Irish citizens, marched across a land they believed to have been theirs. These lines describe how the croppies filled their pockets with barley for food as they had no travelling kitchen or organised meal arrangements. The poem tells how war is a great equaliser among men. In 1798, classes rarely mingled with each other, however, these men are all fighting for the same cause and so see each other as equals and sleep together, as told in line four: ‘The priest lay behind ditches with the tramp'. The fact that a priest is fighting the war also gave the Catholics moral legitimacy. The croppies appeared as hikers to passing folk, they did not march as it was an informal undisciplined army. The croppies had small victories fuelled by spontaneity The word ‘until' shows the sudden pivot of luck in the croppies tale; the rebels were slain on the Vinegar Hill in what Heaney described as ‘the fatal conclave'. ‘Terraced thousands died, shaking scythes at cannon. The hillside blushed, soaked in our broken wave.' These lines describe just how pathetic the weapons of the rebels were compared to those of the British. The Irish rebels had scythes to defend themselves in battle, which were generally no match for a prepared army with cannons. And so, the rebels, fighting in rows side-by-side (like terraces), were slaughtered. The idea of the ‘blushing' hillside, gives the idea of how blood was spilt on the land and giving it the red, ‘blushing' appearance. The croppies were buried without ‘shroud or coffin'; this explains how the croppies were given a mass burial with no ceremony or funeral rites which is very important to the catholic religion. ‘The barley grew up out of the grave. This line has a lot of meaning in the poem, the croppies were buried in the clothing they wore and the barley from their coats literally took root and grew, this implies that you can defeat an army but the spirit of resistance lives on. ‘The Tollund Man' is divided into three parts. The first part of the poem opens with: ‘Some day I will go to Aarhus To see his peat-brown head, The mild pods of his eyelids, His pointed skin cap. This first verse expresses Heaney's wish to visit the Tollund man in Aarhus, Denmark, he has only seen photographs of the body and wants to see it in person. Heany describes the ‘Tollund man' as having a ‘peat-brown head' this is because when the body was discovered the skin was stained brown from the peat. The ‘mild pods of his eyelids' refers to just how well the body had been preserved (the Tollund man still had his hair, teeth and eyes, as well as the contents of his stomach, perfectly preserved (‘the last gruel of winter seeds caked in his stomach)). Heaney then says how he would stand in awe of the body, full of reverence, if he were able to visit it (I will stand a long time, bridegroom to the goddess'). In the fourth verse of the first section Heaney describes the Tollund Man's death quite sexually; ‘She tightened her torc on him, And opened her fen, Those dark juices working him To a saints kept body' This is Heaney's way of describing the Tollund man's execution (a sacrificial ritual to the pagan god of fertility, Nerthus). The Tollund Man's neck was broken in a vice (tightening the torc) and he was buried in the peat bog (‘opened her fen') where he sank deeper into the peat to be preserved perfectly for two thousand years (‘those dark juices working him to a saint's kept body). The final verse closes with Heany commenting on how valuable the find was to the archaeologists and now the mud stained face ‘reposes' at Aarhus. Part two of this poem is about four catholic brothers who were ambushed by protestant men. The brothers were tied to the back of a train and dragged to their death over several miles of train line, parts of their bodies were found up and down the line including teeth and patches of skin. Heany says that if it were possible to bring the brothers back to life by risking blasphemy and praying to the Tollund man, then he would do so. The third section of this poem discusses Heaney's journey to Aarhus. He will feel estranged because of ‘language barriers' but at home because he can link the death of the Tollund Man to the deaths of people in his homeland, both die for their religion. ‘Requiem for the croppies' is in Miltonic sonnet format, it comprises of fourteen lines in an octave plus sestet format. The poem also features a complex rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD EFEFEF. The dashes on the third line regarding the croppies' feeding habits add parenthesis (conversation aside). Heany uses a few metaphors (e.g. ‘terraced thousands' ‘hillside blushed') to add imagery to this piece of writing and the antithesis of ‘shaking scythes at cannon' is a good contrast to use when comparing the weak to the strong. ‘The Tollund Man' is written in a conversational tone and comprises of several quatrains per section and it has no rhyme scheme. The poem uses metaphors to describe the shape of the eyes; ‘pods' allows the reader to visualise a thin layer containing some sort of round object e.g. a pea pod. The paradox ‘unhappy and at home' is an ironic paradox relating to his how he has become accustomed to killing around him yet it still makes him sad to know it is going on. The oxymoron ‘sad freedom' is ironic because you wouldn't tend to use two words which involve opposite emotions to be next to each other in descriptive writing. I prefer ‘Requiem for the Croppies' because I find it more dramatic and moving. The pivot in the story adds a thrill to the tale and it is not as long and cryptic as ‘The Tollund Man'.

Conversation Topics for College Office Hours

Its no secret: college professors can be intimidating. After all, theyre super smart and in charge of your education—not to mention your grades. That being said, of course, college professors can also be really interesting, really engaging people. Your professors likely encourage you to come speak with them during office hours. And you may, in fact, have a question or two youd like to ask. If youd like a few additional topics to have on hand for your conversation, consider any of the following  things to talk to your professor about: Your Current Class If youre currently taking a class with a professor, you can easily talk about the class. What do you like about it? What do you find really interesting and engaging? What do the other students like about it? What recently happened in class that youd like more information on, that you found helpful, or that was just plain funny? An Upcoming Class If your professor is teaching a class next semester or next year that youre interested in, you can easily talk about it. You can ask about the reading load, what kinds of topics will be covered, what expectations the professor has for the class and for students taking the class, and even what the syllabus will look like. A Previous Class You Really Enjoyed Theres nothing wrong with talking to a professor about a previous class you took with him or her that you really enjoyed. You can talk about what specifically you found interesting and ask if your professor can suggest other classes or supplemental reading so that you can pursue your interests further. Graduate School Options If youre thinking about graduate school—even just a tiny bit—your professors can be great resources for you. They can talk to you about different programs of study, what youre interested in, what graduate schools would be a good match for your interests, and even what life as a graduate student is like. Employment Ideas It could be that you absolutely love botany but have no idea what you can do with a botany degree once you graduate. A professor can be a great person to talk to about your options (in addition to the career center, of course). Additionally, they may know of internships, job opportunities, or professional contacts that can help you along the way. Anything Covered in Class That You Loved If you recently went over a topic or theory in class that you absolutely loved, mention it to your professor! It will undoubtedly be rewarding for him or her to hear about, and you can find out more about a topic you didnt know youd love. Anything Youre Struggling With in Class Your professor can be a great—if not the best—resource for getting clarity or more information about something youre struggling with. Additionally, a one-on-one conversation with your professor can provide you with an opportunity to walk through an idea and ask questions in a way that you simply cannot do in a large lecture hall. Academic Difficulties If youre facing larger academic struggles, dont be too afraid to mention it to a professor you like. He or she might have some ideas to help you out, might be able to connect you with resources on campus (like tutors or an academic support center), or just might give you a great pep talk that helps your refocus and recharge. Personal Problems That Are Impacting Your Academics While professors arent counselors, its still important for you to let them know about any personal problems youre facing that might be having an effect on your academics. If someone in your family is very sick, for example, or if youre financially struggling because of an unexpected change in financial status, it might be helpful for your professor to know. Additionally, it can be wise to mention these kinds of situations to your professor when they first appear instead of when they become a problem. How Current Events Connect With the Course Material Many times, the material(s) covered in class are large theories and concepts that dont always seem like they connect to your day-to-day life. In reality, however, they often do. Feel free to talk with your professor about current events and how they might connect to what youre learning in class. A Letter of Recommendation If youre doing well in class and you think your professor likes and respects your work, consider  asking your professor for a letter of recommendation  if you need one. Letters of recommendation that have been written by professors can be especially helpful when youre applying for certain types of internships or even graduate school or research opportunities. Study Tips It can be all too easy to forget that professors were once undergraduate students, too. And just like you, they likely had to learn  how to study at the college level. If youre struggling with study skills, talk to your professor about what theyd recommend. This can be an especially helpful and important conversation to have before an important midterm or final, too. Resources on Campus That Can Help Academically Even if your professor wants to help you more, he or she might simply not have the time. Consider, then, asking your professor about other academic support resources that you can use, like a specific upper-class or graduate-level student whos a great tutor or a great TA who offers extra study sessions. Scholarship Opportunities Your professor undoubtedly receives regular mailings and emails about scholarship opportunities for students interested in certain academic fields. Consequently, checking in with your professors about any scholarship opportunities they know about might easily result in some helpful leads that you might otherwise not find out about. Jop Opportunities True, the career center and your own professional network can be your main sources of job leads. But professors can also be a great resource to tap into. Make an appointment with your professor to talk generally about your job hopes or options as well as what connections your professor might know about. You never know what former students they still keep in touch with, what organizations they volunteer with, or what other connections they may have to offer. Dont let your nervousness about talking with your professors disconnect you from what could be a great future job!