Case Reports
- A security screening system in a Detroit hospital included stationary metal detectors supplemented by hand-held units. The system prevented the entry of 33 handguns, 1,324 knives, and 97 mace-type sprays during a 6-month period.
- A violence reporting program in the Portland, Oregon, VA Medical Center identified patients with a history of violence in a computerized database. The program helped reduce the number of all violent attacks by almost 92% by alerting staff to take additional safety measures when serving these patients.
- A system restricting movement of visitors in a New York City hospital used identification badges and color-coded passes to limit each visitor to a specific floor. The hospital also enforced the limit of two visitors at a time per patient. In 18 months, these actions reduced the number of reported violent crimes by 65%.