|
President's Message
Bob Heales
| 
Dear Members,
By now I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start, and that you have managed to keep at least a few of your resolutions. Now is the time to start finalizing your plans to attend our 2014 Mid-Term Meeting and Hit the Hill event.
We will be sending registration forms soon, but I wanted to provide some basic information so you can begin shopping for air travel and make your hotel reservations. Arrival will be Sunday April 6th for most attendees. We will hold our Board of Directors Meeting on Monday April 7th, and Hit the Hill on Tuesday April 8th. We are in the early stages of planning a luncheon inside the U.S. Capitol building, a new and exciting event for NCISS thanks to our new lobbying firm, Lobbyit. More details will follow.
Sunday April 6, 2014
Arrival
Monday April 7, 2014
8:30 - 9:00 Coffee Service
9:00 - 12:00 Board Meeting
12:00 - 12:30 Working Lunch
12:30 - 3:00 Board Meeting
5:00 - 6:30 Cocktail Reception
Tuesday April 8, 2014
8:00 - 9:00 Orientation Breakfast
10:00 - 12:00 Hit the Hill Appointments
12:30 - 1:30 Luncheon
2:00 - 4:00 Hit the Hill Appointments
5:00 - 6:30 Debriefing Reception
We will be staying at the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria just across the river from Washington. There are numerous restaurants, shops, and historic venues in the immediate area. The room rate is $189 single/double. Please call 800-546-7866 for reservations.
We are excited to now be working with Paul Kanitra and the folks at Lobbyit. Effective April 1st we will be upgrading our lobbying program to include State Legislation Monitoring and will be implementing our new program SLAM...State Legislation Awareness Monitoring, as part of our SAAB or State Association Advisory Board program.
Mark your calendars now for our 39th Annual Conference September 3 - 6 at the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas. We will be implementing a new format to provide for our required business meetings and some keynote presentations with special presenters. The seminar programs of the past have been eliminated. We are aware you have ample opportunities to attend seminars through your state associations and other groups. This will allow some additional time for networking opportunities during the meeting. We also hope to schedule a more productive SAAB/SLAM meeting at this conference. Room rates are only $65 on Wednesday and Thursday, and $125 on Friday and Saturday. The Monte Carlo is right in the heart of the Strip.
Your Executive Committee will be meeting in Dallas on February 8th to discuss the business of NCISS and long term planning. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Best Regards,
Bob Heales
NCISS President
|
|
Legislative Committee Alerts and News
|
  Paul Kanitra, Legislative Advocate LobbyIt pkanitra@lobbyit.com We are in full swing of the 113th Second Congressional Session. Fortunately for those of us in the private investigation and security professions, there is much to keep our elected representatives busy. But, we cannot be lax. Bills like HR 3670, introduced in December, restricting the use of "spoofing" or the practice of disguising the display of an incoming number or text to conceal the true caller, may not impact us directly today but can be very easily amended if we don't keep a watchful eye. That is the way it often happens in Congress. When you least expect it, a bill gets modified with unintended consequences. It is a daunting job to stay on top of legislative activities. That is why we have employed Lobbyit to monitor and to represent our interests. Keith Nelson of Lobbyit and I had the pleasure of addressing the North Carolina Association of Private Investigators (NACPI) at their annual election meeting in Salisbury last week. Congratulations to second term president Greg Hatten and the rest of the newly elected board members. Particularly poignant was the fundraiser for the family of recently passed David McDougall. The association raised $1600 for Dave's family by the raffle of a rifle. What a tribute to Dave. Keith and I received a warm welcome and I suspect, based on the enthusiasm I heard about attending Hit the Hill in Washington DC, April 7-8, once again NACPI will have the highest attendance. That should absolutely be considered a challenge to the rest of us. I am really looking forward to seeing each of you in Washington DC. Be sure to save the date and make an extra effort to attend this year. You will not be sorry! Under the tutorship of Paul Kanitra, Keith Nelson and the rest of the Lobbyit staff, we will be doing things a little differently, but I will save that for later. As always, however, we will answer your questions about pending issues and address how to make the best approach to your elected representative (s). Remember, the key to any legislative effort is relationship building. To quote Keith Nelson..."Don't go into a legislative office with your hair on fire!" Once there is a critical issue, it is a little late to develop a trusting relationship. See you in April! Francie Koehler for the Legislative Committee The most important function of NCISS is to monitor and direct federal legislation. But we also play an important role in acting as a conduit for state legislative information. Be sure and check the current and past issues Legislative Alerts - click here. Here are the most recent Legislative Alerts: -- Hearing Raises Privacy Issues
Several privacy issues, including breach notification and data collection, were the raised at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade today. Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez called for legislation to establish baseline privacy requirements for businesses which collect consumer data. (http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs179/1102296473151/archive/1115868939681.html)
-- Analysis of Data Broker Oversight Hearing - Senate Commerce Committee Several privacy issues, including breach notification and data collection, were the raised at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade today. Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez called for legislation to establish baseline privacy requirements for businesses which collect consumer data. (http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs179/1102296473151/archive/1116030156243.html) -- Death Master File Incorporated Into House Budget
Language restricting access to the Death Master File (DMF) was incorporated into the budget agreement that was signed into law. The Secretary of Commerce will not disclose any information on the DMF for a period of three years following an individual's death, except to "persons" who are certified under a program, administered by Commerce. It would appear that NCISS members can, by and large, meet the conditions of subsection (A) detailed above. If this language is signed into law, NCISS will participate in the promulgation of regulations to preserve NCISS Member abilities to access the Death Master Files. ( http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs179/1102296473151/archive/1116008129067.html) Presently NCISS is watching these activities, and will keep our members and profession advised of any progress and concerns. |
|
The Report and The eReport
|
 NCISS reaches over 1100 investigators and security consultants in your national trade journal, The NCISS Report, delivered by direct mail to the agency owners who have an interest in events in Washington, D.C. The journal is mailed twice each year, approximately each spring and fall, and is also available online. We welcome contributions on investigation or security related topics of interest to our members. If you have news or an idea for an article contact the editor, Don C. Johnson, at editor@nciss.org. In the meantime, check out current and past issues at http://www.nciss.org/news-and-events/nciss-the-report.php. In an effort to make sure our members are current on news of their professions, bi-monthly an electronic bulletin, The eReport, is sent via email. If you have news or an idea for an article contact the editor, Dean A. Beers, at beersda@DeathCaseReview.com. Be sure and check the current and past issues at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs052/1102296473151/archive/1110377933456.html
|
| Your NCISS Membership Benefits |
Your benefits as a member of NCISS begin with the largest and oldest legislative advocate working for you and our investigative and security professions. This is done through strong leadership and skilled legislative committees, and a focused legislative advocate. NCISS is Your Voice.
You also enjoy the benefits of a National Membership Directory, a networking and information sharing member listserve, business and training bulletins, annual Hit the Hill, annual conference, and much more. For a quick view of your benefits, visit http://www.nciss.org/membership/membership-benefits.php
Hopefully you have been taking advantage of the Office Depot discounts you are able to enjoy as a member of NCISS. If you have not printed your card and discount code please go to http://nciss.ctcshares.com. There is no cost, significant savings, and Office Depot donates a portion of these sales to NCISS as a non-profit!
Our resident webmaster, Roy Bucklin, has just posted the latest discount offerings, and a 15% coupon for your first order, at http://www.nciss.org/membership/membership-benefits.php
page. I have also attached these and here are the direct links:
Read the Office Depot Best Value list for Members Only
and
Download 15% New Member Coupon
Please take advantage of these, and other benefits, that NCISS offers with your membership.
|
|
Brownyard Programs - Endorsed Insurance Provider
|
NCISS ENORSED INSURANCE PROGRAMS
NCISS PI INSURANCE PLAN - Provides General & Professional Liability Insurance to private investigation agencies with up to 25 investigators. The insurance policy's limits of liability are $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate and includes: Assault & Battery, False Arrest, Libel/Slander, Invasion of Privacy, Vicarious Liability, Errors & Omissions, Contractual Liability, Independent Contractors and Additional Insured coverage. The policy is underwritten by the Lexington Insurance Company, which is the largest specialty insurer in the U.S. with over $5 Billion in policyholder surplus and A (Excellent) rated in Best's Key Rating Guide. The minimum annual premium for this policy is $750 + tax.
NCISS GUARD INSURANCE PLAN - Provides General & Professional Liability Insurance to security guard companies with less than $1,000,000 in annual revenues. The insurance policy's limits of liability are $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate and includes: Assault & Battery, False Arrest, Vicarious Liability for intentional/criminal acts committed by guards, Errors & Omissions, Contractual Liability, Independent Contractors and Additional Insured coverage. The policy is underwritten by the Lexington Insurance Company, which is the largest specialty insurer in the U.S. with over $5 Billion in policyholder surplus and A (Excellent) rated in Best's Key Rating Guide. The minimum annual premium for this policy is $1,500 + tax.
The NEWEST Benefit for NCISS from Brownyard!
THE BESTGUARD PLAN GROUP CAPTIVE - A member-owned captive insurance program that was created for the purpose of providing lower cost Workers Compensation Insurance to select, high quality NCISS security guard member companies located throughout the U.S. The program is focused on larger, regional guard companies with standard Workers Compensation premiums of between $250,000 and $3,000,000 looking for an alternative to standard guaranteed cost programs that don't adequately reward them for their superior operations.
These programs are only available to members of the National Council of Investigation & Security Services and are administered by Brownyard Programs, Ltd, the Brokers of Record of the association.
These programs are endorsed and sponsored by NCISS
NCISS Insurance Plans are available only to NCISS members and are specifically designed to insure the unique insurance needs of private investigators and security companies throughout the U.S. It combines broad coverage with low cost.
For details visit http://www.nciss.org/membership/membership-insurance-broker.php
Please contact Brownyard Programs for more information and applications.
E-Mail: Info@BrownyardPrograms.com Website: www.BrownyardPrograms.com Tel # 631-581-9300; Fax #: 631-581-9385 |
|
|
Dues Renewal and New Categories of Membership
| |
Dues Renewal is Here...
Increase NCISS Membership and Make a Donation Today!
By now you should have received your Dues Renewal Notice in the mail. Please note that the default invoiced amount is $175 for the regular member (Silver) level. If you are interested in including a donation to NCISS and having the annual conference fee included, please consider the Gold Level and adjust your invoice and payment accordingly.
The following are the new categories of membership:
- Bronze: $99 - Only available to new applicants for one year. No voting privileges.
- Silver: $175 -- $35 of which goes to our legislative fund. Receives all rights and privileges of membership.
- Gold: $395 -- $100 of which is designated to our legislative fund. Gold members receive one free annual conference registration per year.
Contact your Regional Director if you have any questions or need assistance. Membership and dues information is also at
To pay your dues online, please visit http://www.nciss.org/membership/membership-dues.php
NCISS Represents over 960 members
We can reach 1,000 by the end of the year!
As a member of NCISS, you know the importance of the NCISS mission - please share this with your colleagues and encourage them to be part of the NCISS mission for the first year introductory dues of $99.
|
|
Other News...
| |
A new service is about to launch that may be of benefit to our investigative and security service members.
Finding and reviewing historical and archived court documents is about to get a whole lot easier.
Search thousands of archived and historic U.S. court filings, instantly discover and purchase copies of court documents and download court filings in minutes not days, at a fraction of the cost.
Procuriate - http://signup.procuriate.com/qiO957
Your Documents on Kindle
Many of us use tablets, notebooks and other gadgets to make our personal and professional lives a little easier, more convenient and enjoyable. That is what technology is supposed to do.
One of the most popular tablets is the Kindle reader from Amazon. In addition to downloading books, you can also send documents to your Kindle, and automatically convert to the Kindle format. This is very convenient when you have reports and other work product to review or wish to store frequently used documents on your Kindle. Clients and colleagues can also send them to your Kindle if you first approve their email address via your online Kindle account settings. I would recommend having them send to your email and then forwarding that email to your Kindle account.
It is very simple - just send the document as an attachment to your Kindle account, not text message included, and in the subject enter only 'convert'. I have tried this with several PDFs, the conversion varies - one document had a period where every space between words existed in the original PDF. The PDFs convert well.
|
|
Regional News
|
Passing of Dave MacDougall
On January 16th we sadly lost a friend and fellow NCISS member from Columbia, South Carolina, Dave MacDougall.
While in the Boston area for Christmas Dave had a brain aneurysm and passed away today. Arrangements are pending. Please keep his wife Margaret and the rest of the family in your prayers.
From South Carolina (Bill Fletcher and Larry Flannery) The North Carolina Association of Private Investigators (NCAPI) 27th Annual Meeting was held Jan. 17-18, 2014 in Salisbury, NC. Francie Koehler, NCISS Legislative Chair (Investigations) and Keith Nelson, representative of Lobbyit will speak Saturday morning before the annual elections. Members at Large Bill Fletcher and Larry Flannery manned the NCISS table to recruit new members.
[XXXXX PHOTO XXXXX]
From Region V (Andrea Orozco - Regional Director) I would like to introduce myself to the NCISS members in my region. My name is Andrea Orozco and I am co-owner of Advanced Professional Investigations which is located in Castle Rock, CO. I've had the opportunity to meet many of you at past NCISS events such as "Hit the Hill" and our annual conference. In the next year my goal is to attend several meetings or conferences in my region as a representative of NCISS. I would love to hear about any new legislation or happenings in your state associations. Please feel free to contact me at andrea@apisurveillancespecialists.comColorado Cold CaseNCISS member Charles McCormick (McCormick Detective Agency, Breckenridge, CO) presented this Colorado Cold Case.
On the night of Wednesday, January 6, 1982, temperatures fell to 20 below on the snow-covered 11,500 ft. Hoosier Pass that connects the ski resort community of Breckenridge in Summit County and the bedroom communities of Alma and Fairplay in Park County, Colorado. This was the night that Barbara "Bobbie" Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee were murdered under cover of darkness and desolation. Visit http://www.rockymountaincoldcase.comEagle Eye Investigations Group, LLC celebrates 25 years
Keith Hollen, owner of Eagle Eye Investigations Group, LLC, is pleased to announce the celebration of 25 years in the private investigation industry - from 1989-2014. You can contact Eagle Eye Investigations Group, LLC at (704) 376-2728 and visit their website at www.eagleeyencgroup.com.
|
|
NCISS Legislative Fund
| |
The NCISS Legislative Advocacy needs your continued support!
The NCISS Legislative Fund is a key component of our association's ability to represent the private investigation and security professionals interest s before Congress. Fundraising efforts are ongoing throughout the year, and include requests to individual members, state associations, industry vendors, database providers, and more.
There are many who benefit from the services of our two professions. As we continue to seek ways to replenish the Legislative Fund on a monthly basis, you are encouraged to contribute, not only monetarily, but through ideas to raise funds in other ways.
One easy way to support the NCISS Legislative Fund is to use the NCISS - Office Depot Discount Card. You save money on your purchase and a percentage is donated back to the Legislative Fund.
|
|
|
|
|
Your Membership, Your Voice ...
|
The National Council of Investigation and Security Services, Inc., is a cooperative effort of those companies and associations responsible for providing private security and investigation services to the legal profession, business community, government and the public.
It is the role of NCISS to meet and solve these problems while seeking to uncover and recommend action on any hidden potential problems which may have an effect on our profession.
|
|
NCISS Board
| |
Executive Council
President
Bob Heales
1st Vice President
James Huckabee
2nd Vice President
Tom Shamshak
3rd Vice President
Dean Beers
Secretary
Debbie Anderson
Treasurer
Brad Duffy
Chair
Jim Zimmer
Executive Director
Carol Ward
DirectorsRegion 1 Terry Myer
Region 2
Thomas Jackson
Region 3
Ken Cummins
Region 4
Greg Carter
Region 5
Andrea Orozco
Region 6
Tawni Tyndal
Members at Large
Dean Gluth Bill Fletcher Dr. Daniel Benny Larry Flannery
|
|
|
