The Ever-Diminishing Casino Hotel Security

If you are entrusted with bringing a negligent security case involving your injured client to justice, here is some shocking news for you. Over recent years, the foreseeable but unaddressed risk facing lawful business guests within the hospitality industry has been increasing by leaps and bounds! This includes the tremendous risk of violent crime now experienced in urban areas where many hotels and casinos are located. That also includes the post-911 terrorism threats, mass shootings, political unrest, and wanton illegal drug use.

What follows are some prevalent diminishing security conditions that should be of great concern to you:

In the early days of the casino gaming industry in Atlantic City, every casino hotel security department and surveillance department was headed up by a former New Jersey State Police Commander or federal law enforcement official. These highly capable professionals required a salary to match their qualifications and expertise in public safety. Unfortunately, times have changed, especially in these days of rising crime and violence. Over the years, due to mindless cost-cutting by greedy casino hotel owners and operators in the pursuit of higher and higher profits, security protection has been severely diminished. You see, security and surveillance are not revenue-producing entities and are the first to have their budgets cut to “save a buck.” As a result of a commensurate lowering of security standards by management, security executives, directors, managers, investigators, and line officers, many lawful business guests are severely injured by predators who find visitors to be easy targets. Consider these actual case histories in litigating?negligent security matters within the hospitality industry:

Perhaps the worst and most egregious case of casino security malfeasance this expert has ever seen came in the situation where the top casino security shift manager provided a severely intoxicated 17-year-old her Red Bull and vodka as she jumped off of a bar top in the center of the largest casino in Atlantic City during early morning hours. Minutes later she was stalked and snatched by two illegal alien brutes who abducted her onto an unprotected hotel tower elevator took her to a hotel room, and brutally raped and sodomized her. Her ordeal was captured by photographs and an errant voice recording that taped the horrendous event. (Case files, photos, and recording available upon request.)

At one time the security department of that defendant casino was led by the former Commandant of the New Jersey State Police Academy who would have never tolerated the outrageous misbehavior, lack of performance by a security shift manager, and the woeful security provided to protect the young victim.

In another particularly disgusting rape-murder case in a Boardwalk casino, a 23-year-old college student was similarly stalked through the casino for hours, abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. The “hamburger flipper” security guard diagnosed her case as “cardiac arrest” and proceeded to destroy the crime scene. The perpetrator is still at large. At a time, security and surveillance at this first casino in Atlantic City were led by top former law enforcement officials from the organization INTERTEL, including the investigative services of a retired Lieutenant from the Criminal Intelligence Unit of the New Jersey State Police. The new “director of surveillance” did not even have a photo of the killer posted in the surveillance room which was discovered during our site inspection two weeks after the outrage. (Expert report available upon request.)

In yet another Boardwalk casino case the corporate head of security with no meaningful law enforcement experience cut the security budget by 31% during a five-year period while violent crime rose 99%. Worse yet, their property head of casino security was arrested for running prostitutes while crime soared including four separate murders there in a single year! (My CLE graph and “Rosetta Stone” proximate cause expose are available upon request.)

The larger the casino entity the larger the security budget abuse. For example, a casino complex owned and operated by the largest casino company in the world cut its security force by hundreds of employees. It had become the most dangerous casino in town. They eliminated one surveillance room in their annex and another in their dangerous parking garage. Three top casino execs shared a $7.5 million bonus for corporate-wide cuts. They once had the Chief Inspector of Detectives from a major US city in charge of surveillance but he was replaced by a butcher from Vineland with no law enforcement experience. Furthermore, they placed a former Lietuantant of the Intelligence Unit of the New Jersey State Police on basic security guard duty, in uniform, no less. (Reports available upon request.)

Now there is the matter of “Low Rollers.” The corporate head of security of a company that grew to 58 properties would never have tolerated underage playing of slot machines in any of his casinos. As an Assistant Director of the FBI, he was the number two man in that fine organization. Although the minimum age to gamble is 21 years of age while investigating some of the many security breaches there it was observed that several sets of youngsters were playing slots from their strollers, one within the eyesight of a low-paid security guard from a third-world country. (Photos available upon request.)

Sometimes those employed as security guards can be downright dangerous. Far too many are involved in mass shootings. One at the old Sands Casino killed three people on his way home from work. (Article: “Is Your Security Guard Dangerous?” available upon request.)

Instead of utilizing the professional services of a former high-ranking law enforcement official to lead security in dangerous casinos the number two casino company in the U.S. hired a prison guard as a top security official. They even had a former store clerk from a “head shop” placed in position as Security Shift Manager in their dangerous Las Vegas Strip casino. No wonder an evil shooter was able to smuggle 28 long guns up the hotel elevator to slay 59 concert attendees across the street. (CLP PowerPoint presentation available upon request.)

These examples of negligent security are sad but they reflect current conditions in many hospitality venues including hotels, casinos, sports stadiums, nightclubs, shopping malls, and the like. I would be pleased to offer a complimentary consultation on any such matter that comes before your office or to share any referenced materials in this article with you.

Andrew P. Sutor is President of Premises Security Experts, Inc., which provides professional security consultation and expert witness services for law firms and attorneys pursuing premises liability and negligent security cases. He can be reached at [email protected] or at 609.822.2626. Visit www.PremisesSecurityExperts.com for more information.?