NeoCon Presentation Description: A New York City office building that was the site of a mass shooting in July 2025, had significant security measures in place. Despite having a uniformed police officer, other security officers, a lengthy check-in process, locked turnstile gates, lobby alarms, elevators that allowed access to only certain floors, and as last resort reinforced safe rooms, a malevolent 27-year-old armed with an assault rifle forced his way into the building and killed four people before turning the gun on himself. The shooting in this fortified Midtown Manhattan building has raised questions about office building security and whether more can be done to strengthen it. This session will discuss the importance of conducting a security and vulnerability assessment to determine how much security is considered necessary, and the role of designing security into the architecture and interiors.
Randy Atlas, PhD FAIA CPP CPTED
Randy Atlas PhD FAIA CPP CPTED
Atlas Safety & Security Design Inc.
Randy Atlas is Americaâs only architect / criminologist. Atlas received his Doctorate of Criminology from Florida State University, a Masters in Architecture from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree from University of South Florida. Atlas is president of Atlas Safety & Security Design Inc., an architectural security design consulting practice based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a registered architect in Florida, nationally accredited with National Council Architectural Registration Board (N.C.A.R.B.), and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). Dr. Atlas is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) from the ASIS International, a certified CPTED Professional with the ICA and the Florida Crime Prevention Training Institute, past chairman of the ASIS Security Architecture and Engineering Council, and an appointed member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Premises Security Committee, which developed the new NFPA 730/ 731 Premises Security Standards and Guidelines. Atlas is a committee member of the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) F33 on Corrections and Detention Facilities, the F-13 committee on pedestrian slip and falls, and the ASTM E54 Homeland Security Committee. He is a member of the Florida Design Out Crime network, a Board member of the International CPTED Association (ICA), a member of the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners, and the International Association of Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and member of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants. Dr. Atlas is an internationally recognized trainer and author on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Atlas authored the book 21st Century Security and CPTED in 2008, and the 2nd Edition in 2013. Atlas teaches an on-line E Learning CPTED Certified Practitioners course at www.cpted-security.com that is certified by the International CPTED Association.
This content will not be available until 06/07/2026 at 8:00 AM (EDT)
