Looking For Security Technical Assistance for your Cannabis Dispensary in Massachusetts?
With Massachusetts legalizing the recreational use of cannabis for people 21 and older in 2016, the City of Boston established the Boston Cannabis Board in November of 2019 whose goal was to establish Boston as the model for how to create a system that fosters racial equity and inclusion in the new cannabis industry. As a registered Minority Owned Business, we understand the difference between Equality & Equity and are proud to support Boston’s Social Equity Program Initiative.
Figure 1: Equality Versus Equity
Through our work with the City of Boston, Windwalker supports the City of Boston with their development of the Cannabis Equity Program initiative. Specifically, Windwalker has qualified as a security industry expert as part of the City’s Technical Assistance Program. Through the application process, proposed cannabis dispensaries must submit a security plan as well as provide documentation that a security assessment of their facility has been completed in order to proceed through the application process.
Over the past month, Windwalker has worked with three separate organizations looking to establish cannabis dispensary operations in the City of Boston over the next year. For these organizations, Windwalker is introduced to a dispensary owner group that is interested in using the Technical Assistance Program through the City of Boston representative. At this initial meeting, the ownership group will provide further information about the status of the project, the associated timelines, as well as what specific services are required for the project.
Afterwards, the team will schedule and conduct an in person physical security assessment after reviewing architectural drafts, building renderings, to assess the property, take photographs and ask any pertinent questions about current security posture and design method. Among the services provided to applicants for the Technical Assistance Program, the Windwalker team will:
Identify threats and hazards based on the property perimeter, building perimeter, and interior security systems.
Determine a baseline facility security level through use of the Department of Homeland Security’s Interagency Security Committees assessment criteria to map out procedural recommendations.
Figure 2: Risk Management Process & Facility Security Level Baseline
Provide a detailed list of security measures needed to achieve the assigned level of protection that include:
Camera Placement
Lighting Requirements/Placement
Access Control Recommendations
Develop and present a formal security plan based upon recommendations that include basic emergency response procedures.
Ensure compliance with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 94G, §12 – General Marijuana Establishment Operation.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objectives and provide a thorough physical security assessment and associated security recommendations, Windwalker utilizes a concentric circle risk approach. Threats and the countermeasures are assessed from an outside-in perspective, with the outmost circle representing the property perimeter and the innermost circle representing the employee interaction and core technology. The following provides a baseline for the three main priorities that Windwalker observes and analyzes for an assessment:
Property Perimeter – An assessment of a property perimeter vulnerabilities would include:
Regional vulnerabilities based on nature – weather-related threats, topography.
Vulnerabilities based on proximity to highways, neighboring businesses, crime rates, etc.
Vulnerabilities based on fencing, surveillance, signage, access control, landscape, remoteness, lighting, etc.
Building Perimeter – An assessment of building perimeter vulnerabilities would include:
Signage/security landscape/design/lighting/setbacks/construction materials/curb appeal.
Access control/locks/alarms/video cameras/lighting.
Lobby control/software/policies & procedures/training/emergency response.
Building infrastructure including windows, doors, walls.
Interior Security and Systems – An assessment of interior vulnerabilities would include:
Interior access control/locks/alarms/video cameras/lighting.
General protection of information technology and critical communication assets.
Communication and response infrastructure.
In addition to providing security assessments as part of the technical assistance program, Windwalker aims to continue offering value-added services to dispensary applicants to the City of Boston Cannabis Board and be a total security solutions provider. Through our experience, Windwalker has identified that asset protection and security objectives are best achieved during the early stages of the design process when mitigation is the least costly and most easily implemented. As such, Windwalker has developed a four-phase project scope that continues to provide value added services throughout the entire design, build, and operational phases from a security perspective. The sooner Windwalker can support the client in identifying and analyzing crucial asset protection measures in the design process, it dramatically enhances the ability to implement security measures in the construction and post-construction phases.
Other valuable services that Windwalker offers for our clients are:
Physical Security Services
Armed Patrolling & Response Services
CCTV & Access Control Installation and Service
Basic Security Procedural Training
Soft Skills Training & Conflict Management
Customer Service Training
CPR, First Aid, AED, Narcan
Roving Unit for Alarm Response
Our Team
To accomplish this task, Windwalker has established a core team of personnel able to provide detailed security recommendations from start to finish. In addition to the Protection and Preparedness Practice, the team is comprised of individuals with decades of relevant security, design, and architectural experience. BG (Ret.) Joseph Carter serves as the Senior Security Advisor to Windwalker with over forty years of relevant security and law enforcement experience to support Windwalker’s strategic and operational objectives. Along with BG (Ret.) Carter, Todd Broyard serves as the Design and Technology Lead and Senior Security Consultant. With over thirty years in the electronic security industry, Todd has designed and implemented biometric access control and surveillance systems for the hospitality industry, large-scale residential, educational, and biotech institutions. To round out the Windwalker team, Ken Feyl brings over thirty years of architecture experience with a diverse set of buildings and construction types. Working with the team, Ken provides evacuation planning services, fire control system placement, and other structural/design-based recommendations to implement security recommendations at the early stages of project development.
Windwalker aims to be your complete security partner throughout any Cannabis project in any phase of development. For more information on any of our value-added services, please reach out to our Protection and Preparedness Practice Lead Taylor Sulik at taylor.sulik@windwalker.com