Steve Cocco, FBI Veteran & President, Security Strategies Today, Discusses Threat Assessments, Background Checks & More

Steve Cocco, FBI Veteran & President Security Strategies Today

www.SecurityStrategiesToday.com

www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

“In The Boardroom” on www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We’ve seen that you offer various professional services, including on-site threat assessments, foreign travel country briefings and private investigations. Can you tell us a little bit more about private investigations?

Steve Cocco: Of course. We conduct private investigations under license from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. These investigations pertain to all private investigative inquiries conducted within the state of Arizona. These can include inquiries about property, current or past assets, estate heirs, probate matters and background investigations. It’s important for the potential client to understand that a license from the state is required in Arizona in order for a person to use the title of private investigator and for a company to state that it offers private investigations. Always ask for the PI license number and check on line with Arizona DPS for the current status of the licensee.

Notwithstanding the state requirements, routine database inquiries of Arizona state or county websites as well as making requests for police records is available to anyone and no license is required.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Who is the typical client that requests a background check?

Steve Cocco: Typically, a client is either a law firm or employer. A law firm is often attempting to track down assets of a person, whether living or deceased, in order to adjudicate the property in an estate or trust or pursuant to a court order in any other judicial proceeding. Quite often, identifying and certifying the whereabouts of an heir in the case of executing the provisions of a will may avoid probate. Alternatively, if the background investigation uncovers proof that the heir is deceased, then that at as well can speed up the process of distributing or retitling the assets in an estate or trust.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: These pre-employment background checks-what areas would you typically include in your inquiry?

Steve Cocco: Pre-employment background checks are typically conducted after a candidate has made it through initial screening by the prospective employer. Of course, I conduct public database inquiries as well as social media checks. In addition, we look for property held by the candidate and of course, any criminal or civil proceedings in which the candidate was named, whether as witness, arrestee, victim or otherwise. It is important for the client to understand however that information on pending criminal matters is hard to come by, and that is because if the matter has not been settled, then the prosecutors and the police agencies involved will not make it public. An exception to that may be the arrest warrant and complaint, or in a civil matter, the initial filing or demand.

On occasion, the client may request that we interview colleagues, past or present, or conduct a canvass of the candidate’s neighborhood to obtain first-hand accounts of their interactions with the candidate. These interviews are always voluntary.

One more note I would like to make regarding pre-employment background checks. Employers may be held liable if an employee injures others through the careless or irresponsible operation of vehicles or equipment. Nothing new here. But an employer must be especially aware of infractions, civil judgments or criminal convictions in which the applicant was at fault for his or her actions. For example, hiring a truck driver who has not successfully completed the state’s department of transportation or motor vehicles certification course is something that will impact the company should the employee be hired and later cause an accident while driving. Repeated traffic citations also are a red flag, as are late or missing renewal of licenses or certifications required to perform certain job duties.

The investigator cannot know everything nor uncover every detail of a person’s background. It is incumbent upon the employer to take all reasonable measures to ensure security and safety at the workplace. Part of the employer’s responsibility is to determine if an applicant is likely to integrate well into the work environment or if he or she has personality traits or a work history which would call into question the person’s suitability for the job.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: What other services do you offer in Arizona?

Steve Cocco: Check our website at https://www.securitystrategiestoday.com for some in depth information. We offer site security assessments, providing the owner or operator of any venue, such as a retailer, restaurant or sports arena, with a comprehensive assessment of the location’s safety and security. In accomplishing this, we take a look at the site’s operation, whether there are inherent risks to it or if there are practices and procedures in place that need updating, enhancement or revision. Is it a business with high foot traffic? Is it mainly a cash operation? Does it offer a high-end product or one that is in scarce supply? Finally, has the establishment done its due diligence and implemented effective security equipment and other measures, such as security guards? If you have not done a vulnerability or security/threat assessment of your business, you are not fully aware of issues that could negatively impact its operations and continued viability.

We also offer a very easy to understand active e shooter familiarization course. The course provides the basics of self and group defense when confronted with a gunman who is threating to shoot or engaged in shooting either randomly or in a targeted manner. We go over some typical active shooter scenarios, the concept of, “run, hide and fight” and we consider some of the most common characteristics and behavioral traits of individuals who have perpetrated a mass shooting. The course is geared toward individuals who have no formal police or military training. It can be offered both on-site or on-line.
Finally, I would like to touch on our foreign travel briefings for a moment. Foreign travel is increasingly common, both for business and for vacation or to visit family. The threats when travelling are numerous-whether from crime or terrorism, pandemic, disease or natural disasters. The local government may also present a threat or its operations and response to situations may be vastly different than what one might expect in their home country. Add to that a possible language barrier and your comfort level and security may go downhill fast.

Our foreign travel briefings give the client a concise overview of the issues one can expect when travelling to specific foreign countries. We take a look at infrastructure, healthcare, natural disaster response, transportation infrastructure, local crime and terrorism and finally, the government and its day-to-day interaction with both its own citizens and with foreign visitors. It is an easy to understand familiarization tool which provides insight into issues that could impact your journey abroad.

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We invite you to read the entire interview with Steve Cocco on our Homepage at https://www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

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