About Ralph Witherspoon

Ralph Witherspoon's professional background includes more than 22 years of practical, hands-on, corporate-level security work with a highly diversified Fortune 100 company. His experience there included all phases of security and loss prevention, including criminal investigations and prosecutions; risk assessment and physical security for facilities and premises ranging from retail stores to manufacturing plants, motel and restaurant chains, low- and high-rise office buildings, and much more.

In 1991 Ralph started Witherspoon Security Consulting, an independent, non-product affiliated security consultancy, advising a wide variety of businesses and organizations on various security issues and matters.

Currently Ralph consults with plaintiff and defense attorneys throughout the United States who are handling lawsuits involving premises security liability for third-party crimes such as assault, murder, rape and robbery, also known as "negligent or inadequate security" cases. He has been retained in over 200 such matters. While he has an extensive security background in many areas, Ralph currently concentrates on cases involving retail stores and hospitality, such as hotels / motels; restaurants including fast foods (QSR); and bars, taverns and nightclubs. Ralph also frequently consults on cases involving shoplifting detentions including "false arrest" and use of force claims.

 

Ralph has been qualified and testified as an expert on various aspects of security in numerous state and Federal courts. In 2007 a United States District Court held that the Forensic Methodology Ralph uses to retrospectively assess premises liability cases was “reliable” under Daubert and Kuhmo Tire.

 

Since 1985, Ralph has been designated after written examination by the American Society for Industrial Security (the world's largest professional security organization with over 33,000 members), as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP), denoting Board Certification in Security Management. His re-certification every three years attests to Ralph's continued practical and academic mastery of the body of security and loss prevention knowledge. He has also been designated, after written examination by the International Association of Professional Security Consultants, as a Certified Security Consultant (CSC).

 

Previously Ralph served part-time on the Adjunct Faculty of a Cleveland-area college. Currently Ralph is active on the Board of Directors and has served as a Committee Chairman of the IAPSC, a professional organization representing independent security and loss prevention consultants. He continues to be active as a trainer and on various committees of that organization.

 

This profile not for disclosure or designation use. To request a full CV, contact Ralph Witherspoon at 440-779-3803 or witherspoon@security-expert.org.

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