Relaunch of Security & Training Solutions with Additional Consulting Services in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Let’s get acquainted

My name is Jonathan Lacey, and I’m the principal of Security & Training Solutions.

I retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after 21+ years as a Special Agent in 2018. There, I became an expert in keeping people safe, culminating my career in the Buffalo, New York Field Office as the lead agent responsible for crisis management and training – to include active shooter prevention and survival training for the community – and all sorts of professional education for FBI staff, and our local, state, and federal partners. For more on my bio, feel free to visit the LinkedIn link in my name above.

I am fortunate to have Dick Farwell as a friend and colleague. Dick, a Senior Security Consultant at STS, brings to his work over 40 years of federal law enforcement experience. His service includes substantial experience as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service (USSS), where he was assigned to protective and investigative responsibilities, the elite Counter Assault Team, and as a Supervisory Special Agent at the USSS Training Academy. Dick also served as a Supervisory Federal Air Marshal, Deputy Chief of Staff – Office of the Director, and as Assistant Federal Security Director of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Dick jokes that one of his earliest roles, as a “GS-2 Clerk Tour Guide” at FBI Headquarters, was the best job a 19-year-old ever had! He has a special ability to relate to people and is a superb instructor and a top-level security expert.  He can also take apart an old MG automobile, and put it back together!

Security and Training Solutions. Training works.

I formed Security & Training Solutions (STS) in 2019 to help people learn from a truth I learned in the FBI: training works.

STS provides what many know as “active shooter training.” We call it A₂S₂ because our proprietary best-practice training program, Active Assailant Survival Skills, equips you with tools to prevent and/or survive all types of active threats (not just threats from a firearm, but also ones from a knife, vehicle, or other weapon). And if the idea of this type of training makes you feel a bit nervous, know that we understand why. The very need for this training is the result of myriad issues that bring with them strong emotions. We meet our students where they are and do not rely on theatrical scare tactics. We know that we are training members or our community – who come with diverse abilities and perspectives – and not Army Rangers. We also conduct security assessments of an organization’s facilities, policies, and procedures, as well as providing other security advisory, outsourcing, and consulting services.

Pandemic Pause

Because many of our clients transitioned to remote work during the Pandemic, I made the very difficult decision to put STS on pause, and devoted 2 years to serving as the first ever Camp Security Advisor for Secure Community Network, a national nonprofit that serves as the official safety and security organization of Jewish community in North America. There, I used my expertise to develop and implement a comprehensive, innovative, and best-practice-based security program which provided a new level of security to Jewish summer camps. It was there that I was called to speak to a national audience on the inadvertent and potentially traumatizing impact of many security efforts and initiatives on people from traditionally marginalized groups. During that time, I also furthered my already extensive study of violent extremism and specifically expanded my knowledge in the areas of online radicalization and indicators that someone is mobilizing to act on their violent beliefs.

In the spring of 2022, people from my community of Buffalo, New York started reaching back out to me inquiring about STS’s services, so on May 6, 2022, I decided to return to STS full-time to pursue my passion: using my expertise to help people prevent and/or survive acts of violence, and helping organizations become physically safe places.

It should come as no surprise that the cowardly and vile racist attack that occurred on May 14, 2022, at a Tops supermarket here in Buffalo left my community – including me and those close to me – in shock. It also left me with an even stronger resolve to help to contribute to the safety of my community in whatever way I can.

Where does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Come In?

I have always been passionate about contributing in the field of DEI and racial justice. In fact, throughout my adult life, I have always found a way to have a hand in the field, whether it be working for my alma mater, The United States Military Academy at West Point’s Office of Admissions as a Minority Outreach Officer, as an Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor and Special Agent Assessor for the FBI, interviewing candidates for my local congressman for nominations to our Nation’s Service Academies, or volunteering to help disadvantaged youth. I earned my certification in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Northwestern University in January 2022 as a way of building upon my lifetime of contributions to DEI, with practical knowledge that can help organizations be measurably more effective and productive by being diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

DEI Consulting Experience

I have already had the pleasure to use my DEI consulting expertise to build a comprehensive internally and externally focused DEI program for an organization, including a diversity statement of purpose and recruitment plan. My experience in sales, negotiation (both business and hostage negotiation), consensus building, product management, and investigation, have given me the ability to quickly learn what makes an organization tick, and to assess its strengths and weaknesses, whether they be in DEI or security, and to recommend and implement prioritized strategies to address them.

It would be an honor to bring our expertise to help your organization fulfill its responsibility to provide an environment that is safe – in terms of physical security and culture – in which to work, conduct business, worship, shop, or camp.

Located in Buffalo. Buffalo Proud. Nationwide Service.

We are proudly located in Buffalo, New York and are honored to serve our community. We also travel and provide remote services for our friends throughout the Nation.

Thanks so much for checking in. Please check back for updates and share this post with your network! To request more information, or a free consultation, please contact us!