CHAPTER 4: CONTROL AND REPORT INDIVIDUAL AND CROWD BEHAVIOUR.

The core duties for this chapter are to ensure effective controlling individual and crowd behaviour in a variety of situations:

Identify potential security risks and assess degree of risk to self, others, premises and property.
Communicate details of security risk to relevant persons and request assistance following standard operating procedures.
Select and carry out security response within scope of own competence and authority.
Monitor changing crowd and individual behaviour and adjust response to maintain security. In practice, controlling individual and crowd behaviour is vital to maintain a safe environment.
Record details of security risk and response using a notebook in accordance with workplace requirements.

Risk assessment is about identifying the hazards in the workplace and taking reasonable steps to control them, including controlling individual and crowd behaviour wherever necessary.

You may identify the following security risks:

Breaches of law e.g. criminal damage, offences against people, public order, misuse of drugs and alcohol.
Emergencies e.g. fire, scenes of crime, accidents.
Hazards e.g. physical, chemical, electrical, psychological, biological.
Threats e.g. bombs, sabotage, assassination.

Cell phones and two-way radios are the two most frequent ways of secure communication.
A security officer can use a mobile phone, short message service, and radio communications to convey messages and information further than would normally be possible by spoken means.
Both code words and call signs are employed to keep unauthorised listeners from learning the genuine nature of the topic being discussed.

Communicating details of security risk using code words:

Code words can be allocated to types of situations or locations.
For example, “Code Blue” may describe a less urgent situation requiring assistance.
A “Code Yellow” indicates a situation that needs more immediate assistance but is not yet dangerous, while a “Code Red” indicates a situation that needs immediate attention.
Individual code phrases might be given to particular situations; for example, a violent scenario might be called a “Cyclone,” and “Tanto” might be required as backup.
When choosing code phrases, there are no fixed guidelines.
You are free to use any code word as long as the team is aware of it and can recall it.

Signs of possible harassment or assault:

Making offensive jokes about specific racial groupings.
Sending emails or texts that are provocative or sexually suggestive.
Putting up screen savers or posters with objectionable racial or sexual content.
Uttering racial slurs or remarks that are offensive.
Asking invasive questions about another person’s private life, including their sexual life.

The security team must do a wide range of activities daily; thus, their team members’ roles and responsibilities must be diverse and adaptable to their jobs. Furthermore, controlling individual and crowd behaviour is an essential task for security professionals in this context.

Security response may involve:

Massive public gatherings offer a variety of difficulties for security teams and police enforcement.
Crowds have the potential to produce (or attract) issues, ranging from foot traffic congestion to the threat of terrorist attacks if they are not managed effectively. Clearly, controlling individual and crowd behaviour during such events becomes indispensable.

Measures for managing queues:

Most security guards are expected to document incidents in incident reports and maintain a precise daily activity log that records events’ dates, times, and details.
A security notebook is a crucial tool for the security team.
Your notebook should always be with you when wearing the uniform because it is necessary to record everyday events, incident details, and shift details.

Workplace requirements may include: