CHAPTER 3: APPLY BASIC DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES AND REPORT OUTCOMES

  1. Apply basic defensive techniques to minimise immediate threat following legislative and workplace requirements.
  2. Monitor subject to anticipate movement and aggressive actions.
  3. Maintain stance and distance from subject to maximise ability to quickly apply recognised hold techniques, and immediately use lower force options when threat decreases or ceases.
  4. Request assistance from relevant persons and restrain, secure or escort subject.
  5. Record details of incident using a notebook in accordance with workplace requirements.

3.1 Apply basic defensive techniques to minimise immediate threat following legislative and workplace requirements.

  • Security guards should constantly be ready for anything, wherever they may be stationed.
  • In security, it’s almost as if you should expect the unexpected.
  • Everyone must be psychologically and physically prepared for incidents because they cannot be anticipated.
  • A security guard must receive ongoing training to be safe.

Basic defensive techniques to minimise immediate threat following legislative and workplace requirements

  • Blocking techniques
  • Takedown techniques
  • Empty hand techniques
  • Filled hand techniques

3.2 Monitor the subject to anticipate movement and aggressive actions.

  • With the use of monitoring tools and building controls, security personnel keep an eye on and monitor the area they are tasked with protecting.
  • The officers may initiate an investigation or request extra assistance as needed.

Physical indicators that the subject may become hostile and possibly violent include:

  • Huffing and puffing
  • Pacing up and down – rapid movements
  • Facial indicators: staring – frowning – rubbing forehead – reddened complexion
  • Raised voice
  • Aggressive body language/actions – pointing – clenched fists hitting things – throwing magazines, pens and other objects down in frustration
  • Words expressing threats – including swearing
  • Argumentative and belligerent – won’t follow advice

3.3 Maintain stance and distance from subject to maximise ability to quickly apply recognised hold techniques, and immediately use lower force options when threat decreases or ceases.

  • Any employee in the security sector who deals with belligerent individuals, verbally or physically, is doing their duty as a door supervisor or security guard.
  • Learning more about how to deal with aggressive behaviour is crucial to have a calm, efficient day at work.
  • The most crucial thing is safeguarding oneself against these circumstances if they do arise.

When the subject is resistive and aggressive, your security response should include:

  • Slow down speech pattern
  • Control the distance between subject and self
  • Adopt dominant body language
  • Adopt similar body positions to subject
  • Mirror subject body positional changes
  • Control the distance by adjusting with flow of movement
  • If gestures being used, security use similar gestures except smaller and slower
  • During subjects verbal outgoings, ask subject questions of a personal nature, out of the blue, i.e. what do you do for work?; It’s cold out tonight?, etc.
  • This breaks the subject pattern and forces them to try and think rationally
  • If the subject tries to change distance, adopt positional guard stances
  • Give verbal requests and directions when needed or appropriate, using command tonality

Body safety and body positioning techniques

  • Interview stance
  • Defensive stance
  • Bladed stance

3.4 Request assistance from relevant persons and restrain, secure or escort the subject.

  • A professional security guard can safeguard people and property by quickly identifying threats, making wise decisions, and responding to them.
  • To preserve security, it is hoped that armed security personnel will never have to use force or resort to using their arresting authority.

Requesting assistance from relevant persons:

  • Police: The security guard may arrest you and hold you until the police arrive if they observe you committing or having just completed an offence like theft, property damage, or assault, among others.
  • Legal counsel: If they only suspect you have broken the law, they cannot do this. You should seek legal counsel if they hold you against your will or prevent you from leaving when they shouldn’t have.
  • Authorities: It is also important to call the authorities for assistance if the subject behaves violently or is unwilling to cooperate.

3.5 Record details of the incident using a notebook in accordance with workplace requirements.

  • 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.
  • For the security team, a security notebook is a crucial tool.
  • The notebook should always be with you when wearing the uniform because it is necessary to record everyday events, incident details, and shift details.

Recording incident details using a notebook following workplace requirements

The notebook for recording incident details should be filled out in these ways:

  • Clear
    • Write down the exact circumstances of any incident or observation
  • Concise
    • Don’t use more words than necessary, get to the point
  • Consistent
    • Complete each entry in the same format
  • Complete
    • Don’t leave out any of the required information
  • Factual
    • Include only facts, not assumptions about what has happened
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