CHAPTER 3: MONITOR INDIVIDUAL AND CROWD BEHAVIOUR
The core duties for this chapter are to focus on monitoring crowd behaviour and conflict resolution in various environments. In fact, effective crowd control is an essential skill in these situations.
- Conduct systematic personal safety checks on a regular basis.
- Observe individual and crowd behaviour to maintain constant situational awareness, especially when monitoring crowd behaviour and conflict resolution becomes essential.
- Use communication equipment to regularly convey security status to relevant persons following workplace procedures. Successful crowd control often depends on clear communication among security officers.
- Identify persons behaving in a potentially disruptive manner and assess degree of risk to self, others, premises and property.
- Act promptly to calm the situation and defuse conflict, using interpersonal techniques that take account of individual social and cultural differences. With careful crowd control, conflicts can be managed quickly and safely.
3.1 Conduct systematic personal safety checks on a regular basis.
- Your general awareness and avoidance of potentially dangerous circumstances or people in your surroundings constitute your personal safety checks.
- You may assist yourself avoid potentially dangerous circumstances by making an effort to improve your personal safety checks. In summary, crowd control should be prioritised for maintaining safety.
Steps to conduct systematic personal safety checks:
- Safe work systems in the workplace
- Working alone, at night or in isolation
- Travelling staff
- Workplace harassment
- Telecommuting
3.2 Observe individual and crowd behaviour to maintain constant situational awareness.
- A phenomenon known as crowd behaviour occurs when a group of people display specific actions that would not typically happen when they are alone, and monitoring crowd behaviour and conflict resolution can help identify emerging issues early.
- A crowd is a group of people who have gathered for a common goal.
Some tips for monitoring obvious warning flags that indicate something could not be secure:
- At least one of them is plain to see.
- Avoid approaching and close check on someone who appears alone and is frequently gazing around.
- Body language might indicate whether someone is feeling uneasy about what their group is doing.
- Their head might be lower, or they might have a sluggish movement.
- They might hang back from the group or have a discomforted look.
- It all depends on the context.
- However, these indications could be quite subtle, so look carefully.
3.3 Use communication equipment to regularly convey security status to relevant persons following workplace procedures
- As part of their comprehensive security program, several organisations employ security officers.
- These officers conduct regular patrols, respond to security-related occurrences, and offer other services to employees and public members.
- A strong communications system is necessary for security professionals to function efficiently.
- This technology must enable communication amongst security officers while they go about their everyday business and the ability to call them in when assistance is needed.
Tips for conveying security status:
- Security guards should often only use one communication tool while on duty.
- The organisation, not a specific employee, or a contract security provider, should supply all communications equipment utilised by the security officer while on duty.
- Have a system that allows, for instance, every hour for all security officers on the ground to check in with the security command centre.
- The security command centre should be the conduit for all communications with and to the field security officers.
- Sharing a radio channel with other building services departments, such as facilities management, maintenance, and janitorial services, may be advantageous in larger firms.
- Numerous security and surveillance applications have recently been created for use on smartphones.
3.4 Identify persons behaving in a potentially disruptive manner and assess degree of risk to self, others, premises and property.
- Unwanted behaviour that obstructs the operation and smooth operation of the place is known as disruptive behaviour. Furthermore, monitoring crowd behaviour and conflict resolution helps address such disruptions efficiently.
- It makes it difficult or impossible to fulfil their obligations.
- Staff, managers, and supervisors must deal with disruptive behaviour right away.
- Disruptive conduct frequently worsens if ignored, adversely affecting both the offender and others.
- A few examples are yelling, cursing, raising hands or fists, verbally insulting others, and rejecting legitimate inquiries for identification.
Identifying persons behaving in a potentially disruptive manner:
- Repetitive verbal abuse, including sarcasm or poor relationship with others
- Very controlling
- Blaming others for problems
- Persistent complaining
- Challenging or resisting authority
- Destruction of property
- Becoming unusually upset over recent event(s)
- Withdrawing from normal activities
3.5 Act promptly to calm the situation and defuse conflict, using interpersonal techniques that take account of individual social and cultural differences.
- Two or more parties working together to resolve a conflict is known as conflict resolution. Monitoring crowd behaviour and conflict resolution should be considered critical skills for security professionals.
- The parties concerned cooperate to find a solution that effectively addresses the issue.
Negotiation techniques for defusing and resolving conflict:
- Deal with the issue at hand, not the individual
- Active listening is encouraged
- Look for shared passions
- Choose the most advantageous substitute for a negotiated agreement
Techniques that take account of individual social and cultural differences can be used to calm the situation and defuse conflict:
- Active listening
- The tone of voice and body language
- Maintaining professionalism