This video is used under fair use for educational critique and training purposes. Video courtesy of Honor Your Oath. All rights belong to the original creator.
Consider the above video and pay attention to the following time stamps, then review the summary at the bottom…
0:00 – Officer approaches the individual holding the camera in a confrontational manner
2:42 – Officer deploys the strobe light mode of his flashlight when there is no threat to safety
4:18 – Supervisor immediately uses profanity in the presence of his officers, then proceeds inside the building and begins shouting at another officer
Before we dive into the specific instances outlined above, we must always remember as security officers there will be people who will “audit” us. They can come in any variety of names or titles, “First Amendment audit,” “Security guard audit,” etc. Make certain to never fall into their trap and become a YouTube story. If someone approaches you holding a video camera, always assume you are being recorded and everything you say is free for the world to see and hear. How can we handle this? First, know your rights and the auditor’s rights and ask yourself a few questions. Are they on public property? Are there “no video” signs posted? Are they on private property? Are you sure they are on private property? Have you checked the GIS mapping of the area to ensure they are in fact on public property? All of these questions factor in to your response. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. If they are becoming a disruption, sometimes the only thing you can do is notify law enforcement.
In the first time stamp, how could the officer have better handled his initial interaction? While certain parts of the video appear to be edited and we cannot say with certainty what led up to the initial interaction, based off of the segments we can see, it is clear the officer is approaching the auditor in a confrontational fashion. Remember from a previous LMS course we discussed different forms of communication – verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal. Verbal communication are the words you speak. Non-verbal refers to your body language, and paraverbal takes note of your tone of voice, etc. Perhaps the following approach could have helped – “Good afternoon, I am Officer Smith with the security department. I see you are on private property and we have a policy regarding video recording. Could you please refrain from recording this property?” This does a few things – 1. It informs the individual they are on private property and subject to rules regarding video recording, 2. The softer approach will appear less confrontational to the auditor, reducing the likelihood the auditor will begin to act defensively. If the activity continues, this allows you to notify law enforcement that you informed the individual of the policy and they are refusing to abide by it. Eventually, it can escalate to an issue of trespassing if the individual fails to comply with building policy. The individual will be escorted off the property by law enforcement, and you will have maintained your composure.
Consider the second time stamp where the officer deploys his flashlight and activates the strobe feature. This can be considered a use of force incident. Consider the fact that individuals with medical conditions, such as epilepsy, can be especially vulnerable to sudden flashing lights. This could cause a seizure or other medical condition, creating a major liability concern for you, your employer, and your client. Strobe features on a flashlight should never be activated unless the situation escalates to a certain level on the use of force continuum and you feel it is necessary, for your safety or the safety of others, to deploy a use of force. As mentioned in the Use of Force LMS module, any and all uses of force must be heavily documented.
Let’s look at the last time stamp where we see an apparent supervisor immediately becoming very agitated and confrontational with the auditor. Note how he grabs the arm of his subordinate twice; the officer looked uncomfortable in these moments. The supervisor also used profanity toward the auditor in a very rude way. We then see the supervisor walk inside and begin shouting at another officer before the video cuts out.
While we did not witness the incident leading up to this, we cannot say whether there were other factors in play here that led to the supervisor responding so aggressively. What is obvious to say, is there are no circumstances in which a supervisor should ever put their hands on one of their subordinates in the way it was shown in this video. Judging by the way he handles his subordinates, it is clear the officers have very little respect or trust in his ability to effectively manage.
All of these time segments highlight the critical importance of training in the security industry. Proper training equips security professionals with the skills needed to assess situations, make sound decisions, and interact effectively with others. The ability to communicate clearly, de-escalate tense situations, and respond appropriately to various scenarios is essential for maintaining safety and professionalism. Without continuous training and practice, security officers may struggle to handle real-world challenges effectively, potentially leading to unnecessary risks or conflicts.