THE SECURITY OFFICER‘S ROLE IN PREVENTING VIOLENCE AND PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WHEN VIOLENT SITUATIONS OCCUR

This training is provided to the security officer for the purpose of learning to recognize and appropriately respond to disruptive instances in the work place. As a professional in public relations and law enforcement, the security officer’s skillfulness in carrying out his/her duties is a reflection of him/her and the organization they represent.

The security officer’s primary goal in a potentially violent situation is to diffuse the situation – not incite a physical confrontation.

In order to become effective in his/her role, the security officer must become proficient at recognizing or assessing potentially violent behavior, utilizing verbal skills designed to minimize the risk of agitating the potentially violent individual and learning and utilizing only non offensive physical techniques when appropriate.

The presence of a uniformed security officer is usually a visual deterrent to violence, particularly when there is a show of force. Security officers should be requested to “standby” in the immediate vicinity when management anticipates a violent situation might occur, such as when an employee with a past history of violence is being terminated.