SECURITY OFFICER MINI TRAINING CAMP PART 5 www.privateofficer.com
Patrol techniques is something that every private officer can use to help them be better patrol officers and to stay safe. These techniques are designed for officer safety whether you’re assigned as a foot patrol officer at a local shopping mall or college or as a mobile patrol officer patrolling city streets, client properties, parks, industrial complexes or apartment and condominium complexes.
Of course, explaining the techniques and showing their use is going to be somewhat difficult here on the web but there are some pointers that will help you to keep safe while on patrol.
First, let’s start with:
FOOT PATROL
Use of Senses
When a security officer is assigned to a foot patrol, no matter what type of property is being patrolled, all of the techniques used are the same.
Foot patrols are used primarily in high density building, campus or populated areas where visibility and immediate response for assistance is easily down.
As a foot patrol officer, you are able to use all of your senses to detect problems, emergencies and crises. Senses that you would not be able to use sitting behind a bank of monitors or in a vehicle patrol.
Here, you are able to listen, especially in the quietness of night or when all employees and customers are gone and the client is closed and the property is suppose to be void of activity or people.
It’s easy to hear glass breakage, music, doors opening and closing,vehicles,people who are talking, whistling, humming and even sometimes breathing when you are out and about walking.
Using just this one sense, you would be able to hear an alarm going off, a cry for help,arguing, or any other verbal distress or trouble sounds.
On a foot patrol you can also use your sight of vision much more than a mobile patrol officer can. You can see further, into windows and doors, alleys, behind buildings, and detect shadows and movement much faster than a mobile patrol.
Of course, while on foot patrol, you can use smell to detect cigarette smoke coming from an area or building that is suppose to be empty, perfumes and colognes or even a person’s body order or alcohol, in an area where no one is suppose to be, marijuana or other illegal narcotics, smoke from fires, food smells coming from a college room or apartment that is not suppose to be occupied. And many other distinct smells that alert you that someone may be in an area that is suppose to be closed, vacant or empty.
Patrolling around on foot, you can also touch where in a vehicle on patrol it would be impossible unless you stopped the car every minute.
You can touch door handles and windows to insure that they are locked. Touch a vehicle’s engine compartment hood to determine if the vehicle parked in the parking lot has been there a long time and is cold or if they just parked there and the hood is hot.
Foot patrols enable us to be in the “thick of things” at concerts, shopping malls, special events, fairs, college dorms and campus property and more.
It allows people to feel like they are secure and protected because they can see a body there walking around and on duty. Unlike a mobile patrol that may only be seen when there’s a problem or trouble on the property.
SAFETY TIPS:
1.- When conducting a patrol of an exterior building such as an office building, warehouse, store or large box type building, always walk on the outside edge of the building.
Never walk against or near the exterior wall. The same holds true walking down an interior hallway where doors to offices, closets, restrooms or other points face the hallway. Stay to the right or left away from the doors.
This may prevent an offender from striking or tripping you as you are walking by.
This will help to give you tactical advantage should someone exit from one of the doors unexpected or unauthorized. You’ll have an extra second (doesn’t sound like much time, but it may make all of the difference in the end results) to respond to a defensive position by drawing pepper spray, baton, or your handgun.
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2.- When on foot patrol at night, always hold your flashlight in your weak hand especially if you are carrying a weapon. Always leave your gun hand free.
3. Patrolling an area where there is suppose to be no activity or the business is closed, keep your cell phone turned off, your 2-way radio on extremely low and your concentration completely on your patrol.
4. First Round Difference When making foot patrols of empty office buildings, warehouses, shopping malls, colleges or other businesses that are closed and are suppose to be void of people or constructions sites or other properties where no one is suppose to be……always Make Your First Round Count! This is even true when you are making mobile patrols
a. check all doors and windows to insure that they are closed and locked, check all restrooms, conference rooms, employee lounges and break areas,
b. turn off extra lights, turn on security lights or lights needed for you to see area
c. check all small appliances such as coffeemakers and cooking areas in employee lounges, cafeterias and insure that they are off.
d. take close notice to how things have been left such as at a construction site or as you walk through an office building….notice the small details, a newspaper left in the employee’s lounge on a table or a lunchbox or briefcase left in an office, employee cafeteria or lounge …take a mental snapshot of each area that you walk through
e. notate any vehicles left on the property after everyone has left for the day, writing time and vehicle make and tag number into your log
f. notate in your log anything that is out of place, broken, safety concern, hazard, lights that are burnt out etc.
By doing a thorough “sweep” of your first patrol, making notes and taking mental snapshots and securing doors and windows, gates and overhead doors, turning off lights and appliances and being on high alert during this time, it will make things much more noticeable on your future patrols.
You’ll be able to notice lights turned off that you had left on, or lights on that you had turned off. You’ll also be able to notice doors or windows open, broken into or ajar.
All of this also plays into officer safety. When on patrol, especially alone, you need to be alert and have a keen awareness of your surroundings at all times expecting that someone or something might be there and be ready to react. Whether that reaction is fight or flee. Either way, you need to be prepared, awake and in tune to everything that is around you. This is where all of your senses must be sharp and your training kicks in!
Communication
Many security assignments are a one man post and back-up is the local police who when called could take a few minutes or what seems like an eternity when you’re in a fight with a suspect.
If you are in radio communication with a dispatcher, patrol supervisor or other officers, Always radio your location and situation as quickly as you come upon something.
For instance, you’re walking down a hallway in an office building and you find a door leading into the XYZ Company unlocked and open and you know from making your first patrol, that the door had been previously secure.
Call this in immediately and advise them of your exact location, forced entry or no forced entry, and if you see anyone. Do this BEFORE entering the open office.
This way, someone knows exactly where you are in the building should you need immediate assistance!
Don’t be afraid to call for help!
Cell phone
If you have no two-way radio and are on patrol alone, take your cell phone and either put it on speed dial or dial 911 but don’t connect the call each time that you go out on patrol. Put your cell phone on your belt where it is easily reachable. Should you have an emergency, you’ll just have to hit the dial button and 911 will be connected.
Officer Safety——If you do discover a burglary, trespasser or other unauthorized person or crime in progress and you are alone, call for back up either via radio or cell phone before approaching the suspects. If you are unarmed, outnumbered or there is a safety issue, go to a secure area and await police backup. There is nothing wrong with waiting for assistance before approaching or trying to detain these suspects!
MOBILE PATROL
Mobile patrol includes using vehicles, cars and trucks, bicycles, all terrain vehicles, Segways, golf carts and even horses!
For many years, the use of contracted security mobile patrol units to periodically patrol an apartment complex, warehouse or business was an economical and sufficient form of security for many companies.
For a small fee each month, they had marked patrol vehicles patrolling through their property at least once a night and most of the time several times each night.
Although gas prices have cut into the economics of using this type of security, it is still widely done and probably will be forever.
That’s why it’s so important to have experienced and trained patrol officers in this area of the security business.
As with foot patrols, all of your senses come into play, especially sight and hearing. As you patrol through properties looking for things out of place, vehicles illegally parked or parked in a property that is closed, or persons loitering or acting suspicious or other things that are out of place, you’ll also need to hear what’s going on.
Quiet Approach
Whenever you are on mobile patrol and entering a property whether for a first patrol or last, you should make a “sweep” of the entire property first before stepping out of your vehicle even when you’ve spotted something unusual or out of place.
By making this sweep, you’ll be able to observe the entire property and spot vehicles or people that might be there or doors open or situations that dictate that you immediately call 911 for police back-up.
Once this sweep is complete and if everything is in order and in place, now you can make a secondary patrol and check things more thorough, getting out of your vehicle to check doors or for a stretch.
Patrol Tips:
When making your initial mobile patrol of a property, always be thorough and observant, taking time to make a slow “sweep” of the entire area.
get out of the vehicle often and check doors, windows, gates, sheds and outbuildings, overhead doors, supply buildings and ensure that they are secure and in order
take a mental snapshot of each area passing close attention to details
turn on or off exterior lighting as necessary
physically check any car left on the property to insure that it’s been locked up and is secure. also check the steering column and ignition areas to insure that there’s no signs of the vehicle being stolen and dumped on the property
log all details of your patrol in your log including safety or hazard issues, lights that are not working, vehicle info including tag numbers, broken locks or unsecured doors, windows or buildings
Patrol Idle/Park
When you have parked in an area to monitor a property, write a report, make a telephone call or for a break, remember officer safety is important here too.
a. always keep all vehicle doors including the driver side, locked.
should someone pull on your door handle to enter, this will give you a split second more to react to that action either by defending yourself, calling for back-up or being on high alert as you answer the person’s question or attend to their request for assistance
b. keep windows rolled up three quarters of the way and all the way up in the rear unless it is an extremely hot day this prevents someone from sticking a weapon or hand into the open window.
c. keep interior lights off….lights make you an easy target and allows possible burglars or others to know your location ———–buy a map light for writing reports
d. when sitting in a vehicle Do Not Get Comfortable! during night patrol, your body is already in sleep mode and on a cold night, rainy night, a long day, or a day where your body did not receive enough sleep, your metabolism will begin to slow down as your body relaxes into what it thinks is sleep time! Officers have been killed while they slept!
e. whether monitoring a property or taking a break, don’t park in the same area often. people are creatures of habits and anyone watching will soon pick up on your routines and habits
f. if you are in radio communication with a partner, supervisor or dispatcher, let them know where you’ll be parking to take your break or that you are idle and watching a property. This is for officer safety! Should something happen to you, they’ll know where you were last and be able to send help.
COVER AND CONTACT
There is a technique called C&C, Cover and Contact that is used when two or more officer’s approach and question suspects, trespassers, shoplifter,etc.
Contact Officer
When using this technique, one officer is the contact officer. This person approaches and questions the subject. This officer does all of the initial investigating and interrogation as well as identifying the subject.
The contact officer also determines if an arrest or detention is to be made and signals the cover officer(s) of this determination.
Cover Officer
Cover officer(s) provide security and monitor the area for anyone who might be approaching the officers. They monitor the suspect(s) body language and look for signs that he might be armed or might flee and respond accordingly.
Cover officers stand a few feet away from the suspect and contact officer so that they have as close to 360 vision as possible.
The primary job of the cover officer is to provide security for the contact officer who is concentrating on the person being contacted and not on his/her own security.
This technique should also be used when loss prevention agents approach shoplifters. Whenever there is more than one LP agent and unless the suspect is fighting, one of the agents should provide cover and be on the look out for” sneak attacks” from shoplifting partners, spouses, family members or shoppers who jump in to protect the shoplifter.
TRESPASS WARNINGS
One of the most useful and probably the most effective tool that I’ve used in the security profession has not been my gun or handcuffs or pepper spray, but my pen!
Many years ago, I designed a trespass warning system and guidelines that our officers used in ten states to control illegal drug use, loitering, vandalism, thefts, gambling, guns and violence in federal housing complexes as well as apartment complexes, clubs, shopping malls and many other businesses.
The general public is of the mindset that all of these businesses, especially those who heavily advertise for customers such as a department store, restaurant, amusement park etc. are public property and that no one has a right to tell them to leave.
Reasonable people of course know that this is not true.
Although these facilities and businesses are open to the general public and they are allowed access and encouraged to come and shop, party, play and relax, they are all private property and under the direct control of the property owner, renter or their agents including security personnel.
While the public is acting appropriately and using the facilities and properties as they are intended to be used and not being disorderly, drunk, committing crimes or causing a ruckus, all is well.
However, the minute that any of those things change, the person can immediately be trespassed off the property for a certain length of time should the situation warrant it.
Anyone who has damaged the property, caused a serious disturbance, been prosecuted for a crime, injured a staff member, patron or security officer should be trespassed for an extensive period of time.
Shoplifters, intoxicated persons, loiters, or those involved in minor offenses can also be trespassed at the property agent’s discretion.
ISSUANCE OF TRESPASS
Trespass warnings can be issued verbally or in writing and we always recommend the latter. The key to a good prosecution or defense is a paper trail.
We have designed a Trespass Warning in a format similar to a traffic citation. There are blocks for trespassers name, address, date of birth, social security number, description and signature. There is also room to include details of why the person has been trespassed from the property.
We explain the trespass warning to the person being trespassed and provide them with a copy with the reminder that they will be arrested should they return to the property.
With each trespass warning, comes a digital photo of the person which is then stored in a trespass warning computer file as well as a 3 ring binder which is issued to our officers on patrol.
Some states require that the trespass warning be issued by the local police department to be an “official” trespass notice. So once you have decided to trespass someone from the property, detain that person until police arrive and let them issue the warning as required by their protocols. This is not required of law but to be cooperative with your local police, let the officers follow their department policy.
TRESPASS ARREST
Once a person has been issued a verbal or written trespass warning, they are subject to arrest should they return to the property during the period that the warning is valid.
At the time of trespass and if your state statures and employer allows, you may detain or arrest the subject for criminal trespass without further warning.
Should you be called into court on this trespassing arrest, always bring the original trespass warning that was issued, the digital photo that was taken and any incident that may have been written by your department and the police agency regarding the trespass warning. This will provide solid evidence that the person had been notified not to return to the property and that they were fully aware of the consequences should they re-enter the property.
