Suspects moving beyond verbal aggression toward the threat of an imminent physical attack require the use of less than lethal force. The agency for which the officer works should provide proper training in its use. Personnel are legally required to cleanse the suspect with eye wash after dispersing a chemical agent. Be prepared to administer decontamination procedures after spraying someone. Spray the suspect’s face for only a few seconds. Use it sparingly to avoid spraying innocent bystanders. Understanding how to use pepper spray properly is important. If security personnel cannot restrain a subject with control holds, they may have to resort to oleoresin capsicum (OC), or pepper spray. Never use chokeholds it’s hard to judge how the pressure of a chokehold distresses different individuals. Be sure not to restrict their breathing or circulation. Use enough weight and strength to restrict their ability to move, but not so much as to hurt them. When using control holds, it’s vital not to get too aggressive in order to avoid injuries to both you and the suspect. If the subject is much larger than an officer, it’s important to have backup close by. These holds limit the subject’s movement, giving security personnel control of their arms and hands. Control holds allow an officer to incapacitate a threatening suspect. If a security officer decides it’s time to use physical force, they must remember only to use the necessary amount needed to gain control of the suspect - no more, no less. This type of suspect is a passive resistor - they won’t respond to verbal commands, but they give in when an officer initiates physical contact. Level TwoĪn agitated suspect who gives the impression that they may lash out at security staff or other individuals requires escalation. Avoid this at all costs professionalism is always the right choice. However, if even one officer begins acting inappropriately and is seen as a threat, negative behavior can escalate quickly and the use of force will be unnecessarily raised. If personnel have received proper training and know how to conduct themselves, the public will consider them non-threatening and they will behave accordingly. A security officer posted around a facility provides a calming influence. The mere presence of an officer often makes any incident settle down fairly quickly. Knowing how to use verbal commands efficiently and with authority allows officers to subtly gain control of a situation. Most encounters security officers handle only require verbal commands, as the majority of people don’t want to cause trouble. This type of suspect is considered passive compliant. If the subject is not acting aggressively and complies with an officer’s requests, there is no need to escalate this encounter to a higher level. The lowest level of the use of force continuum involves using no physical force at all. We’ll examine each level of the use of force continuum, when it should be applied and how to get suspects to cooperate based on their initial level of compliance (or lack thereof). Being well versed in the proper use of force makes an officer’s job much easier. The use of force continuum is relevant in all aspects of law enforcement, security or any other occupation in the protective services field. It is vital for personnel to know how to read a suspect’s behavior so they can react accordingly and not cause the situation to spiral out of control. Knowing when it’s time to apply more force is just as important as knowing when to calm things down using de-escalation techniques. Escalation and de-escalationĮscalation and de-escalation are also integral to the use of force continuum. Fluency in methods like verbal self-defense can alleviate tensions between security personnel and suspects, limiting the necessary amount of force needed to achieve compliance. Their department should offer constant educational instruction that covers all aspects of the job. Security personnel also do not have the power to arrest a disruptive person and could get in trouble if they try.Īs a result of these limitations, security officers must rely on proper and continuous training. Their agency may not even allow physical contact with suspects. Some are not allowed to carry tasers, nightsticks or handcuffs. They typically don’t have access to weapons like handguns and rifles. Security officers, on the other hand, are more limited in what they can do. Police officers working the streets have many tools at their disposal due to the inherent dangers of their job. The use of force continuum differs greatly for officers in different fields of service.
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