CHAPTER 6 ACS Security Guard Training - COMMUNICATION & DE ESCALATION

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Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final chapter.
We’ve covered many topics: ethics, safety, emergencies, reporting, making arrests…but we left out one of the most essential topics: communication!

Think about it: security officers are often stationed in crowded places like shopping centers, concert venues, and hotel lobbies where many interactions take place. This increases the risk of confrontation and conflict.

You will likely interact with exhausted travelers, rude customers, and people who’ve had one too many drinks.

So how do you keep the peace?

Communication Skills (text graphic)

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A well-trained security officer knows how to communicate to maintain order.
Being professional goes hand in hand with people skills and the ability to respond to threats and de-escalate conflict.

Whether you are stationed at a restaurant, an office building, or a retail outlet, you represent Access Control Security and its sister companies, and we expect you to behave professionally and courteously when interacting with the public.

Maintaining an approachable, upbeat demeanor is part of your job. If someone is in distress or just needs a question answered, they must feel comfortable approaching you for assistance.

The top security officers have great people skills: not only are they professional and respectful, but they also know how to take control of a situation by verbally convincing individuals to behave properly and follow instructions.

Throughout your security career, you will be confronted with challenging situations that will call for your ability to communicate in ways that diffuse conflict instead of escalating it.

For example, how do you get a group of out-of-control teenagers to behave properly at a crowded mall? Or how do you get someone you are detaining to follow your instructions until the police arrive?

Verbal Judo (text graphic)

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You may have heard of the term Verbal Judo, but what exactly is it?

Verbal refers to communication; and Judo is a martial art that teaches self-control in combat.
In Judo, you don’t resist your opponent, you move with them and redirect them.
Likewise, Verbal Judo teaches that when you react, the event or interaction controls you, but when you listen and respond using calm persuasive language, you are in control.

Let’s take a look at how Verbal Judo works:

Listen – don’t react
For example, if someone yells at you “Get out of my way!” You have 2 options: you can yell back, “What’s your problem?!” and exacerbate the situation, or you can listen and respond in a professional tone by saying, “I see that you’re upset. How can I help you?”

Empathize – don’t judge
If someone fires insults at you because they feel threatened by the situation at hand, instead of judging them, try to put yourself in their shoes. Using phrases like “I can see how difficult this is for you” or “I see why you would be upset” will have an immediate calming effect.

Ask – don’t give orders
If you shout out, “Come here!” at someone who is already upset, you are likely to get a negative reaction. Instead, you could ask, “Can we talk for a second?” Or “Is there some way we can solve this problem?” People will be more cooperative if they have a chance to voice their opinion instead of being told what to do.
De-escalation techniques (text graphic)

Say you’re stationed at a shopping center. A very distressed mother comes to you in tears after losing her child in the mall. What do you do? Telling that parent to “calm down” is going to make things worse. You would first need to communicate in a way that brings the emotional intensity down, then make an informed decision on how to proceed.

So how does de-escalation work? Let’s take this step by step.

Be aware of signs of tension
Are people raising their voices, or clenching their fists? Watch for signs that a situation is heating up and could get out of control. No need to intervene too quickly. If you feel that the situation will resolve itself, then stay back and observe.

Deter by establishing your authority
Making your presence visible may help to defuse a tense situation before it becomes a problem. Most people shy away from authority.


If you decide to intervene, introduce yourself and your position. Remember, your first goal should be to calm all involved without having to take any additional measures.
Remain calm
Speaking assertively but calmly encourages a positive response. When you have everyone’s attention, you can outline the policy of the venue. For example, you can explain that shouting or making threats is not permitted.

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[kaischmidt]

Verry Great!! I, am a Security Member in Germany. I have se your Training and i have more learnt. Thank you verry much.

[westernallianceprotection]

Awesome Training videos: My name is Rod Franks and I own a Security Company in Cape Town, South Africa. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for these Videos. I posted them on our Internal Training channel and the impact on the general skill's level of our own security officers was immediate. It was well received and it became very clear, the fellas are gradually adopting the content of your clips.

[lesbetts]

nice thanks again for putting this all together.

[thagoon]

Great information,
I’ve worked 6 years in a school district that has its own security deparment. To make my job easier I would always be using verbal judo. I am an armed security officer so I have to have good judgement when it comes to dealing with visitors, students and parents. A lot of responsibility keeping the campus secured, keeping active shooters and intruders out the building. Love this vid!😌

[jackpalance]

Company policy, Individual prefeference, and the Uniform. We all don't wear a tactical style Uniform. I wore boots my whole life. First in the construction trade then in the Military. I started in my current post by wearing a pair of boots. Then I seen that most Offc's. wear black tennis shoes. So, I figured why not pamper myself... One thing that I do that differentiates me from my peers is that I starch, crease, and run a hot iron over my black slacks(yellow stripe) and my light blue buttoned collared top. I think that the condition of your Uniform is more important than if you wear boots or not. To each is own.

[pastorbryanch]

Great Video. May I have permission to embed the video into a powerpoint as part of our de-escalation training? Thanks

[Joe-bwew]

This is good. Why throw gasoline on someone smoldering?

[identitario]

This is the most naive take on security guard communication I have ever watched. The notion that you could de-escalate the situation by speaking like a character of a Hallmark Christmas movie to the kind of deranged individuals and mobs modern security guards have to face on a daily basis is beyond ignorant. The recommendations in this video might work in states like Vermont or small to medium cities in the New England region or other demographically homogeneous areas of the country. DO NOT try these tips in Atlanta, Baltimore, The Bronx, etc. You know, real-life cities with real-life people of diverse backgrounds. Be alert; sucker punchers, mob violence, gang conflicts, senseless violence, and temper tantrums can come out of nowhere, especially in malls and other public spaces.