Hi first post so be gentle lol.
I'm fairly new to security so need a bit of advice on if I handled this right. I have my door supervisor and CCTV licences. My experience started at the commonwealth games and then I started at a shopping centre as a Security Guard in Scotland about a year ago.
Mostly the job is easy, but we do have a small problem with teenagers thinking they can do what they want in the centre; like most shopping centres I guess? Anyway the centre is only open in the evening for gym members to gain access so the late shift is simply to monitor the CCTV and go and politely ask non-gym members to leave. There used to be two guards on this shift however after a very short lived and expensive entry system was put in place it was reduced to one and hasn't changed even though the entry system is broken.
Tonight 3 teens came in two of whom we have asked to leave many, many times before and one of them continues to walk further into the centre pretending to talk on his phone (he took it out his pocket the moment he saw me). I raise my voice slightly to again ask him to leave as by this time he's about 20 feet away facing in the other direction and he turns round, walks up to me and starts to threaten me because I shouted at him. His mates were very quiet at this point so I doubted it would be anything more than him trying to punch me and I've done a bit of martial arts so knew I could restrain him if need be.
I did the professional thing and remained polite but assertive. After about five minutes of more threats from him he starts walking further into the centre even though there's an exit a few feet away. I get in front of him a few times with arms open, hands open too with palms facing him to show I wasn't going to hit him just trying to stop him but he shoves past and the 3 of them leave via another exit at the back of the centre. I followed procedure and contacted the police as the teens were walking through the centre with me trailing behind now but they called later to say sorry for not showing up.
Anyway I hope I explained what happened clearly enough to get your opinions? Did I do the right thing? The moment he shoved past me could I have restrained him?
I'm fairly new to security so need a bit of advice on if I handled this right. I have my door supervisor and CCTV licences. My experience started at the commonwealth games and then I started at a shopping centre as a Security Guard in Scotland about a year ago.
Mostly the job is easy, but we do have a small problem with teenagers thinking they can do what they want in the centre; like most shopping centres I guess? Anyway the centre is only open in the evening for gym members to gain access so the late shift is simply to monitor the CCTV and go and politely ask non-gym members to leave. There used to be two guards on this shift however after a very short lived and expensive entry system was put in place it was reduced to one and hasn't changed even though the entry system is broken.
Tonight 3 teens came in two of whom we have asked to leave many, many times before and one of them continues to walk further into the centre pretending to talk on his phone (he took it out his pocket the moment he saw me). I raise my voice slightly to again ask him to leave as by this time he's about 20 feet away facing in the other direction and he turns round, walks up to me and starts to threaten me because I shouted at him. His mates were very quiet at this point so I doubted it would be anything more than him trying to punch me and I've done a bit of martial arts so knew I could restrain him if need be.
I did the professional thing and remained polite but assertive. After about five minutes of more threats from him he starts walking further into the centre even though there's an exit a few feet away. I get in front of him a few times with arms open, hands open too with palms facing him to show I wasn't going to hit him just trying to stop him but he shoves past and the 3 of them leave via another exit at the back of the centre. I followed procedure and contacted the police as the teens were walking through the centre with me trailing behind now but they called later to say sorry for not showing up.
Anyway I hope I explained what happened clearly enough to get your opinions? Did I do the right thing? The moment he shoved past me could I have restrained him?