Advice needed I was faced by 3 teens while working alone in the evening

Bolinger

New Member
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?
 
Firstly the system seems completely idiotic. People will walk in if the door is open in a shopping mall. There should be card access points where only gym members can gain entry or need to be verified by you before entering. Although this costs money and management would rather have you running around everytime someone walks in fair enough...

Just to let you know these teenagers come in because it is entertaining for them. The more you shout at them and create conflict the more attention they get and makes their evening more eventful. It is a game to them. I would recommened before you walk up to these teenagers to make sure your CCTV guy points the camera at you. Just to make sure you do not get accused of assault.

The way you conduct yourself around teenagers needs to be different than your usual customer. When a teenager sees you facially react and get mad it gives them a reward inside and they will keep doing it. You need to go upto them with a smile and not shout at them and politely ask them to leave and explain why. If you give teenagers respect they will respect you back. If they refuse to leave --- well this is all dependent on what your assignment instructions tell you. On our site we are not allowed to physically touch anyone. So give your assignment instructions a read to actually find out what you can do....

I would not recommened physically touching them. There are 3 of them and 1 of you. Who is to say one of them doesn't belt you round the head when you're dragging his mate out ? You won't be restraining anyone --- not when you have 1 on the ground and two of his mates kicking you in the head. The shopping centre game is a bit different than door work... bigger venues/longer walks to the exit points etc less backup on nights.

Let me give you a scenario.. lets say you do throw him out. He then walks back in. You throw him out again. He then walks back in laughing at you - what are you going to do ? You then call the police and they leave --- they then come back 15 minutes later when the police are gone -- see how this scenario can turn quickly futile for you ? You'll start a massive fued with these kids - they'll get their mates and soon enough your night shift will be a massive pain in the ass.

If they will not leave when you politely ask there is not much you can do. The security system is flawed and you need to get hold of your area manager. They need to sort the system out. If they do not sort the system out all i recommened is watching them on the CCTV - wait for them to do something criminal that isn't just trespassing and call the police.

You can contact the management to gain some sort of banning order although on our site the management can't be bothered for any of that so it really depends on what sort of management you have.

You can also contact your local police officer of the area and let them know who these people are. They are probably known to them.
 
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Couldn't agree more shogun, especially...
Just to let you know these teenagers come in because it is entertaining for them. The more you shout at them and create conflict the more attention they get and makes their evening more eventful. It is a game to them

I could get shot down for this but in my experience 'palms wide open' and soft talking does not work with some people, teenagers especially may see it as weakness, please don't get me wrong I'm by no means heavy handed but there's a lot to be said for nipping something in the bud before it escilates. Don't give them a reaction, just lay down they're not getting in. As showgun rightly stated above show respect and hope for it back while not giving an inch, they have no business there.

Failing that tell them you shagged their ma ;)
 
I agree colonel 100%. From experience with kids you got to be on their level. This would work in a nightclub but it is a bit different in a shopping centre. We have about 6 large doors on each end. You can stand there all day telling them they are not coming in before one of them sprints in and starts running around the table and chairs - you then throw them out and they come back in at the other end. Your shift now consists of throwing kids out who have a laugh at security shouting at them and emotionally reacting. Before long they tell others and you find your shifts now harder.

With people above 20 years old you can be more assertive and people listen but kids see it as a challenge. It all depends on the situation. Kids banging on a bench or playing loud music ask them politely to stop. Kids throwing chairs around be more assertive.

As an example of my approach - I caught 20 teenagers drinking up in the car park. They were being loud. A colleague of mine went up there and shouted at them to stop. They laughed at him. I got called up and politely asked them to switch it off and they did. This is just what works from experience. If they refuse just esculate the assertiveness.
 
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Thanks for the replies.

I totally agree the system is idiotic, an open door invites you to walk through it but the management won't repair the entry system so the reality is someone has to go down and ask people to leave especially if they are misbehaving.

Unfortunately the particular group we have a problem with, that these three I mentioned are part of don't come in for a chase or a laugh. Trying to be on their level ends up with cheek, abuse, threats and more disruption to the centre. The local police and council leave them to smoke weed and drink on the towns high street so they feel like they can get away with anything.
Our latest instance was on Saturday, we had to ask 9 of them to leave for literally dragging each other about the floor. Although it makes our cleaners jobs that much easier it doesn't look good to our customers.
We were professional but assertive and most of them left with only a few cheeky remarks which is water off a ducks back to me Both myself and the colleague assisting me were threatened by one with being stabbed turns out the guy was already on bail. (I was surprised the police turned up tbh but nice to see that there is a level of anti-social behaviour they do respond to in the town centre).

I looked through our latest version of the assignment instructions (should have done it on day one I know) to see if they mention when the company feels it is ok to physically restrain someone and find that they are a joke. They were updated in February last year but state patrol routes that mean walking through walls thanks to a refurbishment over two years ago and specifically state that no lone working is to be carried out in the centre even though I can clock up lone working hours in double figures every other week due to my rota. Btw my supervisor has confirmed we have no lone worker policy either but that we should carry the local shop safe radio for protection when alone.
The instructions do however say that I can use reasonable and appropriate physical force if need be so I think restraining someone would have been appropriate during the event I described in the original post.
 
Bolinger,

You raise some interesting issues,

Firstly that of you as a lone worker, the SOP for the venue you work, and what your employer is doing going forward.
As security provider, I would be going to the gym via the centre management to have a second man provided at the gyms expense, subject to them their tenancy agreement of course.
alternatively rather than monitoring the CCTV, man the door and refuse entry and I would continue that action until the door was fully operational and I would also recommend a full height turnstile to stop tailgating and implement anti pass back on the entry system.

The problem isn't the teenager its the shopping centre allowing access to the teenagers.
get your concerns into your boss and cc in the centre management, cover your ass before you get bitten on it.

Regards

premier
 
Hi premier,

The gym's recently asked to have a cleaner in all night, when the centre management asked them to pay for a guard to be in the centre too for insurance purposes, the gym decided not to go ahead with a night shift.

There are two ways for gym members to enter the centre after closing (car park and high street entrance) so manning one is pointless as I'd spend my time going to and from each door also the control room has to be manned to monitor the car park cameras for when the teens decide to go in there. As I said in a post not yet moderated we have no lone worker policy because the assignment instructions state no lone working is to be done in the centre. I also doubt the entry system will ever be repaired as it's been nearly a year now since it broke.
 
If I got it right............ your duties at night is to man the control room........ there is no lone worker instructions......... so in hind sight.......... man the control room....... teens turn up....... ring the police....... tell them you cant leave the control room as you are a lone worker.......... this action will have a dual effect........ police will insist the center management either fix the door system........ or they will supply a second guard......... as they (police) will refuse to attend the center unless it is an emergency 999 call...........

Lakeside in Guildford area had the same problem.......... within 3 days of the lone worker/control room officer ringing police..... miraculously the door systems were fixed...... surrey police sent the center management an invoice for the 9 attendances at the center.
 
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