From Suspicion to Safety: A Guard’s Guide to Spotting Trouble Before It Starts

Identifying suspicious behavior or activity is a fundamental skill for all security guards. Recognizing something unusual and acting on it can prevent injury, crime, and property damage, helping them ensure people and premises are safe and secure.

Vigilance is essential as suspicious behavior can sometimes be subtle—until it isn’t. Keen observation and communication skills and training in de-escalation techniques improve the chances of a guard defusing a situation before it becomes dangerous.

As always, there is a need to balance security, safety, and legal considerations to protect the client, guard, and security firm from liability stemming from the incident.

Learning to recognize suspicious behavior is an integral part of a guard’s training. While these abilities become more acute with experience, practical training that involves role play and drills in real life or VR can help to reinforce the concepts.

Recognizing Suspicious Behavior

Determining whether actions are unusual or just normal behavior is sometimes a judgment call. Guards who know their workplaces well can usually differentiate between the two, but different environments have unique challenges.

There are usually clear indicators that warrant additional scrutiny or intervention. Here are a few common red flags guards might encounter and deem suspicious:

• Loitering or excessive focus on the premises, activity, or entrance.
• Taking videos or photos of security personnel, vehicles, or restricted areas.
• Unauthorized attempts to access a restricted area.
• Unusual or suspicious items left unattended.
• Attempting to follow personnel or residents into restricted areas.

From a behavioral standpoint:

• Outward nervousness and inability to make eye contact when spoken to.
• Exhibiting unusual symptoms that could indicate mental health or medical emergencies, like talking to people who aren’t there, speaking incoherently, or confusion.
• Asking questions about security details, building plans, or personnel out of context or beyond “normal” curiosity.
• Clothing inconsistent with weather conditions (i.e., winter coat in the summertime, no coat or warm gear in the winter).

Since some of the above points might be explainable, the guard must proceed with an open mind. Trusting instincts is critical, but the guard must take care to avoid profiling or allowing bias to influence the conversation.

For example, a mental health crisis may outwardly seem suspicious, but it’s not criminal. As such, it must be handled with care and empathy to mitigate harm and ensure the individual gets the care they need.

Responding to Suspicious Persons Safely

Once suspicious activity is identified and interaction is initiated, safety must always be prioritized. Here are a few best practices to ensure guard safety during a response:

• Maintain a safe distance while assessing the situation. Keep a safe distance and continue to observe the individual before engaging.
• Approach the suspect(s) in a calm, professional manner, if necessary, while still keeping a safe distance.
• Do not interfere or physically intervene in a potential crime in progress until law enforcement is on the scene.
• Use de-escalation techniques to prevent conflict. We recommend Defencify’s Verbal Judo course to learn how to defuse tense situations.
• Avoid unnecessary confrontation. Observe and report instead! Physical confrontations may place the guard, the guard firm, and the client at risk.

Proper Reporting and Documentation

Reporting and documentation are vital to legal compliance. Accurate and timely reporting may protect the guard and the firm in the event of a civil or criminal lawsuit. Detailed reports can show that the guard did not overstep their responsibilities and acted appropriately when responding to a suspicious act. Reports can also be helpful to support witness testimony and will be requested if law enforcement or insurance claims are involved.

Reports should note key details of the perpetrator and the event, including:

• Date and time of the incident
• Physical description of the individual(s)
• Behavior observed (be as detailed as possible)
• Describe actions taken (i.e., direct interaction, who was called, etc.)

If the guard fails to de-escalate the situation, it must be reported to supervisors or law enforcement as appropriate. Even if law enforcement presence is not required, reports must be completed using as much detail as possible, including photographs or videos of damage, if warranted.

When completing reports, prioritize clear, concise language to ensure the salient points are noted.

Legal Considerations and Compliance

The legal landscape is often complex, especially when responding to suspicious activity.

Guards must understand trespassing laws and citizen’s arrest limitations, as they need to know when it’s legally appropriate to intervene and apprehend individuals.

Avoid the use of force unless absolutely necessary, as excessive force can lead to injury and potentially dire legal repercussions.

Compliance with company policies and local laws is essential, as well as adhering to established protocols to maintain the integrity of their actions and avoid liability. These legal and compliance considerations not only safeguard the rights of individuals but also protect the security personnel and their firm from potential lawsuits.

Training and Preparedness

Security guards are tasked with protecting property and individuals. To do their jobs effectively, they require thorough training to be prepared for any situation they might encounter.

Scenario-based training exercises are excellent ways for guards to learn how to anticipate and respond appropriately to real-life situations, honing their problem-solving skills and decision-making abilities.

Staying updated on security protocols and legal guidelines at the federal, state, and local levels ensures guards operate within the bounds of the law, upholding compliance and minimizing liability.

Lastly, we cannot stress enough the importance of teamwork and consistency. Coordinated training efforts ensure that all guards have the same training and understand how to respond in a way that reflects the firm’s values and expectations.

When information is shared promptly, and strategies are coordinated, it instills trust with clients and the public, ensuring the firm and its employees are recognized for their competence and trustworthiness.

Do Your Guards Know How to Respond to Suspicious Activity?

Security guards are tasked with remaining vigilant and professional at all times. Sharply honed observational skills may mean the difference between a peaceful resolution to an incident vs. one that winds up in court.

A standardized training program supports firms in ensuring their guards have the knowledge and strategies needed to keep the peace and protect people, the public, and property to the extent of their mandate. Strict adherence to federal, state, and local laws is also essential as it ensures guards are well-prepared to handle any situation responsibly.

Safety must always be a guiding principle in all actions and decisions. Along with preparedness, these are among the most important considerations for maintaining the highest standards of conduct in any contracted security environment.

Browse our elite guard training modules today or speak to us about developing a standardized training program for your guard firm.