Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The following need to be considered when dealing with an offender. As previously discussed the use of force must be the final resort in managing a difficult situation; once again you will be required to use the SAFE and SOP model in this situation.
Is there a need to use force? What is the relationship between the resistance offered and the force used? Can control be established without causing injury? Is the force being applied in good faith?
Where it has been determined that the use of force is absolutely necessary in the circumstances, the points to consider are as follows:
Tactical sound will it work in the Venue? Medical sound what is the potential injury for all parties? Legally sound is it reasonable use of force in line with the training and policy?
When is Force Required? You must be able to show you had the perception that:
They had the opportunity to do you or others harm. They had the ability to do you or others harm. They had the intent to do you or others harm.
Common Law
Common Law Common Law provides a defence of self defence, which may be relied on by Stewards who use reasonable force to deal with an offender. It follows that a Steward may be committing an assault if they use force maliciously or where it is not absolutely necessary, or if they use more force than is reasonably necessary for the purpose.
Circumstances may justify pre-emptive strike or action Honestly held belief as to circumstances supports the defence of self defence Force must be reasonable, but the Courts recognise difficulties in the heat of the moment Recognise a Risk Take Action to Remove or Avoid it Common Sense = Common Practice
Relative Strength Relative Skill Level Exhaustion or Injury Numbers of People and Stewards/Police Special Knowledge Alcohol and/or Drugs State of Mental Health Weapons Perceived Imminent Danger Being at a Perceived Disadvantage Your Perception of Resistance
Personal Safety Strategy SAFE and SOP. Impact Factors There are many factors to consider. Safety At All Times this will be paramount throughout the ejection. Personal Protective Equipment If this is issued then you must use it.
Anticipate and Recognise a Risk Take Action to Remove or Avoid it Common Sense = Common Practice
Relative Sex, Age and Size Relative Strength Relative Skill Level Exhaustion or Injury Numbers of People and Stewards/Police Special Knowledge Alcohol and/or Drugs State of Mental Health Weapons Perceived Imminent Danger Being at a Perceived Disadvantage Your Perception of Resistance
Escort Techniques
Escort Techniques
Finally the Steward will find that the offender will be required to be escorted from the venue. The ejection procedure is broken down into three methods of ejection and this is very much subject to the situation that you find yourself in with the offender. The three basic techniques and procedures to follow are:
Green - Basic Escort Technique Amber - Reinforced Escort Technique Red- Detention in the Venue:
During your practical training we will look at how we can escort and eject the offender, by using control and restraint techniques. Offenders who are to be ejected or who have been arrested may be taken in the first instance to the police room or similar facility within the Venue complex. Where it exists, all Stewards must be aware of the location of the detention facility and also the correct way of getting there. For example, it is bad practice to travel around the pitch perimeter. In general terms, the offender should be taken down the nearest vomitory or exit and escorted through the concourses or if necessary, around the outside of the ground. Learning from Conflict and ejection procedures An important aspect of learning from conflict and the ejection procedures enables Stewards to establish the best practice and methods of avoiding conflicting situations. The Chief Stewards debrief after the event is as important to safety as the brief that took place prior to the event. The lessons learnt are of value, and the less experienced Steward could gain valuable information on dealing with difficult situations. Learning from our experiences provides good practice in our drills and procedures, and will ultimately promote confidence when operating with a large gathering of people. Incidents reports After any incident a report must be written and handed a supervisor. This provides:
Support, reports allow the team to learn and establish the best practice Learn opportunities from what happened, each situation will be different Shared experiences, debriefs and meeting will allow you to share your thoughts on dealing with confrontation Reflection, always reflect back to how you dealt with the situation
Previous lessons taught you explored issues relating to Law and Legislation that will require you to involve the Police to detain offenders that may have committed a serious crime in the Stadium / Venue. Following a crime it can be very important for the Police to be able to obtain the necessary evidence in order to be able to convict the offender / offenders. The rule of evidence is that real evidence is best. Real evidence is, for example, the bottle, glass, any offence weapons or object used in the assault or written or oral witness account of the incident. The next best evidence is the secondary evidence. An example of this is the digital photography filming from the Stadium / Venue CCTV cameras, head cam-recorders. This recording will be classed as secondary evidence. Other items of evidence would include forensic evidence such as: Hair Blood samples Finger prints
Cordon Once you have cleared the immediate area, there will be a requirement for you and the team to cordon the immediate area. This will allow only Police specialists into the area to deal with the scene of the crime/ incident, NO general public will be kept away. Control The control of the cordon will require you to be positive and assertive when dealing with the general public.
Items found around the scene of the incident People refused entry People eject from the Stadium/Venue Customers/Staff injured in the accidents Calls to the emergency services Crimes reported by customers in the venue Use of force on offenders
Arrest made when handing over to the Police Complaints from Customers Any other security related incidents
Rules for incident recording You need to record the following information:
What happened, what you saw, what you where told, what action you took, what the result was, did you feel that you threatened or arm could of been inflicted on others around you Where the incident took place The date and time of the incident. If and when the police were called The people involved and any witnesses Any reason why the incident happened Finally, its important that you sign your note book and that you get it countersigned by a witness
Write about the incident as soon as possible after it happened Write in ink Make sure your writing is reliable If you make a mistake, pull a line through it. Do not rub or tippex out mistakes If you need to change or add to an entry, write your initials next to the changes Do not tear pages out of the books
Height: very tall , medium, short, or very short. Hair: colour, long, short, curly, straight, clean, greasy, receding, thick, bald, wig, afro, moustache, beard, sideburns. Ears: large, small, jug, small lobes, large lobes, earrings, cauliflower. Eyebrows: heavy, thin, none, meeting in the middle. Eyes: colour, glasses, cross-eyed, false, eye, bulging, squint. Face Shape: round, square, oval, long, fat, thin. Nose: small, large, aquiline, bulbous, broken, hooked, roman. Scars: arm, leg, hand, wrist, neck, chest, back, disfigurement, due to burns etc. Teeth: missing, gold, broken, false, decayed, irregular, protruding, stained, overbite. Complexion: skin colour, spots, scars, birthmarks, moles, warts, dirty, fresh-faced. Voice: loud, soft, accent, speech impediment.
Build: heavy, light, stocky, skinny, athletic, chubby, fat. Deformities: disfigured, hunchback, amputee, club foot. Tattoos: hand, arms, shoulders, patterns, pictures, names, words, initials. Sex: male, female, trans-sexual, transvestite. Jewellery: rings, bracelets, necklaces, bandages, initials. Age: sometimes difficult to assess, attempt to bracket the age i.e. 20 -23 early twenties /24 -26 mid twenties / 27 29 late twenties. Clothes: colour, garments, neat, untidy, lettering, logos, patches, tears, missing buttons, gloves, uniform, work wear. Accessories: were they holding anything bag, weapon, car keys. Direction: which way the person his travelling. Footwear: colour, shoes, boots, trainers, sandals, high heels, unusual design, large, small
The A H information below provides detailed information, however by using just A-C in your report will provide sufficient information A Age bracket the subject age i.e. early twenties 20 -23 B Build, finding the description in the above information i.e. Thin or fat. C Clothes, Keep this simple dark blue jacket, dark jeans. D Distinctive marks, tattoo, skin disorder. E Elevation, height of the subject bracket this 510 to 60ft F Face, consider is complexions, dark, white, black, Round face. G - Gender, Male or Female H Hair, blonde shoulder length hair
Remember: A-H A Age bracket the subject age i.e. early twenties 20 -23 B Build, finding the description in the above information i.e. Thin or fat.
C Clothes, Keep this simple dark blue jacket, dark jeans. D Distinctive marks, tattoo, skin disorder. E Elevation, height of the subject bracket this 510 to 60ft F Face, consider is complexions, dark, white, black, Round face. G - Gender, Male or Female H Hair, blonde shoulder length
Within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress (VERY UNLIKELY TO BE YOU) You WILL lose the case without: Compelling evidence of a person within sight or hearing likely to be caused HAD - describe their reactions Don't forget the CCTV! An independent witness is worth 10 Door statements
To justify an arrest using (2) or (3) the threat must be REAL and IMMINENT and fully evidenced. Good Practice: Evidence of fear, vulnerability, volatilty, physical injury, psychological factors, children present, witnesses, demeanour of all parties, extent and duration of aggression, previous incidents, CRIS/CRIMINT/Merlin/CAD, special schemes and midscreen comments
Proportionate
Actions must be fair and achieve a balance between needs of society and the rights of an individual. Consider options and select the least intrusive
Legal
Actions must be supported by legistation or stated cases. Specify which power you are using
Accountable
Actions will be open to scrutiny. Fully record your actions and options considered. Show factors that influenced your decisions, inlcuding those reasons for not taking action
Necessary
Actions must be "necessary in a democratic society". You must be able to justify any infringement of rights Summary of Powers to use Force Expanding on the Use of Force legislation section. 1. Common Law If you have a genuine honestly held belief that you or another are in imminent danger. You may use such force as is reasonable and necessary to avert danger, stop or prevent a breach of peace or to save life 2. Section 3(1) Criminal Law Act 1967 States: "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large"