Use of Force by the Response team

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

Impacting Factors / Flashpoints Refer to the SOP risk assessment :

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

Personal Safety for all those involved in the Ejection

Personal Safety for all those involved in the Ejection It will also be of concern, whenever dealing with a difficult situation, that you must always consider your own and your colleagues safety at all times:

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.

Personal Safety Strategy Refer to the SAFE model :

Anticipate and Recognise a Risk Take Action to Remove or Avoid it Common Sense = Common Practice

Impacting Factors / Flashpoints Refer to the SOP risk assessment :

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

Incident Recording and Scene Preservation

Persevering evidence at a crime scene

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

Protecting the Scene of the Crime

Basic consideration of scene preservation The following principles to be consider: Do not let the evidence be contaminated, for example, be adding fingerprints or footprints Prevent evidence being destroyed, for example , fingerprints, disposing of drugs or offensive weapons Prevent evidence being removed, for example, glasses, bottles, offensive weapons or drugs litter Prevent evidence being moved , for example, tidying up Finally, once the Police arrive explain what action you have taken to secure the scene of the crime.

Securing the Scene of Crime/Incident - the 4 Cs Drill

The following is a simple and easy way to manage a scene of a crime/incident is to apply the 4 Cs drill, this will allow you and the response/security team to keep the area clear from evidence being contaminated: Confirm This can be achieved by providing accurate information of the scene of the crime/incident. This will allow the control room coordinate Police assistance to assist you and the team in dealing with the incident. Clear Clear the immediate area. Once venue control acknowledges you report of the incident.

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.

Incident Report writing

Incident report writing will require the response/security team member to take down accurate information of the incident. This information would be recorded in the security staff personal note book, tape recorder and then entered into either a Stadium/Venue security incident logbook or an official incident report. This security/incident logbook can be expected to be found in any of the following locations: Stadium/Venue control room Security reception of the Stadium/Venue Main reception of the venue Incident reports and logs are accountable documents and must be controlled by the appropriate Stadium/Venue managers. These documents must be always be available for either the Police or Local authorities. All notes should show the date and time that they were written. Notes should be countersigned by a witness. These notes will help you if you have to make a statement to the police or give evidence in court.

Recording incidents in your personal notebook

As well as making entries in the Response/security incident Logbook, it is advisable to record details of your personal involvement in any of the incidents listed above in your personal not book. Only for work-related reports in case you need to produce it as evidence in court. What information needs to be recorded in the book? The response/security member involved should record details of the following situations:

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

How to write a report

As the reports you write in the Security/Incident Logbook and your personal notebook might be used as evidence in court, you need to know a few rules about writing in these books:

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

Information in a incident Report

The system of a logical progression from describing a person (offender or offenders) from top to bottom can be made even easier by simply applying the A-H formula as follows: It is far more important to REMEMBER physical characteristics than their clothing.

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

Incident Report Guideline

You are now required to return to the e-learning home page and complete the Scene of an Incident report. The assessment will require you to carry out the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Print off the scenario exercise Print off the incident report form Study the incident video Describe the offender using the A- H formula Place the incident for into your course work portfolio

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

Account for Your Actions What can we do better?

The courts do not accept Door Staff are caused harassment, alarm or distress by words such as: FUCK, CUNT, BOLLOCKS, WANKERS "Restrained for Staff Safety" - Not sufficient! We can restrain but we must be able to justify it. Fully detail all the circumstances, set the scene, and describe their build, your build, their demeanour, and any warning signals Include all the factors available to you. "No notes made at scene due to customer security" - Not sufficient! Will you be able to recall specific security issues, on a particular day with that customer, in 510 years time? You MUST record in your notes why you could'nt put pen to paper at the scene.

You can never write too much

The Court's view: "If it's not witten down it didn't happen" Badly written notes = Blank Cheque

Section 5 Public Order Act 1986

Threatening abusive or insulting (FULLY EVIDENCED)

Words of behaviour, or disorderly behaviour ("DIRECT SPEECH")

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

Breach of the Peace

All "Breach of the Peace" arrests require comprehensive notes

Any person can arrest:

1. where a breach of the peace is committed by the person arrested in the presence of the person making the arrest OR 2. where the person making the arrest reasonably believes that such a breach will be committed in the immediate future by the person whom he has arrested although no breach has occurred at the stage OR 3. where a breach of the peace has been committed by the person arrested and the person making the arrest reasonably belives that a renewal of it is threatened

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

Drunk and Disorderly

Behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place whilst drunk, you must show that the person was both drunk and disorderly Drunkenness As a result of excessive consumption of alcohol Disorderly Behaviour Unruly or offensive behaviour

Ensure details of both are fully documented

Justify your Actions

Detail is Everything "I was assaulted on Duty and HE walked away with 25,000" "Thanks to my lack of notes the 10 hours of cross examination at the civil trial, 8 years after the incident, was the worst experience of my life!" Dont let this be you! Confrontational Arrest + Force = Likely claim You're often forced to make vital split second decisions so be sure to include your thought process, at the time, in your notes

Use of Force and Human Rights Act 1998

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"