Implementing Meaningful De-Escalation Training in Your Security Program

For modern security programs, the traditional “tough on crime” approach is being increasingly replaced with a strategy that encompasses the use of empathy and verbal de-escalation. We live in an era of viral video’s that only show part of the story, of “influencers” with no accountability but lots of followers, and of tired people with short fuses. Interactions with these types or people generally don’t result in positive reviews on your company’s website. In this era a security guard’s most powerful tool on their proverbial tool belt is not their baton or handcuffs — it’s their ability to effectively recognize and professionally manage human emotion in stressful situations.

Implementing effective de-escalation training can no longer be a luxury offered only to personnel in high-risk roles; it is a critical risk-mitigation strategy that protects the employer, the employee and the client in all aspects of our industry.