Don't Forget These Points When The Need to Use Force Erupts

I was reading  a newspaper account the other day about a policeman who savagely beat a teenager  he was interviewing whom he suspected was one of the trouble makers at a party when he became enraged by the youth's claims that he was not the one he was looking for.


.He, of course is far from the lone sufferer of this malady in the police  (and even security) world as you can see from numerous media accounts of the excessive use of force by police officers or security guards.  It seems that far too many police officers and security people forget some critical parts of the use of force -- such as these:



Everyone in Canada, whether they are a private citizen or a police officer is allowed to use force to protect themselves or somebody else, to prevent an assault or other crime, or to prevent a suspect from escaping -- however:(1) They must be sure that what they are doing at the time is either allowed or authorized by law. (2) There  must be no other alternative to the use of that force ( especially lethal force). (3) They must start with a minimum amount of force -- just enough to control the situation..(4) They must never use any more force than necessary -- what can be justified  by law.


This, of course, requires  a continuous assessment  of the situation from the time they first learn of the situation or person they are going to confront right through to the end of the engagement.




If more police officers -- and security professionals practised  this type of thing there is bound to be far few cases of police and security guard brutality.




In emergency situations following such a guideline is not easy as decisins about how to react to somebody must be made in secons not minutes, but it seems that far too often police officers -- and others  --don't follow any guidelines such as the National Use of Force Model in Canada at all they just explode in a rage -- destroying their own careers as well as the lives of their victims.




A prudent police officer or security professional will always keep these guidelines in mind. As most do!.

Are You Aware of Your Surroundings?

With so many persons, both men and women, disappearing across North America these is often wonder how much of this could  be prevented if the person had been more aware  of  their surroundings - namely  dangers from  predators who often watch potential victims for some time before striking.

When I started teaching a course for prospective security guards I quickly  learned that most persons go through the day going from point A to point B without noticing  very much about their surroundings. At the start of each class  I usually tell the students that at the end of the week I will be asking them to describe somebody in the class as well as the stairwell leading up to the classroom. 


Most fail miserably at this.



And this  is something  you see in everyday life as well. Stand on any street corner and you'll notice just how many persons  are so caught up in cell phone conversations or their efforts to get where they are going that  they  don't have a clue  who they just past or who is sitting  in a car beside  them. 

As many predators  observe you for some time to plan  if, how, and where they are going to attack you this tendency of most of us  creates many easy targets for these criminals.

Could You Create an Accurate Description?

 Could  you create an accurate description of the suspect if your were attacked by a criminal or witnessed a crime?  A surprisingly large number of people could not.

In one instance the manager of the bank gave  the police a suspect descrption that was the complete  opposite of reality.  After the traukmatic crimne her mind played games on her and where she describedh im as short he was tall; where describged him as at he was muscular and athletic. Where described him as having a drak complextion with brown or black hair he was actually blond with blue eyes.

Your mind can play games on you like this if you are either  the victim of a crime or a witness, but you can overcome these problems if you are more prepared.  Some security people, for instance make a practice of developing their sills in suspect description by practicising  when people they encounter on a regular basis.

They practice recreating a mental picture of that person who just passed them whenever they have the opportunity. In this way they become more adept at noticing  and remembering the features of  persons they meet.

It is just like riding a bicycle. At first you will find it difficult but as you practice it will become second nature.

Don't Fool Yourself

When it comes to food you can cause yourself a lot of harm by convincing yourself that all food is good simply because it is labeled organic.

As Jon Jerring, Managing Editor of  Total Health Breakthroughs  warns, for instance, sugar is still sugar whatever its source and can cause a lot of health problems including  obesity,  heart disease, and  diabetes if you consume too much. This causes dangerous spikes in the insulin in your blood.

You can't go overboard just because it is  organic or experts tell you  a particular food or fruit  is rich in antioxidants or other disease fighting quialities unlike a friend of ours who heard that the beta carotene in carrots is not only good for protecting your eyesight but is also a cancer fighter. She responded to this information by consuming so much this through jkuices that her fingers actually developed an orange tinge.

Also, when shopping don't  fool yourself into believing that just because something is labeled "organic"  that it is. Be a food detective and check out its source.

Two Excellent Sources of Critical Security Information

If you are looking for clear concise information on how to protect your business or protect clients' people, property, and information there are two excellent magazines available.


One is  Canadian Security . You can find an online edition at www.canadiansecurity mag.com.


the other one is  Loss Prevention, published by Spark Publications and found at www.LPportal.com.


Subscriptions to both publications are free to security and loss prevention professionals and come in online and print editions. Both focus on timely, usable ideas.

A Wake Up Call for Everyone

A recent report in Metro News on November 12, 2009 in Vancouver  B.C. Canada was a real wake up call for everyone.


According to the story  many persons during the recent H1N1 epidemic scare , including hockey players, staff of private colleges and others have  went into survival mode jumping the queue to get  their H1N1 vaccination ahead of others.


Professor Scott Schieman  a  University of Toronto Sociology professor says it is all about their personal "survival mode".


According to Schieman when threats like the swine flu  (H1N1 virus) erupt many persons will do whatever it takes to ensure t heir personal survival.


Their selfish actions upset many persons but it should wake the rest of us up, realizing that there are many persons in the world like that, people who would do anything to ensure their personal survival regardless of how it affected others and take steps to make sure that we have a personal survival plan for ourselves and our families and practiced putting into action so we are prepared to survive any natural or man-made disaster.


In any natural disaster, although their have been some heart-warming accounts of people going out of the way to rescue and help others after natural disasters, this might not always be the case and we should be prepared to survive independent of others around us if they are not so willing to put others ahead of themselves.


Being prepared to ride out any disasters will also put you in a much better position to be able to help others who are caught unprepared or in situations beyond their control.

A Case of False Assumptions

The case of Amanda  Knox who was today found guilty of murdering her room mate and sentenced to 26 years in jail is a stark reminder that the justice we enjoy in Canada and the United States does not always exist  in other countries --even some European countries such as Italy.

Amanda, her lawyers and family  apparently assumed she would receive a fair trail instead of a verdict determined by the media.

Her final fate will not be decided perhaps for another two to six years  if and when an appeal is heard  or the case is heard by European Court of Justice forcing Amanda family and friends  through an emotional gauntlet for some time.

The case is a stark reminder of the need for Americans Canadian  and others who are protected by the presumption of innocence   rule in their justice systems to take extra precautions to protect themselves when travelling to European and other countries  as all of this is reminiscent of the British couple in Spain or Portugal were the police there accused  them of been responsible for their young daughter's disappearance a few years ago.