I have been involved in most kinds of use-of-force training over the years. This includes private citizens, paid security and armed volunteer security (often focused on protecting a place of worship) to law enforcement. I often focus on the differences between these groups during classes when discussing the use of force. Specifically the goals each group has in such situations.

Common Challenges of Armed Private Volunteer Security

For all groups, the primary goal is to protect oneself, but as we look at secondary goals, these can change. You may not be working, training, or volunteering currently as private security. However, thinking about the goals of self-defense and how they may change with your goals is of value to anyone.

To put it simply, these goals shift from group to group. For private individuals, the goal is to protect a close-knit circle of friends and family. When teaching civilians, I often use the avoid, escape, and defend paradigm. Avoid situations where it is likely you may encounter a threat.

Using situational awareness, if a potential threat is identified, safely escape the situation if possible. Only when the previous two strategies fail should you prepare to defend. Even the act of defense will often include de-escalation with a focus on returning to escape. The goals are often focused on safely leaving the situation as quickly and safely as possible.

For the other two groups, these goals change. Security, either private paid or volunteer, are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They are charged with protecting a larger group of people or a particular location.

Thus, avoiding it is often not an option. Likewise, escape (though potentially still the best personal option) may be in direct conflict with their goal of protecting others.

Additionally, though they are charged with potentially detaining threats without the additional legal protections active law enforcement might enjoy, regardless of their level of training, private security has the same legal obligations as private citizens.

Working with Law Enforcement

This article is primarily a lessons-learned article focusing on the challenges of paid or volunteer security. However, for the purposes of completeness, let’s briefly discuss the final group.

For law enforcement, there is the additional goal of detaining those breaking the law. Most active-duty law enforcement officers have rules of engagement and additional legal protections to make their jobs easier. However, the result is that while a private citizen’s main goal is to safely retreat from a threat, in many situations, law enforcement’s main goal includes advancing towards a threat. In this way, there is a similarity with paid and volunteer security.

The greatest challenge for security is to understand their conflicting goals, public perception, and precarious legal situation. The conflicting goals are deciding how to balance their occupational charge. In most cases, protecting others and/or a location is the very real goal of protecting oneself.

Public perception refers to the advantages and disadvantages of being seen as law enforcement by most people. This can be an advantage in dissuading criminal elements that would be more likely to commit crimes in unprotected areas. It can also be a disadvantage as the perception does not include the legal protections law enforcement often has, allowing them to better protect.

This leads to the precarious legal position of being charged with a similar task as law enforcement without legal protection. Most security, whether paid or volunteer, will often not have the detention of criminals within their charge. However, they are expected to confront threats for the safety of others, changing the avoid/escape/defend paradigm of private citizens.

Who is Private Security

Private security forces cover a wide range of people. From those with little experience or training to former military (who may have some issues adapting military rules of engagement to civilian ones), off-duty police officers, and those with a high degree of training and experience.

The people on a Fortune 500 CEO’s security detail will be very different from other paid security details. Specifically, event security, night security at CVS or a storage facility, and those volunteering to protect their place of worship.

Though the experience may vary greatly, some things remain the same for anyone taking on this role at any level. For example, the need for training, clearly communicated rules of engagement and policies, and an understanding of the legal use of force.

Training Issues: Legal Use of Force and Defending Others

One of the most important challenges is the legal one. The common laws governing use of force vary from state to state.

In general, this Indiana statute sums it up: “A person is justified in using reasonable force against another person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force.”

Unlike active-duty law enforcement that has qualified immunity regarding arrest and detention, private or volunteer security have the same rights and liabilities as any other citizen. Thus, any training needs to fully discuss the specifics of the use of force. Not to mention, citizen’s arrest for anyone stepping into this role.

It is necessary to fully understand what legal actions a person protecting others or property can take within their jurisdiction. Fortunately, in the vast number of cases, criminals will avoid confrontations with security. However, unlike law enforcement, if push comes to shove, private or volunteer security has the same legal protection as any other citizen.

Though many companies (paid) and places of worship (volunteer) will authorize security to be identified and armed, the amount of training will significantly vary.

Some will rely on hiring those that have already been trained (though often under a different set of legal rules). Others will simply pick people who hopefully pass a background check, have some proficiency with a firearm, and rely on policy and procedure to do the rest.

Ideally, anyone working security will additionally receive training on their duties, legal issues, and use of force. But the reality is that this can be costly.

If someone is working security in any of these cases and is not provided this information and training, I highly recommend seeking expertise in these areas and becoming trained as well.