SAIWA - Security Agents Institute of Western Australia Crowd Control Procedures Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A crowd controller at a licensed venue in Perth identifies an individual in the queue who is clearly intoxicated, displaying slurred speech and unsteady balance. What is the most appropriate and lawful first step for the crowd controller?
- Ignore the person and hope they are refused service by the bar staff inside.
- Calmly and politely inform the person that entry is being refused due to their level of intoxication, citing venue policy and relevant legislation. (Correct answer)
- Allow the person entry but inform the bar staff to refuse them service.
- Immediately use physical force to remove the person from the queue.
Correct answer: Calmly and politely inform the person that entry is being refused due to their level of intoxication, citing venue policy and relevant legislation.
The Liquor Control Act 1988 makes it an offence for a licensee to permit an intoxicated person on the premises. A crowd controller's primary duty is to prevent such entry. The correct procedure is to refuse entry professionally and state the reason, which also serves as a de-escalation technique.
Question 2: Under Western Australia's Liquor Control Act 1988, on which of the following grounds can a crowd controller, who has been authorised in writing by the licensee, lawfully remove a person from a licensed venue?
- If the person is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or intoxicated. (Correct answer)
- Only if the person has committed a serious criminal offence.
- For any reason the crowd controller deems appropriate at the time.
- Only if specifically instructed to do so by a police officer present at the scene.
Correct answer: If the person is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or intoxicated.
Section 115 of the Liquor Control Act 1988 specifically empowers authorised persons, including crowd controllers with written authorisation, to remove individuals who are violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or present in a state of intoxication.
Question 3: Which of the following is a key principle of proactive crowd management, aimed at preventing incidents before they escalate?
- Adopting an aggressive and intimidating posture to deter potential troublemakers.
- Waiting for a physical altercation to begin before intervening to ensure justification.
- Concentrating all security staff at the main entrance and ignoring other areas of the venue.
- Regularly scanning the crowd to identify potential conflicts, signs of excessive intoxication, or distress early. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Regularly scanning the crowd to identify potential conflicts, signs of excessive intoxication, or distress early.
Proactive crowd management is about prevention rather than reaction. By constantly scanning the environment (maintaining situational awareness), a crowd controller can spot potential issues like escalating arguments or severe intoxication and intervene verbally before the situation becomes physical or dangerous.
Question 4: A crowd controller has lawfully required a disorderly patron to leave a nightclub. Outside the venue, the patron attempts to re-enter and pushes the crowd controller. What level of force is the crowd controller legally permitted to use in this situation?
- No force is permitted as the patron is now outside the venue's boundary.
- A level of force greater than the patron's to establish dominance.
- The minimum force reasonably necessary to prevent the patron from unlawfully re-entering. (Correct answer)
- Any force required to detain the person until police arrive.
Correct answer: The minimum force reasonably necessary to prevent the patron from unlawfully re-entering.
The legal principle for use of force is that it must be reasonable, necessary, and proportionate to the threat. The objective is to control the situation (in this case, prevent unlawful re-entry), not to punish the individual. The force used must be the minimum required to achieve that lawful objective.
Question 5: When managing a large and potentially agitated queue outside a venue, what is the primary purpose of clear and continuous communication from security staff?
- To assert authority and ensure patrons are intimidated into compliance.
- To provide information, manage expectations, and reduce patron anxiety or frustration. (Correct answer)
- To identify individuals who are not listening to instructions for later removal.
- To create noise and distract the crowd from how long they have been waiting.
Correct answer: To provide information, manage expectations, and reduce patron anxiety or frustration.
Effective communication with a crowd helps to reduce uncertainty and frustration, which are often root causes of agitation. By providing clear instructions, updates on wait times, and reasons for delays, security can manage the crowd's mood and prevent discontent from escalating into disorderly conduct.
Question 6: During a large concert, a crowd controller observes a localized crowd surge, causing several people to fall and creating a significant risk of crushing. What should be their immediate priority?
- Attempt to single-handedly push the crowd back to create space.
- Leave the area to avoid becoming involved in the dangerous situation.
- Immediately report the incident to the central control room or supervisor, providing a clear location and description. (Correct answer)
- Start yelling at the crowd to stop pushing without providing specific instructions.
Correct answer: Immediately report the incident to the central control room or supervisor, providing a clear location and description.
In a large-scale emergency like a crowd surge, a single officer cannot manage the situation alone. The immediate priority is to communicate the emergency to a central command that can initiate a coordinated response. This may involve stopping the show, making announcements, and dispatching a specialized response team. Clear and accurate reporting is critical for an effective and rapid response.
SAIWA - Security Agents Institute of Western Australia Crowd Control Procedures Questions and Answers 1
A crowd controller at a licensed venue in Perth identifies an individual in the queue who is clearly intoxicated, displaying slurred speech and unsteady balance.
What is the most appropriate and lawful first step for the crowd controller?