Louisiana Security Guard Board Practice Exam

While doing access control at a site, a crowd starts gathering at your front entrance. What should you do?

1. Call for back-up, observe the actions of the crowd, take detailed notes but do not engage until back up arrives.

2. Go outside and yell at them to move away from your main entrance.

3. Identify the leader in the group and ask them to break up the crowd.

4. Arrest them all for causing a disturbance.

The correct answer is: Call for back-up, observe the actions of the crowd, take detailed notes but do not engage until back up arrives.

In a situation where a crowd starts gathering at the front entrance, as a security guard, maintaining control, taking preventive actions and ensuring safety is of utmost priority. An appropriate response would be to call for back-up initially. This would prepare additional support in case the situation escalates. While waiting for back-up, the guard's task is to observe the actions of the crowd and take detailed notes for reporting and legal purposes. This provides evidence for any potential investigation or recourse that may follow the incident. Engaging with a large crowd single-handedly could result in losing control of the situation and escalating the problem, puts the guard at risk, or may lead to legal implications for the guard or the organization they are protecting. Hence, it is advised to not engage until back-up arrives who can provide the necessary support. Therefore, the choice where the security guard calls for back-up, closely observes the crowd's actions, and take notes without engaging until back-up arrives is the most appropriate action, aligning with the general principles of ensuring safety, preventing escalation, and protecting liability.