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In the News: The Security Guard and Charlie Sheen

It’s not always big news when someone flips out at a security guard but when it is Charlie Sheen that is doing the flipping out it is all over the news.

Last week Charlie Sheen was at a hockey game in L.A. watching the Kings take on the New Jersey Devils. That venue in particular has a policy that if you leave in the middle of a game you don’t come back in. Well, Mr. Sheen figured he was above those rules and when the female security guard told him that he couldn’t come back in he lost his temper. He let loose a rampage of expletives that could make a sailor blush but the security guard held her ground. Maybe not in the right way though. She let loose a couple expletives of her own.

Check out this video from the hockey game.

The fact of the matter is that you’re going to run across people like Charlie Sheen when you are a security guard. They likely won’t be as newsworthy though. But you still need to know how to handle yourself in a situation like this so here are some tips:

1. Stay professional. If someone swears at you, resist the urge to swear back. This will only encourage them to continue the verbal exchange and they may take it up a notch. Don’t instigate them by saying things like, “You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
2. Repeat yourself firmly but don’t engage with them. Many people are just looking for and argument and it takes two people to have one so don’t be the second person.
3. Explain the policies. If at all possible show them the policies in writing. In the Charlie Sheen case it is quite likely that the policy was posted on the door so she might have shown it to him.
4. Give a warning. If the person you are dealing with continues to be verbally aggressive and you believe that the behavior might escalate into physical aggressiveness, warn them about what the next step will be and ask them to calm themselves.
5. Follow up on the warning if the person who is being aggressive does not step away and do as he or she is asked. That could be calling for back up or even calling the police.
6. Follow your instincts. If you feel that you are in danger be prepared to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. That may mean stepping behind a locked barrier or backing away.

Always consider company policies first and follow protocol of the situation. Above all, stay calm and think rationally.