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Anyone who has worked in the corrections arena has heard about "Command Presence". It is essential not only for correctional officers, but also for police, security officers, bail agents - anyone involved with keeping the peace.
True command presence feeds on - and also helps enhance - your own self confidence. Exactly how is "Command Presence" defined? That's a good question. There are entire classes on this subject.
The definition I like is that Command Presence is essentially presenting yourself as someone in authority and who is to be respected and obeyed. This is done through how you LOOK, how you CARRY YOURSELF, how you ACT, and how you SPEAK. Your training - or mosre specifically confidence in your training - will also go a long way to giving you real Command Presence.
Other officers I work with have noted that when I come on duty, I get a different reaction from subjects than they do. Often, I come on duty and find that another officer has had difficulty getting answers or gaining compliance to verbal directives from an individual. When I go interview the subject, they comply immediately - and often spill a lot more than I asked them for.
On one occasion, an individual who looked like he got out of the local penitentiary [he had the customary prison tattoos, and was carrying his belongings in a clear plastic bag] entered the local bus terminal. The subject was acting a little odd and wanted to spend the night in the terminal. The manager in the terminal asked the guard on duty to talk to the subject, but when the guard approached - the subject was not very forthcoming with information.
When I came in - which I usually do no less than 5 to 10 minutes early - the guard advised me of the situation and asked me to check him out.
When I walked over the subject literally stood at attention. Part of "Command Presence" is in how you appear to others - how you LOOK the part.
In order to look the part, I dress professionally - always in a clean uniform. I also wear body armor - something that is not as common among security officers as it is with police officers, and I wear a basketweave leather Sam Browne duty belt. I also carry the tools of the trade - flashlight, notepad, pen, handcuffs, and when on an armed account - a firearm and extra magazines, baton, and OC. Essentially, I look professional. I look like I know what I am doing. People tend to respect the way that I look more than they do a 21 or 22-year-old kid wearing a uniform shirt, dockers, and no duty belt.
Taking pride in your personal appearance and grooming not only projects a professional image to the public, but it also helps make you feel more confident. The response you get from the public when your appearance is that of a professional, will also help you feel more confident. That feeling of confidence helps you to approach situations with a better mindset. It also helps you with the next aspect of Command Presence - How you carry yourself.
If you have read my article on the basics of self defense, you already know that you need to have confidence in your training. That confidence is projected through your body language, and in how you verbally deal with individuals and groups.
What's that you say, you don't have confidence in the training you received?
Then you need to get different training. Some security companies don't provide very good training for their officers. If this is your situation, feel free to go out and get training on your own. There is no law against it. While this may cost you more than the training provided by your employer, it may also save your life. If you plan on going anywhere in your career, you certainly should be looking into your own training. There is nothing wrong with self-study either. There are a number of good instructional video tapes and books out there.
When I decided to get my first armed security officer license, the company I was working for as an unarmed security officer kind of jerked me around. They would tell me that an armed class was scheduled, and then call and say it was canceled. They did this about 4 times. I finally called the Utah DOPL and got the number for the Director of the Security Services Licensing Board. I asked him who he felt gave the best armed training, and then arranged for - and paid for - that training out of my own pocket. It was well worth it. It gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities, and it went well beyond the minimum requirements of the state.
That confidence helps my attitude. When I enter a facility, I think to myself "I belong here. This is my domain and it is my duty to protect it". I also believe it - an important part of "Command Presence". If you don't believe it [or at least can't act well enough to make people think you believe it], don't expect those you are dealing with to buy it.
When I approach a subject, I think to myself "I am in charge of this situation" - but I also keep an open mind, looking for the reality in the situation. You do NOT want a badge-itude. Keep reading and you will see what I mean.
I keep my training in mind, and I approach the situation with confidence, but also with - at the very least - subconscious caution.
Most new officers are somewhat timid during their first assignments on duty. They often are so cautious when approaching a situation that their caution is visible in their body language - they telegraph their caution to the subject through body and eye movements and/or the tone of their voice. The key is to be outwardly confident - even if on the inside you are scared out of your wits. You want your body language to convey confidence.
This takes a good deal of practice, but it is easily done.
Start your threat assessments early - while approaching the subjects from a distance. This way, your caution is not as easily visible as it would be if you were standing 5 feet from the subjects looking them over to see which ones look like a threat.
Walk with your head up, eyes alert, and your expression intent. You do not want to appear weak or vulnerable, or as an overbearing idiot. You want to project the image of someone that knows why they are where they are, and who is trained and knows what they are doing.
Walk with intent. Don't shuffle your feet or use a "lazy" walk. Pick up your feet and move like you know where you are going, and that you have a purpose in going there.
Try wearing police-type encounter gloves. I have found that these present the visual image of someone who is serious, and who is not to be messed with. I like the "Resister" gloves from Hatch. They are very good looking leather gloves, and they are kevlar lined in case the situation turns ugly - they offer a certain degree of protection from knive cuts.
Something which goes hand-in-hand with this is how you ACT on duty.
What do people see you doing?
If someone was watching you to see if you were able to react if they did something, what would they think?
Do you walk around with your hands in your pockets?
Do you look at the ground all the time?
Do you sit and watch television or listen to the radio while on duty?
Do you look bored and inattentive?
If you are expected to patrol a facility - even if it is after hours when no one is supposed to be around - stay alert and attentive. Keep your head up, your eyes alert, and your mind aware. Always look alert and alive. This will give the impression - and create the fact - that you are not someone that can be easily fooled, and that you won't be easily surprised.
I have worked a number of duties where I was the only person around for hours at a time. What do I do? I patrol the facility, keep my eyes and ears open for trouble. Occasionally, I carry a police scanner so that I can hear what is going on in the area around me. I keep the volume low so that I can hear any abnormal sounds around me. It also allows me to be aware of possible troubles I should be aware of when patrolling the outside of the facility.
Sometimes I bring my laptop to work on articles - but I still keep alert and aware. I keep my feet on the floor - not on the desktop. I maintain the appearance of a professional, even when there is no one around to see. That way, I avoid getting into bad habits while on duty that could be seen - and exploited - when there are people watching me.
Your speech is another aspect of Command Presence. When questioning a subject, you don't want to come across as timid or weak. You need to be able to ask questions authoritatively. You also need to develop the ability to be friendly, yet firm in giving verbal directives. You also need to be able to come across as VERY serious when the occasion calls for it.
Try watching COPS to see how various officers come across. You will see examples of both the good and the VERY bad. Learn the difference and emulate the good. Practice in front of a mirror. You can also come up with various scenarios, and plan your responses to those scenarios. Practice being firm and not taking no for an answer without getting angry. Keeping your cool is also a big part of Command Presence.
When I began to question the subject I referred to earlier, he addressed me as "Yes, Officer" and "No, Officer". It was very different than how he dealt with the officer I relieved. I asked him some questions including where had he come from [he just got out of the penitentiary for a series of offenses] what he was in for [a series of relatively non-violent offenses], and where he was going [his sister was going to wire him the money for a ticket to his home state in the morning].
When I asked the subject if he had any weapons or drugs on him, he automatically "assumed the position" with his hands flat on the ticket counter, arms and legs spread wide and said "You may search me Officer, I don't have any contraband or weapons on me". I did a "terry search" with a Metal-Tec 1400 magnetometer - following proper procedures to make sure that he could not attack me during the search - and found nothing. He also gave permission to search his belongings without me even asking. I was far more concerned with weapons than drugs, although if I had found those I would have turned him over to the local PD. If he had drugs on him after just getting out of prison, who knows what else he might have been involved in.
I asked him why he had not given proper answers to the other officer. His response was "He was just a kid and I didn't think he was serious. I can tell you are serious, Officer".
It all boils down to how you present yourself. Do you "look the part"? Do you carry yourself with confidence?, Do you ACT the part? Do you speak the part? If you can, then you are developing Command Presence, which will make your job a LOT easier.
It is important to note at this point that there is a difference between Command Presence and "badge-itude". Some guards - and some police officers - get a badge-itude. They think that because they have a badge, they are better than everyone else, and they are to be obeyed without question. Often, these people will walk into a situation and act without getting all of the facts and without thinking it through first.
What they are doing is asking for trouble, and building a wall of mistrust between themselves and the public they are to protect. It is officers of this type that should never earn a badge.
Officers with a badge-itude will go after someone who is speeding towards a hospital and pulling into the emergency entrance. Without thinking, these officers immediately grab the driver and throw cuffs on them, or push them into a compliance-search position.
They fail to notice the person slumped over in the passenger seat, and ignore the fact that the driver was on the phone to 911 advising them of the situation. They feel that because they are the badged officer, they are right - regardless of the facts of the situation. If they ditched their badge-itude and opened their eyes, the world would appear very different to them. They might have noted the big EMERGENCY sign and the fact that the big building was a hospital.
Officers of this type are the ones who make "community policing" and enhanced public oversight of departments a necessity.
I hope no one reading this is that type of officer. If you are, please resign from your position and get a job where you never interact with other humans. That is where people of this type belong.
Let me give you an example that I ran into on the job where a "badge-itude" could have caused serious injury to an individual.
One evening I was approached by several persons reporting that "a large African-American female was in the women's restroom doing drugs". One of the managers in the facility said it had been reported to him, and he wanted her out of there ASAP.
I opened the door and asked "Are you in here, and are you OK".
"Yes, I'm here" was the reply, followed by a lot of deep sniffing and a little coughing. It sure sounded like someone was using cocaine or an inhalant. An officer with a badge-itude could have made this assumption and kicked her out onto the street right then. I know a few who would have. I took a different route.
Using Command Presence in my voice since she could not see my appearance or body language, I said "This is station security. I need to see you out here now."
A few moments later she appeared at the door. She looked a bit shaky, and the rest of her appearance including bloodshot eyes, jittery movements, and other things could easily have been indicative of drug use. I informed her that I had several reports that she was using illegal drugs, and asked her if she had any.
"No, you can search my things".
I opened her bag and immediately noted a bottle of diabetic medication, and medications for other conditions.
"Are you having a problem with your diabetes?" I asked.
"Yes, can you help me?" and she began sobbing. She really was having a problem.
What could easily have appeared as someone abusing drugs, turned out to be a real medical emergency. Rather than making an assumption, I found the facts. Another important part of being an officer is the ability to clearly identify reality versus acting based on the assumptions of others.
I arranged for an ambulance, and she was taken to the hospital. She also suffered from some mental illness, and that disability had aggravated the problem.
As a side note: I called the hospital the next morning to follow up to see if she was OK and add her status to my on-scene report. The ER nurse added that was very uncommon for a police officer or a security officer to follow-up to see if someone they sent to the ER was OK. She said she was impressed.
The moral of the story it to make sure that you can see things as they really are. Don't jump to conclusions. Find the reality of the situation and then act on it. Don't let the badge go to your head.
Command Presence is a good thing to have. It is essential to be a good officer. The proper employment of Command Presence can allow you to most often avoid physical confrontations. Most of the people you will run into are good people. Some of them are good people who have made a few mistakes. Just remember, don't let that badge go to your head - but do be prepared to act if the situation truly warrants it.
-- James Bell Jr. - Law Enforcement/Security Section Editor