Strong conflict management skills vital for effective security delivery

3 min read

Conflicts and brazen antisocial behaviour are on the rise, which is why all of our frontline security professionals are trained to be effective communicators and have strong conflict management skills. These vital skills help keep the public, our clients – and the aggressors themselves – safe. 

The public-facing nature of their jobs means security guards and patrol personnel often encounter situations that can quickly escalate without skilled and sensitive intervention. 

Typical scenarios include dealing with intoxicated people at public transport terminals or moving vagrants along. Or it could involve calming aggressive groups or dealing with someone who was upset about something in their lives and got angry over a minor incident.  

Armourguard’s security guards and other frontline security professionals all receive de-escalation and conflict management skills training. But it’s more than a one-off, and our frontline employees are required to complete regular refresher modules to ensure their skills remain up-to-date. This is especially important in today’s environment where risks are increasing and offenders are becoming more brazen. 

Additional conflict management training is given for those working in higher risk areas such as transport hubs, and metropolitan hot spots.

Armourguard’s National Training Manager Quentin Garton has pioneered innovative conflict management training methodologies that prioritise situational awareness, de-escalation through role-play scenarios, and comprehensive understanding of the laws crucial for security officers. His approach goes beyond theoretical instruction, emphasising practical skills and real-world application.

Being trained professional observers enables Armourguard’s frontline personnel to quickly assess a situation and intervene before it escalates. 

Our frontline security people are all trained to use appropriate parts of the internationally recognised tactical options framework, which is the same model used by NZ Police. However, they also know when to step back and contact Police to deal with the situation. 

Having a security guard on site is an excellent deterrent for antisocial behaviour and crime because their presence prevents most problems.

Conflict management case studies

Here are some of the many ways our security guards and security patrols use their conflict management and de-escalation skills:

Noise control: Noise control callouts often involved dealing with intoxicated people who are annoyed at being asked to quieten down. Our patrol officers are skilled at engaging in a calm and friendly yet firm manner that achieves compliance while preventing agitation.

Reducing instances of antisocial clientele: An Auckland fast-food outlet was having issues with abusive and problematic clientele that most static guards were not able to deal with. Our team used their conflict management skills to the extent they were able to settle the issue down so the client’s employees could get on with their work and not worry about their safety.  

Managing aggressive behaviours at transport hubs: Armourguard’s security officers are adept at de-escalating situations involving aggressive members of the public at transport hubs in Auckland and other centres.

Suicide prevention: Calming a distressed and suicidal person requires outstanding interpersonal skills. Every year there are many instances of our frontline personnel using their conflict management and de-escalation skills to save lives.

Keeping CBD areas safe: Armourguard was recently contracted to help improve public safety in Auckland’s CBD. The foot patrol team members were selected for their calmness, maturity, experience and physical presence. All were given extra conflict resolution training to deal with supporting the council’s compliance officers to deal with everything from difficult individuals to groups of teenagers causing problems.

Case Studies
Keep up-to-date

News and Case Studies

Read about our customer success stories, and discover the latest insights from Armourguard.