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Please do not hit a woman, unless you are in actual danger from her! I'm sure if you followed this advice in #3 and did hit her back, you would almost certainly already lost your job.
#2 I would honestly not report it and don't worry about it. If you're a person that tends to worry a lot, you need to sit down in quiet for like an hour by yourself , almost like meditating. And think it all though. Think "what is the worse that could happen if I keep quiet about this". "what is the worse that could happen if I tell my manager about this". Honestly, I wouldn't say anything about it. But either way, you need to either tell them or stop worrying about it. Get it out of your mind and understand that losing a job is not the end of the world, and that worrying about always losing your job is going to make you miserable. A lot of times, losing a job is the best thing that happens to people. If you lose your job, that's probably the way it was suppose to be. Think that everything that happens, was meant to be.
#1 Based on the employer lack of providing you training for the job, I would still advise you that they more than likely just want someone there that will dissuade people from shoplifting just by you being "physically" in uniform and there. I don't think they want you acting anything like an actual cop.
I would agree with this post and just about everything else HappyHarley has posted on this thread. I am going to try to break it down even more simply though for you OP:
a) You as a security guard are not permitted to touch anyone unless it is in self-defense.
b) If you report your incident, you will be fired for violating rule "a".
c) Familiarize yourself with your company's "Observe and Report" policy; I'm sure they have one.
d) Next time you see someone shoplifting, refer to rules "a" and "c".
Also remember, you are not there to be a hero, you are there for a paycheck. Here's something that happened a couple weeks ago in my city to a security guard who went "above and beyond": Guard shot during beer run at Circle K, suspect outstanding
There is not very many high priced items if any that will be stole.
If say he worked with another person or team in a high end electronics/jewlery/etc store, than of course they will try harder to stop it.
I'm positive that the upper management views what I said as correct. They don't want to risk lawsuits over low churn crap. They just what someone their in security outfit to sway some people from stealing. They don't expect him to actually stop actual thefts.
I understand that and, again, you know nothing about retail loss prevention.
Learn not to worry about it, in security things happen. One thing to watch out about is when you grabbed her by the arm. I would have informed her of what I saw and asked her if she would be willing to submit to a quick search by one of the female employee’s, with the option of calling the police if she did not. If she walked, take a description and her license number and let her go.
I do not shoplift or steal, and if you had physical grabbed me, I would have been much more aggressive to you then the simple slap she gave you. Remember, it’s just a job, and unless this company is willing to have their customers fill out a form relinquishing their rights you have limited power.
Pretty sure this is just a sex thing. Some guys who get turned on by shame/domination by females post their "true stories" of being embarrassed and dominated by beautiful women, and presumably jerk off to the ensuing threads.
Pretty sure this is just a sex thing. Some guys who get turned on by shame/domination by females post their "true stories" of being embarrassed and dominated by beautiful women, and presumably jerk off to the ensuing threads.
That is quite the hypothesis you have there. Are you speaking from personal experience?
Most people have no respect for a rent a cop. You are not allowed to touch someone, and definitely not allowed to physically "guide" them to the security room. Security guards are civilians and if you put your hands on someone, they have the right to defend themselves.
Many people would agree that the slap is well deserved. You are lucky that she doesn't come back and sue you for sexual assault and/or battery. A jury will likely believe an attractive blonde over some rent a cop.
Stealing is wrong, but you don't even know for sure if she actually stole something. Even if she did, you do not have the right to touch her. There are just too many rent a cops out there that go on power trips.
Most states have shopkeeper provisions.
California penal code section 490.5(f) (1):
A merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time for
the purpose of conducting an investigation in a reasonable manner
whenever the merchant has probable cause to believe the person to be
detained is attempting to unlawfully take or has unlawfully taken
merchandise from the merchant's premises.
As someone above noted, probable cause must be articulated. Usually that involves not only watching the person take the item, but also watching them attempt to leave the store without paying (and doing so by walking past the clearly marked and open registers).
A merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time for
the purpose of conducting an investigation in a reasonable manner
whenever the merchant has probable cause to believe the person to be
detained is attempting to unlawfully take or has unlawfully taken
merchandise from the merchant's premises.
As someone above noted, probable cause must be articulated. Usually that involves not only watching the person take the item, but also watching them attempt to leave the store without paying (and doing so by walking past the clearly marked and open registers).
Of course they do not define "detain".
A security gaurd that "detains" by giving verbal directives to stay on the scene until LE arrives would have no legal issues.
However a security gaurd that "detains" by physically restraining, placing upper restraints (cuffs), or using force in any other way, may be opening themselves and their employer up to possible lawsuits.
Of course it all comes down to what the company policy states. Regardless whether they have a "Observe and Report" policy or some kind of "Subdue and Restrain" policy (doubtful), as long as the employee follows the policy then there is no way the employee could face and civil or criminal charges as the company would have to take the heat. However if the employee deviates from company policy then the will be on their own legally speaking...
Pretty sure this is just a sex thing. Some guys who get turned on by shame/domination by females post their "true stories" of being embarrassed and dominated by beautiful women, and presumably jerk off to the ensuing threads.
I thought the same thing when I read it. Still worth giving advice in case this is actually a real person with a real chance of getting sued for doing something dumb at work.
Even if the law allows it, most companies of any size still don't want you to detain them for fear of lawsuits, either from the thief or the employee if an altercation results in one of them getting hurt.
That is quite the hypothesis you have there. Are you speaking from personal experience?
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