Crowd Control

Alberta Basic Security Training ABST

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

About the ABST Exam The SSIA and Alberta Security Licensing Study Plan & Exam Strategy

2 Module 1: Introduction to the Security Industry

1.1 Roles & Responsibilities of a Security Professional 1.2 Protection of Persons, Property & Information 1.3 SSIA Key Provisions & Licensing Requirements 1.4 Professional Conduct, Appearance & Deportment 1.5 Public Complaints & Disciplinary Process 1.6 The Security Industry in Alberta

3 Module 2A: Canadian Legal System Foundations

2A.1 Canadian Legal System Overview 2A.2 Charter of Rights & Freedoms (Legal Rights) 2A.3 Criminal Code Basics for Security 2A.4 Summary, Indictable & Hybrid Offences 2A.5 Search & Seizure Provisions

4 Module 2B: Powers & Authority

Citizen's Power of Arrest (s. 494) Use of Force (ss. 25, 26, 27) Trespass & Property Offences Theft, Loss Prevention & Shoplifting Powers Other Relevant Legislation

5 Module 3A: Patrol & Observation

Observation Skills Foot & Vehicle Patrol Procedures Access Control Surveillance, CCTV & Alarm Monitoring

6 Module 3B: Site Operations

Crowd Control Dealing with Substance Abusers & Drug Paraphernalia Interacting with the Media Traffic Control Procedures & Signals Post Orders, Shift Management & Working with a Partner Use of Force Response & Excited Delirium

7 Module 4: Communication

Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication Active Listening Skills The LEAPS Communication Method Communication Challenges & Bias Awareness Handling Hostile, Violent & Intoxicated Persons Conducting Interviews & Statement Taking

8 Module 5A: Documentation

Notebook Maintenance & Legal Implications 24-Hour Clock & Phonetic Alphabet Report Writing (Shift, Incident & Traffic Collision) Mandatory Reports to the Registrar

9 Module 5B: Evidence & Court

Types of Evidence Crime Scene Preservation Preparing for & Testifying in Court

10 Module 6A: Alarm Systems

Alarm Systems & Components Types of Alarm Sensors Responding to Alarms & Off-Site Response

11 Module 6B: Fire, Bomb & Evacuation

Fire Emergency Management Fire Extinguisher Types & PASS Method Bomb Threat Procedures & Checklist Evacuation Procedures

12 Module 7: Health & Safety

Personal Safety Practices Risk Assessment (Low, Medium, High) Identifying Workplace Hazards Emergency Response Safety Shift Work Effects on Health & Wellbeing Managing Shift Work Challenges

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

A security guard's authority over crowds comes from the property or venue owner's conditions of entry, not from police powers

Channeling flow with barriers, signage, and stanchions prevents bottlenecks before they form; design shapes behavior more than enforcement does

De-escalation and early intervention are the primary tools; use of force is always a last resort when managing gatherings

Guards must coordinate with police for large or disorderly crowds and call for assistance before a situation exceeds their lawful authority

Monitoring crowd density and spotting early warning signs (pushing, surging, panic cues) lets guards intervene before a crisis develops

Last updated: August 2026

What Crowd Control Really Means

Crowd control is the proactive management of people gathered in one place — at entrances, queues, events, retail floors, or site perimeters. As an Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST) professional, your job is not to "control" people by force but to guide, channel, and de-escalate so the crowd manages itself safely.

The core insight: most crowd problems are design problems, not people problems . A poorly routed entrance produces frustration that looks like aggression. Fix the flow and most of the aggression disappears.

The Five Principles of Crowd Control

Principle What It Looks Like in Practice

Visible authority + communication Uniformed presence at pinch points; calm, clear verbal instructions repeated before people reach the bottleneck

Channel the flow Barriers, stanchions, rope lines, signage, and floor markings route people along safe paths
Prevent bottlenecks Open extra entrances, stagger entry times, widen egress routes before density builds
Monitor density Continuously estimate persons per square metre; act when a queue stops moving or compresses
Early intervention Address the first sign of pushing, surging, or panic cues immediately — seconds matter
Where Your Authority Comes From

A security guard is not a police officer. Your authority over a crowd flows from the property or venue owner's conditions of entry . When a member of the public enters private property (a mall, an arena, a construction site), they agree to the conditions the owner sets — including rules of conduct, bag checks, and directions from uniformed staff.

This means:

You may give lawful directions rooted in the owner's conditions of entry ("this entrance is closed, please use the west doors")

You may refuse entry or ask a person to leave when they breach those conditions

If a person refuses to leave after being directed, they become a trespasser under Alberta's Provincial Offences Procedure / trespass statutes, and police may be called to remove them

You do not gain police powers — arrest authority, use of handcuffs, or detention powers — simply because a crowd is large

De-escalation Before Force

Use of force is a last resort. The ABST use-of-force continuum starts with presence and verbal communication , moves through tactical repositioning and soft (empty-hand) control, and only escalates to hard control when there is an imminent threat you cannot otherwise escape or prevent.

Practical de-escalation tactics for crowds:

Project calm — lower your voice, slow your movements; crowds mirror the energy they see

Give an exit — always tell people where to go, not just what to stop doing ("please step back to the barricade" beats "stop pushing")

Don't corner anyone — a trapped person fights; leave a visible path out

Don't incite — never shout challenges, grab phones recording you, or escalate a verbal dispute; your job is to lower the temperature

Call police early — if density is climbing and your directions are being ignored, request police support before you lose the ability to safely withdraw

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When to Call the Police

Call police — and call them early — when any of the following appear:

A crowd is large enough or disorderly enough that your directions are being ignored by many people at once
There is violence, weapons, or serious injury — these exceed a guard's lawful scope
Persons refuse to leave after a trespass direction and you cannot safely remove them
A panic surge, crush risk, or riot dynamic is developing
You reasonably believe the situation is beyond your training, equipment, or authority

A good rule: it is better to call police ten minutes early than one minute late. A request for support is not a failure — it is the professional response.

Queues and Events

Queues are the most common crowd-control task. Most queue incidents come from uncertainty (people don't know how long the wait is, where the line starts, or why it has stopped). Reduce uncertainty and you reduce incidents:

Post wait-time estimates or line-length signage
Station a guard at the back of the line to direct late arrivals and answer questions
Use stanchions or barrier systems that make the line's path obvious
Open a second service point before the queue doubles back on itself

For ticketed events, coordinate with the venue's event manager on entry rates, capacity caps, and emergency egress routes. Know where the exits and assembly areas are before the doors open, not after.