SERVEANDPROTECT 

Series Part Seven:

The P&P Manual

    Welcome back, everyone. Let’s move on to creating a policy and procedure manual (P&P) for your newly hired and adequately paid security staff.   
    I have provided a seminar on this subject at the Nightclub & Bar trade shows with success.
   The main point to remember when creating a P&P manual is that it never can be too large and contain too many items and descriptions. On the other hand, it absolutely can be too small and not contain enough information about what is expected at your venue. This is never truer than in a civil court when a venue and its practices are put under the microscope by attorneys and their hired experts.
    Having worked as an expert witness for both sides in cases around the country, I have seen that most venues claiming to have a policy manual really only have a one or two pages stapled together talking about cleaning up spills, asking unruly patrons to leave, warning not to serve to much alcohol, and keeping the parking lot clear. To make matters worse, these topics normally only have a brief sentence or at most a paragraph explaining what a manager wants done.

Breaking It Down
    What follows will be in two parts. The first part will be a brief outline of a few of the more important topics, and the second part will be a list of all the topics recommended for your manual. I know some of you may only have a small, beer-only venue and won’t need most of these topics. Fine –– use what you need and leave out the rest. However, what if something unforeseen occurs and you don’t have the answer spelled out for your employees?

• Mandatory Employee Misconduct: This section sets the table for all of the staff. They should be given a copy of the P&P manual and sign a document stating that they have read the manual and if they break a rule, they might be subject to termination.

• Equipment: You must spell out that employees cannot carry weapons of any kind. Go so far as to write a list of prohibited weapons. Trust me, if you don’t say they can’t do it, they will.

• The Capacity section must be spelled out in plain English. List the legal capacity and exactly how it is to be monitored and tracked.

• Don’t expect every employee to know all the signs to look for in someone who is over-intoxicated. Again, spell them out in a list for them to be able to study and reference.

• Detailing exactly what is legal when it comes to the use of force is paramount. This section can save you in court. Besides telling the employees they cannot beat people, you must tell them how to avoid violence and what to do if assaulted. Ask your attorney to assist you with this section.

• The final section to discuss covers documenting incidents. This is another section that must be spelled out very clearly. Let your employees know what you want documented, again, make a list, and tell them how you want it documented. This is another section that can really save you in court.

Here is the full list of suggested topics for your P&P manual. Remember, this is only a starting point to help you create a comprehensive manual that will help employees understand their job, their duties and what to do if something occurs at the venue.

1.       Mandatory Employee Compliance
2.       Training and Education
3.       Employee Misconduct
4.       Employee Dress Code
5.       Employee Narcotics Use and Possession
6.       Employee Equipment
7.       Capacity
8.       Shift Safety Inspections
9.       Working the Door
10.     Customer Dress Code    
11.     Customer Service
12.     Police and Fire Inspections
13.     Off-duty Law Enforcement
14.     Identification Screening
15.     Weapons
16.     Found Narcotics on Premises
17.     Radio Communication
18.     Stopping Alcohol Service to Patrons
19.     Over-intoxicated Patrons
20.     Unacceptable Patron Behavior
21.     Use of Force
22.     Use of Handcuffs
23.     Removal of Patrons
24.     Calling Taxi Cabs
25.     Documenting Incidents
26.     Injuries to Employees
27.     Injuries to Patrons
28.     Banned and 86’d Patrons
29.     Exterior Building Security
30.     Parking Lot Patrols

If you need assistance with the creation of your manual, e-mail us and we can assist you. Good luck, and see you next month for What Training to Provide Your Security Staff. NCB

Robert Smith is the president of Hospitality and Security Alliance Inc.  He also is a 14-year veteran police detective and a court expert in several topics. Smith will be hosting specialized seminars at “The Show” March 5-8.