My psych unit used to have an amazing collaborative relationship with hospital security. Basically they would select the chillest security people to send to sit on our unit in 24/7 shifts. A lot of them were amazing verbal deescalators even if just by not responding when patients say dumb shit hoping to get a rise (especially racial or gendered slurs).
Now our security department is sending a bunch of former COs and LEOs and it's like pulling teeth to explain proper violence prevention, especially in this specific environment. A bunch of them think they need to buck up with competitive aggression at patients who start shit to prove they're tougher and I often struggle to explain to them that true displays of strength and control over the situation are much more subtle.
For example, one of my bigger power moves (especially for patients who give me a strong bark over bite vibe) is to have security wait beside the door and just out of sight outside the room. So if they do start swinging my backup is literally right there, but from the patient perspective, I'm comfortable and confident that I can defend myself (and I've developed a subtle swagger/relaxed gait and posture over the years to sell it too). No yelling or bucking up or threatening needed. Just a subtly firm and consistent "I ain't worried about you doing anything I can't handle."
A lot of people also comment on how close I'm willing to stand to patients but a lot of these people don't have enough situational awareness to intuit how close they can get and when. Like obviously when they're yelling at you is not the time to step up on them to get a blood pressure reading? But even when they're yelling at me about a foot or so beyond arm's reach is fine, especially if your backup is already there.
Honestly (while this is definitely not the most important facet of this situation) this guy is actually making these cops less safe to boot. Creating a fundamentally adversarial relationship with the people they're (supposed to be) protecting is creating a far more dangerous situation for everyone in the long run.
Creating a fundamentally adversarial relationship with the people they’re (supposed to be) protecting
Fundamental misunderstanding as to the role of police in a capitalist society. They're not there to protect you, they're there to enforce laws which are designed to maintain the structure. It doesn't matter how friendly and nice a cop is when they're called to carry out an eviction, to haul off a worker who assaulted a business owner who refused to pay them, or put down a protest.
Oh I'm aware of this; I just also happen to have more of a perspective than most on high stakes verbal negotiation, especially in the context of mental illness, so I naturally choose to speak specifically on the part of the problem I have the most knowledge about and what I have found to be the specific solution. Not gonna say I'm perfect at that, but internet culture could stand to do that a lot more as a whole.
