1.1 Roles & Responsibilities of a Security Professional

The Core Security Function

A security guard in Alberta is hired to protect people, property, and information on behalf of a client. The role is built on four verbs that you should memorize for the ABST exam:

• Observe — watch the environment and notice what is normal versus abnormal
• Deter — discourage crime and policy violations through visible presence and routine patrols
• Detect — identify incidents, hazards, suspicious behaviour, and breaches as early as possible
• Report — document and communicate what was observed so the client and police can act

Quick Answer: A security guard's job is to observe, deter, detect, and report — not to investigate complex crimes, chase suspects at high speed, or act as a police officer. The guard is the eyes and ears of the client, not the long arm of the law.

Limited Authority — Not a Peace Officer

A common misconception is that a uniformed security guard has police powers. This is false. In Alberta, security guards are not peace officers. They do not carry statutory powers of arrest, search, or detention beyond those available to any ordinary citizen.

A guard's arrest power comes from section 494 of the Criminal Code (Canada), which allows a citizen's arrest when a person is found committing an indictable offence, or when someone is being pursued by a peace officer. This power is narrow, must be exercised safely, and almost always requires immediately turning the person over to police.

On private property, a guard's authority to ask someone to leave, to refuse entry, or to enforce site rules flows from the property owner or occupier — not from the guard personally. This authority is grounded in provincial trespass law (Alberta's Petty Trespass Act and Trespass to Premises Act) and in the contract between the security employer (the security agency) and the client.

Security Guard vs. Police Officer — Authority Comparison

Supporting, Not Replacing, Police

Security guards are a support layer, not a replacement for police. The correct division of labour is:

1. The guard observes an incident or receives a complaint.
2. The guard takes immediate safety action within their limited authority (e.g., asking someone to leave, preserving a scene).
3. The guard calls police for criminal matters and serious incidents.
4. The guard documents everything in a report — times, descriptions, actions, witnesses.
5. The guard co-operates with police on arrival and turns over the report and any detained person.

The most valuable thing a guard produces is often the written report. It becomes the evidence record the client, insurer, and police rely on. A guard who observes well and reports accurately does more for an investigation than one who tries to act like a detective.

Key Limits to Remember for the Exam

• You cannot search a person without their consent or a lawful authority you do not possess.
• You cannot detain someone for questioning simply because they look suspicious.
• You cannot pursue a suspect off the client's property and use force as if you were police.
• You can ask someone to leave private property; if they refuse, they may become a trespasser — but force must be reasonable and minimal.
• Your uniform gives you visibility, not extra legal powers.

Common Exam Traps About Guard Authority

The ABST exam deliberately tests the boundary between what a guard may do and what only a peace officer may do. Watch for these recurring traps:

• Trap: "The guard can detain anyone who looks suspicious." Suspicion alone is never authority to detain. A guard may observe and approach to talk, but the person is free to leave. Detention requires a lawful basis — typically a citizen's arrest under Criminal Code s. 494 for someone found committing an indictable offence, not a hunch.
• Trap: "A uniformed guard may search bags at the door." A bag check is lawful only as a consent search. The person may refuse, and refusal means denial of entry — not a forced search. Forcing a search is assault.
• Trap: "A guard may pursue a shoplifter until caught, no matter how far." A citizen's arrest must be made promptly and safely. A long, high-speed chase creates liability and danger, and the arrest power narrows once pursuit is no longer continuous.
• Trap: "Any force is fine to protect property." Force must be reasonable and minimal. Property alone almost never justifies significant force; life safety does.

Worked Scenarios: Staying Within Your Authority

Scenario A — Shoplift observed. A guard sees a customer conceal merchandise and walk past the point of sale. Witnessed from start to finish, this is "found committing," so a citizen's arrest is available. Approach calmly, identify yourself, ask the person to return inside, and call police. Do not tackle the person from behind or block the exit with your body.

Scenario B — Loitering, no crime seen. A guard on patrol notices someone near a loading dock but sees no offence. The guard may approach, ask if they can help, and observe. If the person leaves, the guard reports the observation. The guard may not detain the person for "looking suspicious" — that is investigative detention, a peace-officer power the guard does not have.

Scenario C — Trespasser refuses to leave. A former employee under a trespass ban refuses to leave the lobby. The guard may use reasonable, minimal force to eject them, but the safer path is to call police and document — especially if the person is aggressive or the injury risk is high.