7.1 Public Relations, Diversity & Professionalism

7.1 Public Relations, Diversity & Professionalism

Quick Answer: After Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force, California Security Guard registration requires 32 hours of additional skills training. Mandatory Course 1—Public Relations (Community & Customer)—is a 4-hour block. It trains you to recognize gender and racial harassment/discrimination; practice respect (avoiding stereotyping and hostile attitudes); use verbal skills and crisis intervention; understand diversity; stay aware of substance abuse and mental illness; and uphold ethics and professionalism through appearance, command presence, and proper conduct.

This chapter covers the first three of four BSIS mandatory skills courses. Course 4 (Liability / Legal Aspects) appears later in the guide. Employers and BSIS-approved providers deliver these hours; the PTA/AUF exam still demands 100%, and skills topics show up heavily in practice scenarios and on-the-job expectations.

Where Course 1 Fits in the Timeline

Every newly licensed or employed guard must complete two of the four mandatory courses within 30 days of registration or start of employment, and the remaining two within six months. Course 1 is usually among the earliest because public-facing behavior drives complaints, civil exposure, and client retention.

Recognizing Gender & Racial Harassment and Discrimination

Harassment and discrimination are not abstract HR topics for guards—they appear in lobbies, parking structures, retail floors, and residential posts. You must be able to recognize prohibited conduct involving gender or race (and related protected characteristics under employer policy and California law), whether the actor is a coworker, visitor, tenant, or customer.

Recognize patterns such as:

1. Hostile comments or jokes targeting race, gender, gender identity, or related status
2. Unequal enforcement of site rules based on appearance or group membership rather than behavior
3. Unwanted sexual attention, comments, or gestures directed at coworkers or the public
4. Retaliation against someone who reports mistreatment
5. Exclusion or denial of service that tracks protected status instead of legitimate safety/policy grounds

Your role is observe, document, report through the chain of command, and protect people from immediate harm—not to run a full workplace investigation. If you are the target or a witness, follow post orders and employer reporting channels. Never ignore clear harassment because “it is not my department.”

Respect: Stereotyping and Attitude

BSIS lists Respect with two subtopics: stereotyping and attitude. Stereotyping means assigning traits to someone based on group membership (race, gender, age, language, clothing style, disability cues) instead of observable behavior. Attitude means the demeanor you project—dismissive, sarcastic, aggressive, or indifferent—which the public reads instantly.

Respect does not mean ignoring crime or safety rules. It means enforcing rules evenly and speaking to people as individuals. Biased attitude also conflicts with Appropriate Use of Force training on implicit/explicit bias—Course 1 reinforces that public relations failure often starts with disrespect long before force becomes an issue.

Verbal Skills and Crisis Intervention

Verbal skills are your primary tool for most posts. Crisis intervention here means stabilizing a tense situation with words and presence until the cause cools or qualified help arrives—not clinical therapy.

Core verbal habits:

• Introduce yourself and your role (“Security, how can I help?”)
• Use a calm, steady volume—loudness escalates; clarity de-escalates
• Give one direction at a time when someone is agitated
• Acknowledge emotion without agreeing to illegal demands (“I hear you are upset; I still need you to step back from the desk”)
• Avoid insults, threats, and arguments about who is “right”
• Know when words are not enough—active violence, weapons, medical collapse → radio for backup/911 per post orders

Crisis situations often involve people in emotional distress, under the influence, or experiencing mental-health symptoms. Your goal is safety and time: create space, reduce stimuli when possible, keep bystanders back, and follow site protocols. Do not diagnose. Do not promise outcomes you cannot control.

Introduction to Diversity

Diversity training for guards is practical: California sites serve people of many languages, cultures, religions, ages, gender identities, and abilities. A diverse public expects fair access, clear communication, and non-discriminatory enforcement.

Apply diversity awareness by:

1. Learning site-specific needs (language lines, accessibility routes, cultural events)
2. Avoiding assumptions about family structure, names, or pronouns when policy supports respectful address
3. Recognizing that “normal” body language differs across cultures—context matters
4. Partnering with property management on accommodation requests that do not create safety hazards

Diversity competence reduces false alarms rooted in bias (for example, treating lawful cultural dress as “suspicious”) and improves cooperation when you must give directions during emergencies.

Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Awareness

Course 1 pairs substance abuse and mental illness awareness because both can change behavior, perception, and compliance. You are not a clinician. You are expected to notice indicators, prioritize safety, and escalate appropriately.

Never mock, film for entertainment, or use force as punishment for symptoms. Document facts (what you saw/heard) and avoid speculative medical labels in reports (“appeared unsteady and smelling of alcohol” beats “was an alcoholic”).

Ethics & Professionalism: Appearance, Command Presence, Proper Conduct

BSIS breaks professionalism into three teachable pieces:

1. Appearance — Clean, complete uniform; visible Guard Card when required; grooming that meets employer standards. Appearance signals legitimacy to the public and to responding officers.
2. Command presence — Confident posture, purposeful movement, attentive scanning, and controlled voice. Presence deters problems without aggression. Presence is not intimidation, looming, or verbal bullying.
3. Proper conduct — Honesty in reports, no theft of time or property, no misuse of authority for personal gain, no sexual or discriminatory misconduct, and adherence to post orders and California law (including citizen’s-arrest limits under PC 837).

Ethics failures destroy careers faster than most technical mistakes. A sharp uniform with a dishonest report is still a failed professional standard.

Exam and Job Application

/practice/ca-security-guardPractice questions with detailed explanations

Remember: Public relations is not “being nice instead of doing security.” It is doing security in a way that protects people, property, and your license through respect, clear communication, and ethical conduct.