Lesson 3 of 7 · 5 min (video + reading)
Your authority and its limits
Knowing what you can't do matters as much as knowing what you can. When in doubt: observe, report, call.
Video watched
Video watched
Where your authority comes from
- The property owner. You act for the owner or manager, who can set rules for the property and ask people to leave.
- Your post orders. The written instructions for your post say what you do, what you don't, and who to call.
- State law. It sets the outer limits for everyone, and some licenses (like a DC SPO commission or Virginia's armed arrest authority course) add specific powers.
Observe and report
For most unarmed officers, the job in an incident is to be a good witness and get the right help fast: note what you see, keep people safe, call police or your supervisor, and write it up. Most employers do not want unarmed officers chasing, grabbing or holding people, because it puts officers, bystanders and the company at risk. People matter more than property.
Detaining and arresting
In most states an unarmed security officer has no more arrest power than any private person, and the rules for a private person's arrest are narrow and differ from state to state. Getting it wrong can mean injury, criminal charges or a lawsuit. Unless your license, your training and your post orders clearly allow it, don't detain anyone. Call the police.
Searches
Searching a person or their bag normally requires their consent, or a clear condition of entry that the property has set (for example, a bag check at an event entrance that people can decline by not entering). Follow your post orders exactly. If someone refuses, don't force it: report it.
Use of force
Any use of force must be allowed by law and by your employer's policy, and must be reasonable for the situation. For an unarmed officer, the realistic tools are presence, distance, calm words and calling for help. Physical force is a last resort, used only to protect yourself or others from harm, never to protect property alone. This course does not teach force; that takes hands-on, state-approved training.
Write it down
Whatever happens, your report and, where used, your body camera footage are the record. Accurate, prompt reports protect you, your employer and the people involved (Lesson 5).
Key points
- Authority comes from the property owner, your post orders and state law.
- The usual rule is observe and report: be a good witness and call the right help.
- Unless your license, training and post orders clearly allow it, don't detain anyone.
- Searches need consent or a clear condition of entry. Force is a last resort, never for property alone.
Picture it
At a pharmacy entrance. The alarm sounds as a man walks out with a bag. He starts to jog across the parking lot.
Don't chase. Note his description, the time, which way he went and any vehicle and plate. Tell the store manager, call the police if your post orders say to, and write the report while it's fresh. Chasing someone across a parking lot over merchandise risks a crash, a fight or a lawsuit, and none of that is worth it.
Resources
- Virginia DCJS: Unarmed Security Officer
Answers on Virginia registration: the 18-hour entry-level course, working while you finish training, and renewal. Check here before you apply in Virginia.
- DC Regulation on Special Police (one-page summary)
A DC government summary of training hours for special police and security officers, current and proposed.
- CISA De-escalation Series
Free federal fact sheets on recognizing, assessing and calming tense situations, and when to report.