02.

Security Department Operations

02. Security Officer Training
02. Stopping and Questioning Persons of Interest

STATEMENT:

All Healthcare Facilities (HCFs) strive to provide patients and visitors with an open and welcoming
environment. Campus designs and layouts can make wayfinding and visitor screening challenging.
HCF security personnel, with consideration for both safety and service, can play a key role in
stopping and questioning persons of interest.

INTENT:
a. All HCFs should have a policy, along with appropriate staff training to provide guidance
for staff members on the provision of positive customer service and security. Access control
and facility security is enhanced when all staff members, including Security, practice good
customer service skills.

b. Patients and visitors should be greeted and welcomed to the HCF and area of care. Persons of
interest observed inside the HCF who appear in need of assistance should be acknowledged
and assisted.

c. The behaviors that may prompt a staff inquiry of a person of interest include:
1) Actions that appear out of the ordinary for the environment
2) Persons observed in a restricted area without appropriate identification
3) Persons acting out in an inappropriate manner
4) Persons who appear confused or lost, are not recognized or appear out of place
d. Staff should be educated on their personal safety awareness in stopping and questioning
persons of interest.

e. Persons should be approached in a calm and professional manner. Once the nature of the
person’s presence is determined a decision should be made as to the need to assist, guide,
provide information, or to seek other staff assistance.

f. Persons behaving suspiciously or in a manner that makes the staff member uncomfortable
should not be approached alone. This person should be monitored from a safe distance while
assistance is summoned.

g. If a person has no legitimate business in the facility there should be an effort to obtain
some form of identification. It may also be helpful to issue a written trespass notice to the
individual to serve as a record of intent and advisement. In some jurisdictions a record of
preventive trespass advisement is necessary to initiate a criminal trespass charge.

h. The posting of signage prohibiting: “trespass, solicitation or loitering” may give law
enforcement greater authority to act on the HCFs behalf and support the staff inquiry as to
the purpose for being on the property.

SEE ALSO:

IAHSS Healthcare Security Industry Guideline 06.01.01, General Staff Security Orientation and
Education

Copyright © 2018 by International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS)
8420 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 1020 • Chicago IL 60631 • 888/353-0990 http://www.iahss.org
 02. Security Department Operations
02. Security Officer Training
02. Stopping and Questioning Persons of Interest

Approved: October 2010

Last Revised: October 2018

Copyright © 2018 by International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS)
8420 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 1020 • Chicago IL 60631 • 888/353-0990 http://www.iahss.org