Can a Door Supervisor arrest someone?

For a general member of the public, seeing a smartly dressed Door Supervisor or Security Guard and the authority and responsibility they wield as part of their position working in the security sector, it is understandable that they may sometimes get confused as a Police Officer rather than simply a security operative with an SIA badge.  

While holding an SIA badge does come with great responsibility and may sometimes get mistaken for being a Police badge, the fact of the matter is, both are completely separate and hold a different kind of authority.

What power does a Police Officer have over a Door Supervisor?

There are various degrees of power that a Police Officer holds in their duty to protect the public and uphold the law.

• the power to stop and search people and vehicles in certain circumstances
• various powers of entry in certain circumstances
• the power to seize and retain property in certain circumstances
• the power to arrest people with or without warrant for any offence and in various other circumstances.
• the power to direct the behaviour of persons and vehicles on highways and in other public places
• the power to demand a name and address and certain documents of anyone driving a motor vehicle on a public road.

But yet, even with these very specific types of authority only designated to Police Officers, there are sometimes still blurred lines, and a question that commonly arises as a result of these blurred lines is, Can a Door Supervisor arrest someone?

And the answer is, yes, they can, but not as you may think.

Door Supervisors can make an arrest, but this power isn’t exclusive to those who work in the security sector and hold an SIA badge. It is a power that all members of the public have, whether they are a Bus Driver or a Security Guard.

In common UK law this power of arrest is known as the citizens arrest.

Can a Door Supervisor perform a citizen’s arrest?

The Criminal Law Act 1967 gives everyone, including door supervisors and those working in the security industry, the authority to use “such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting (or assisting in) the lawful arrest of offenders, suspected offenders or persons unlawfully at large.”

In essence, this legislation allows you as a Door Supervisor to use force to stop a crime from being committed, such as breaking up a fight or stopping someone from smashing a window, both of these types of incidents being classed as assault and criminal damage.

This legislation allows you to use force if needed to arrest someone and to stop them from running away. Many Door Supervisors working in the security sector will use their instinct and skills learnt during their Door Supervisor training course accordingly in these kind of situations before making a decision. In many instances, they will hold and obtain the suspect and call the Police who will then apprehend the suspect in question and take them into custody.

Door Supervisors and those that work in the security sector play a huge part in protecting members of the public and properties, and their handwork and dedication to their profession and how much of a crucial part they have in public safety and security should never be underestimated.