NZ Crowd Controller COA key terms

The minimum level of physical intervention that a reasonable person, in the same situation, would consider necessary to prevent harm, escape or offence. It must be proportionate, no more than needed, and stop once the risk ends.

The principle that any response, whether words, escort or restraint, must match the seriousness of the risk and be no harsher than the circumstances require. It is judged on what the controller knew at the time.

A graduated scale of responses from simple presence and verbal direction through escort holds to restraint, where each step is justified only when lower steps have failed or would clearly fail.

A legal defence available when force used was reasonable and necessary to protect yourself or others, prevent a crime, or effect a lawful arrest or removal. It fails if force was excessive or used for punishment.

The limited power of an ordinary person, including a crowd controller, to detain someone found committing an offence or fleeing from one, using only reasonable force and handing the person to Police promptly.

Holding a person so they cannot leave, whether by physical restraint, blocking or direction. It must be lawful, brief, and based on a specific offence or a venue's lawful exclusion process, never on dislike or suspicion alone.

How a person is held during physical intervention. Positions that compress the chest or neck, or leave a person face-down after control, create a serious risk of positional asphyxia and must be avoided or ended immediately.

Death or brain injury from being unable to breathe because body position restricts the chest or airway, common in prolonged face-down restraint, especially with weight on the back or a person already exhausted or intoxicated.

A medical emergency marked by extreme agitation, incoherence, profuse sweating, high body temperature and unusual strength, often after drug use or prolonged struggle. It requires urgent ambulance response and minimal restraint.

The legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of patrons, colleagues and yourself, including calling medical help and not abandoning a person in distress.

A formal direction excluding a person from premises for a stated period, issued under the venue's authority or by Police. It must be explained clearly, recorded, and enforced consistently rather than selectively.

Refusing entry or requiring a person to leave a venue. It must rest on published entry conditions, lawful grounds such as intoxication or banned behaviour, and must be applied without discrimination.

A set of deliberate verbal and non-verbal techniques, such as lowering voice, creating space, acknowledging feelings and offering choices, used to reduce a person's agitation before any physical option is considered.

Fully concentrating on what a person says and means, then reflecting it back in your own words to confirm understanding. It calms people, uncovers the real problem and reduces miscommunication in noisy venues.

Non-threatening posture and gestures such as hands visible, relaxed shoulders, side-on stance and steady eye contact, which signal calm and reduce perceived threat during a confrontation.

The distance around a person they consider safe. Invading it, especially in a crowd or during conflict, raises anxiety and aggression, so controllers approach at an angle and keep a respectful gap.

The number of people per square metre in an area. Above roughly four to five people per square metre, movement becomes involuntary and the risk of crushing, panic and injury rises sharply.

Injury or death caused by pressure from surrounding people rather than by stampede, often when density is high and a bottleneck blocks flow. Victims may be standing and silent, not shouting.

A narrow point such as a doorway, stair or gate where crowd flow slows and pressure builds behind it. Controllers manage bottlenecks by metering entry and keeping the far side clear.

A sudden mass forward movement of a crowd, often triggered by a rumour, a noise, a performer appearing or a barrier being pushed. It can knock people off balance and cause falls and crush injuries.

The shared emotional tone of a group, which can shift quickly from festive to tense. Reading mood through noise, movement, facial expressions and chanting helps predict trouble before it starts.

The way groups of people move, spread, compress and react as a collective, including how individual behaviour changes under group pressure, alcohol, excitement or perceived unfairness.

A structured look at what could cause harm, how likely and severe it is, and what controls reduce it. For controllers it is ongoing and dynamic, updated as the crowd, weather or event changes.

The continuous, in-the-moment judgement of changing hazards during a shift, such as a new queue forming or a fight starting, leading to immediate adjustments rather than a written plan.

Knowing what is happening around you, what has changed and what is likely next. It is maintained by scanning, listening, positioning with a clear view and avoiding distraction such as phones.

The deliberate, systematic watching of people, entry points and crowds to detect hazards, offences or distress. Good observation notes specific behaviours and changes, not assumptions about who someone is.

Recording only what was seen, heard and done, in factual language, separating observation from opinion. It avoids labels like 'aggressive drunk' in favour of described behaviour and exact words.

A written record of an event made as soon as practicable, covering who, what, when, where, actions taken, witnesses and injuries. It may be used in court, so accuracy and honesty are essential.

Notes made at or near the time of an event, in a notebook or system, rather than reconstructed later from memory. They are more reliable and carry more weight as evidence.

The documented record of who handled an item, such as seized ID or a weapon, when and where, so it can be shown it was not tampered with between the incident and Police handover.

Automatic assumptions about people based on appearance, ethnicity, gender, age, disability or dress, which can distort who gets watched, searched or excluded. Recognising it is the first step to fair treatment.

Treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic such as race, sex, religion, disability or age. In licensed venues it is both unlawful and a breach of professional standards.

Giving people a fair process: explaining the reason for a decision, hearing their side, applying rules consistently and allowing a chance to respond before acting, where safety permits.

The basic fairness principles that a decision-maker is unbiased and that a person affected gets a chance to be heard. Applied to crowd control, it means no punishment without a fair reason.

A situation where a personal relationship, financial interest or loyalty could improperly influence a controller's decisions, such as guarding a friend's behaviour or favouring a regular customer.

The limits on relationships and conduct with patrons and colleagues, such as not drinking on duty, not accepting bribes or gifts, and not forming personal ties that compromise impartiality.

Planning work, rest breaks, hydration and sleep so tiredness does not impair attention, judgement or reaction time, which is a major cause of errors on late-night shifts.

Working without immediate colleague support, such as a single controller on a door or car park. It requires a check-in system, reliable radio or phone and clear escalation to Police.

The agreed way to communicate by radio: clear call signs, concise messages, stating location and need, acknowledging, and keeping channels free for emergencies.

The organised movement of people out of a venue to a safe assembly area using marked exits, clear directions and sweep checks, without blocking exits or sending people back inside.

A pre-designated safe outdoor location where evacuated people gather so they can be counted and kept clear of emergency services access routes.

A quick, systematic check of toilets, smoking areas, back rooms and seating to ensure nobody is left behind during an evacuation, reported to the person in charge.

The immediate, basic care given before ambulance arrival, such as DRABC checks, bleeding control, recovery position and calling 111, within the limits of the controller's training.

The specific rules attached to a venue's alcohol licence, such as entry restrictions, CCTV, host responsibility and staff numbers, which controllers must know and enforce.

The legal and ethical duty of licensed premises to prevent intoxication, serve responsibly, provide food and water, arrange safe transport and not admit or keep serving drunk patrons.

A state of impairment from alcohol or drugs shown by slurred speech, poor balance, aggression or confusion. It is a lawful ground to refuse entry or service and to arrange safe transport home.

The written standards of behaviour expected of crowd controllers, covering honesty, respect, appearance, sobriety, non-discrimination and reporting, which supports disciplinary and legal accountability.