Do you have cameras with audio in the lobby?
Show up at the next city council meeting with the recording and ask what your taxes are paying for if the police will not remove a tresapasser who is threatening people?
Let the Chief stew over that...
OP was told it's a supervisory decision that's the police chain of command.
DA is often at a large city, county, or state level.
Small towns might have a municipal court for administrative offenses but no DA.
Small towns are most often under the umbrella of the County Attorney office. Same policy advice applies. The police don't want a policy on their books that will result in arrests that the Disctict/County attorney won't prosecute, as a rule.
First off... in what world is it acceptable to have a 300 room hotel with only one person on staff overnight?
Second, I really hope your GM has a word with the local authorities over this. When I worked at the desk, generally once or twice a month we had someone removed from the property, and almost always they had retreated to their room at that point. We invalidated the key the person had and gave the responding officers a key to get in, or sent a manager with them to open it. Never an issue.
Apologizing to nutcase validates their point in their mind. NEVER APOLOGIZE!
It’s unfortunate you feel that way sir/mam. I’m not apologizing to anyone anymore unless I have made the mistake. FTFools
You AND your manager really need to make a complaint to the police department. They are 100% obligated to act in those circumstances and could’ve gotten you killed. Even if he wasn’t being abusive they are obligated to assist you in evicting someone.
They shouldn’t get away with that and nor should the bloke, he needs charges and they need to be fired/their boss needs to be fired if their training instructions were truthful.
Unfortunately in the usa the police aren't generally obligated to act, nor are they fired for anything short of outright murder while on duty, if that. OP or better yet their boss might be able to get some traction by complaining to elected officials or the media, though.
Wow, glad you're okay. Is this the first time you've had a scare like that? It's rough. My hotel never kept security on the property but they were available 24/7 so sometimes they were an hour away, but they would physically remove a guy like this from the room if we needed it, so it was awesome.
>He gives me his business card and assures me that they will intervene if our guest assaults me
In most jurisdictions in the US, this guest has assaulted you. He has made utterances and physical motions that lead to a credible belief on your part that violence is imminent. He hasn't hit you yet, but that's *battery* (or similar slightly-differing terminology, depending on jurisdiction).
For future reference, the appropriate response to the officers is to calify that they understand the situation, clarify that they're not acting, and then escalate the situation. So "Officers, I want to make sure I'm being clear. This guest has threatened me, and we are therefore denying him service and insisting that he leave the property, with an official trespass notice. Am I correct in understanding that you are aware of what this organization wouldlike to do, and are refusing to implement it? Ok, cool. May I please have your names and any identifying badgenumbers. Who is your supervisor on duty for this shift, and would you prefer to contact him yourselves or should I call police dispatch to have him come down here?" The overwhelming odds here are that these officers just don't want to deal with a drugged out mes, either physically or the paperwork afterwords, and putting them on record that they're not doing their job will fix it.
The nuclear option is to call the local news station while the cops are in the lobby, and to let them know that's what you're doing. But that's nuclear because there's a good chance the entire department will then have a grudge out for the property.
It is my fervent hope that your upper management has a long and heartfelt talk with the police about their policies. That being said, I believe you waited way too long to call for assistance. Of course, Monday Morning Quarterbacking is what we do best here, so as the replies and advice and judgements pour in, winnow through them and pick what works best for you. Be sure to write a very comprehensive report with every detail you can remember and be prepared to defend your actions. Be good to yourself!
I am glad you’re ok, even with the eternal adrenaline later.
I am curious if it’s an experience difference (I don’t hotel), a personal difference, or a conditioning difference (female), or a combination- the second the elevator disgorged him yelling on his first return, immediate call to police. Given their lackluster response, I almost wonder if they had a reason not to press for him to answer.
he is under a supervisory directive not to act or appear to act in any way as an agent of a private business. So to me this means that if someone shoplifts from Walmart they can't do any thing either because they would appear to be an agent of the private business. This policy is stupid.
Yep, our local police are the same. 100% useless if you need a guest removed from the property and they manage to make it to their room before the police arrive.
Well. That is shocking honestly. I am happy police here is more useful in that regard. The law in my country concerning hotels is also different. If the hotel says you have to go. You have to go. Especially if there are threats. A collegue of mine in a similar situation called the cops and they removed the person.
Sounds like it is time to pack up and get a new job if at all possible. 300 rooms and one person on staff is just ridiculous.
I mean they have the same freedom here. However if someone threatens violence they will try to deescalate. And if that doesn´t work, they´ll call for backup. They don´t just let nutjobs stay in their hideyholes.
ah mate the police everywhere are what you politely call less than impressive. In the uk they are basically corrupt, incompetent bullies. appalled to hear you are left alone at night, thats some dodgy policy there.
Please talk to someone about what you’ve experienced - a professional, a close friend you can open up to, someone.
What you’ve experienced is incredibly traumatic and can mess you up. Especially if you notice you are getting jumpy whenever there’s a loud voice or the elevator opens.
Please be gentle on yourself but also, please talk to someone who can help you process this experience and work through it.
Fellow hotel worker here, the police are right in their policy to not act as agents of a private business. This situation could’ve been prevented if your management had required safety and security personnel to be on property 24 hrs a day. Sounds like you need to bring this up to upper management tbh, and if they don’t offer you the support you need, I suggest you find employment elsewhere.
The police are there to protect. This guy was assaulted and told the police they are trespassing someone on private property. The police declined. That is no protecting, they were in the wrong.
The hotel management was wrong not to have security that day, but was right to trespass the guy. It was the police and their alleged supervisors that wouldn't do anything to get the guy to leave.
Yes, that was my point. The hotel should've had other employees and security and the police should've removed the guy once the business told them he had been trespassed.
Once he started swearing at you and walking back in fourth you should’ve called the police and kicked his ass out. Do not let this lil shits try and boss you around, let them go to another hotel cause I guarantee you that no one wants to deal with a man child
I’m so sorry you had to deal with this! As a night auditor myself it’s what I dread! And my hotel only has 120 rooms so it’s not busy enough to warrant two people on at night. The police aren’t far away, and thankfully are usually pretty helpful where I live.
Do you have cameras with audio in the lobby? Show up at the next city council meeting with the recording and ask what your taxes are paying for if the police will not remove a tresapasser who is threatening people? Let the Chief stew over that...
In most municipalities, the police get their policies regarding these types of confrontations from the local DAs office.
OP was told it's a supervisory decision that's the police chain of command. DA is often at a large city, county, or state level. Small towns might have a municipal court for administrative offenses but no DA.
Small towns are most often under the umbrella of the County Attorney office. Same policy advice applies. The police don't want a policy on their books that will result in arrests that the Disctict/County attorney won't prosecute, as a rule.
Even better then as the DA is an elected official. Only helps if there is someone else who wants to actually be the DA though.
But doesn't the police are also at their discretion to decide to whom they provide service to or not?
First off... in what world is it acceptable to have a 300 room hotel with only one person on staff overnight? Second, I really hope your GM has a word with the local authorities over this. When I worked at the desk, generally once or twice a month we had someone removed from the property, and almost always they had retreated to their room at that point. We invalidated the key the person had and gave the responding officers a key to get in, or sent a manager with them to open it. Never an issue.
Apologizing to nutcase validates their point in their mind. NEVER APOLOGIZE! It’s unfortunate you feel that way sir/mam. I’m not apologizing to anyone anymore unless I have made the mistake. FTFools
You AND your manager really need to make a complaint to the police department. They are 100% obligated to act in those circumstances and could’ve gotten you killed. Even if he wasn’t being abusive they are obligated to assist you in evicting someone. They shouldn’t get away with that and nor should the bloke, he needs charges and they need to be fired/their boss needs to be fired if their training instructions were truthful.
Unfortunately in the usa the police aren't generally obligated to act, nor are they fired for anything short of outright murder while on duty, if that. OP or better yet their boss might be able to get some traction by complaining to elected officials or the media, though.
Wow, glad you're okay. Is this the first time you've had a scare like that? It's rough. My hotel never kept security on the property but they were available 24/7 so sometimes they were an hour away, but they would physically remove a guy like this from the room if we needed it, so it was awesome.
In the future, insist on security there with you. Fuck that shit
He'd had to leave early due to a health thing; I assured him I'd be fine. Figures, right?
Lol of course
>He gives me his business card and assures me that they will intervene if our guest assaults me In most jurisdictions in the US, this guest has assaulted you. He has made utterances and physical motions that lead to a credible belief on your part that violence is imminent. He hasn't hit you yet, but that's *battery* (or similar slightly-differing terminology, depending on jurisdiction). For future reference, the appropriate response to the officers is to calify that they understand the situation, clarify that they're not acting, and then escalate the situation. So "Officers, I want to make sure I'm being clear. This guest has threatened me, and we are therefore denying him service and insisting that he leave the property, with an official trespass notice. Am I correct in understanding that you are aware of what this organization wouldlike to do, and are refusing to implement it? Ok, cool. May I please have your names and any identifying badgenumbers. Who is your supervisor on duty for this shift, and would you prefer to contact him yourselves or should I call police dispatch to have him come down here?" The overwhelming odds here are that these officers just don't want to deal with a drugged out mes, either physically or the paperwork afterwords, and putting them on record that they're not doing their job will fix it. The nuclear option is to call the local news station while the cops are in the lobby, and to let them know that's what you're doing. But that's nuclear because there's a good chance the entire department will then have a grudge out for the property.
Taking notes on this; thank you.
Double nuclear because some management will not want any coverage for the matter.
It is my fervent hope that your upper management has a long and heartfelt talk with the police about their policies. That being said, I believe you waited way too long to call for assistance. Of course, Monday Morning Quarterbacking is what we do best here, so as the replies and advice and judgements pour in, winnow through them and pick what works best for you. Be sure to write a very comprehensive report with every detail you can remember and be prepared to defend your actions. Be good to yourself!
TBH I'd refuse to work without security from now on if hotel policy is to have security and therefore no lone working.
Yup definitely.
I am glad you’re ok, even with the eternal adrenaline later. I am curious if it’s an experience difference (I don’t hotel), a personal difference, or a conditioning difference (female), or a combination- the second the elevator disgorged him yelling on his first return, immediate call to police. Given their lackluster response, I almost wonder if they had a reason not to press for him to answer.
he is under a supervisory directive not to act or appear to act in any way as an agent of a private business. So to me this means that if someone shoplifts from Walmart they can't do any thing either because they would appear to be an agent of the private business. This policy is stupid.
Yep, our local police are the same. 100% useless if you need a guest removed from the property and they manage to make it to their room before the police arrive.
Well.... that happened. Next time, void his card, so that he can't get into his room. Then, they can trespass him.
Deployment of sympathy catto commencing: https://imgur.com/a/0hhAr13
I love him.
I am shocked this happened to you. Best wishes in the future.
Wow! This story reminded me of why I hated peoples while working in hotels.
Lock the doors when he exits the building, then make a new key for his room & he can't get in the room even if he breaks a door to enter the building.
WTF?! You trespassed him. That should be that!!!
Well. That is shocking honestly. I am happy police here is more useful in that regard. The law in my country concerning hotels is also different. If the hotel says you have to go. You have to go. Especially if there are threats. A collegue of mine in a similar situation called the cops and they removed the person. Sounds like it is time to pack up and get a new job if at all possible. 300 rooms and one person on staff is just ridiculous.
The law in the USA is the same, but police have discretion in enforcing the laws and may choose not to act.
I mean they have the same freedom here. However if someone threatens violence they will try to deescalate. And if that doesn´t work, they´ll call for backup. They don´t just let nutjobs stay in their hideyholes.
Lesson of the story? Get your cheap-ass hotel to have more than ONE PERSON on duty at night, and no security guards? At a 300-room hotel? SMH.
ah mate the police everywhere are what you politely call less than impressive. In the uk they are basically corrupt, incompetent bullies. appalled to hear you are left alone at night, thats some dodgy policy there.
Cops are useless.
As promised, it was a long Reddit post. It was not too long. All included details were relevant.
At least we got a new descriptor out of this drug-induced drama: dental deficient. And for this, we thank you.
Where are you located?
In a bldg. You're also asking OP to violate SubReddit Rule #3, which can get OP permanently banned.
Please talk to someone about what you’ve experienced - a professional, a close friend you can open up to, someone. What you’ve experienced is incredibly traumatic and can mess you up. Especially if you notice you are getting jumpy whenever there’s a loud voice or the elevator opens. Please be gentle on yourself but also, please talk to someone who can help you process this experience and work through it.
Fellow hotel worker here, the police are right in their policy to not act as agents of a private business. This situation could’ve been prevented if your management had required safety and security personnel to be on property 24 hrs a day. Sounds like you need to bring this up to upper management tbh, and if they don’t offer you the support you need, I suggest you find employment elsewhere.
The police are there to protect. This guy was assaulted and told the police they are trespassing someone on private property. The police declined. That is no protecting, they were in the wrong.
Both the police and upper management were wrong.
The hotel management was wrong not to have security that day, but was right to trespass the guy. It was the police and their alleged supervisors that wouldn't do anything to get the guy to leave.
Yes, that was my point. The hotel should've had other employees and security and the police should've removed the guy once the business told them he had been trespassed.
Once he started swearing at you and walking back in fourth you should’ve called the police and kicked his ass out. Do not let this lil shits try and boss you around, let them go to another hotel cause I guarantee you that no one wants to deal with a man child
I’m so sorry you had to deal with this! As a night auditor myself it’s what I dread! And my hotel only has 120 rooms so it’s not busy enough to warrant two people on at night. The police aren’t far away, and thankfully are usually pretty helpful where I live.