Minnesota Protective Agent Practice Test

You are working at a manufacturing facility where employees have signed a workplace contract agreeing to a search of their person and parcels prior to exiting the building. An employee is leaving at the end of their shift. You ask to search them and they refuse to allow you to perform the search. What should you do?

1. Search them under the authority of the Trespass to Property Act.

2. Do not search them, advise them it is the company policy to search all employees and request they await a facility manager.

3. Arrest them on the reasonable and probable grounds of having stolen something.

4. Insist that they submit to a search by reminding them that they have signed a contract to that effect.

The correct answer is: Do not search them, advise them it is the company policy to search all employees and request they await a facility manager.

The correct response is "Do not search them, advise them it is the company policy to search all employees and request they await a facility manager". Even though an individual may have agreed to allow searches of their person or property, a security guard does not have the authority to conduct a search if the person refuses. The correct action in this case is for the guard to advise the person of the policy and ask them to wait for a facility manager or other authorized individual. This respects the person's rights while still upholding the requirements of the company policy. It is also less likely to result in a conflict or escalate any confrontation, making it a more 'security-conscious' approach. Additionally, waiting for further instructions from a supervisor or responsible authority also ensures a proper procedure is followed to resolve the situation.