Door stepping can be very unpredictable, there are many things which can go wrong when approaching someone for an interview without prior arrangement. The level of risk will vary depending on who and what the subject of the story is, considerations for door stepping a politician leaving parliament will differ to approaching a criminal with a history of violence in a high crime area. The possibility of the subject reacting with an irrational response can be high, which may lead to verbal or physical assault. The key to remaining safe on any assignment is good planning & preparation, along with good teamwork & dynamic risk assessment when on location. We have listed 5 safety tips below which will help you remain safe whilst on a door stepping assignment.
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Do your homework on the subject
The more information you have about who and what the subject is, the better prepared you will be, this will allow you to put appropriate control measures in place to manage the risks. A few points to consider are…. Who is the subject? What is their attitude towards journalists? Do they have a history of violence? If yes, have they used weapons? Will they be alone or will they be in a group? Do they own any dangerous animals?
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Conduct reconnaissance of the location
There is a saying in the military which goes ‘Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted’ spending time scouting the area you will be working in will improve your local knowledge and increase your personal safety. A few points to consider are…. Where is the subject based? Does the area have a high crime rate? Is the subject in a block of flats or house? Can you approach the subject without knocking on their door? Is there clear approach and exit routes to the location? Can you get there by vehicle? Can you get phone signal in the area? Where may the subject’s ‘territory’ extend to?
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Clothing & PPE
If there is high risk of the situation turning violent, you should avoid wearing anything which could be used against you, such as hoods or scarves. You should consider the pros and cons of how which organisation you are from may have a positive or negative affect on your safety. If the subject has a history of violence or owns violent animals, evaluate the need for PPE and ensure you wear adequate protection in line with the specific threats you have identified.
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Good positioning
Think about how you would position yourself when approaching your subject, aim to give yourself a buffer zone to buy you reaction time should the situation escalate. Also, consider the number of people you take, a large presence of people may look intimidating to your subject which may provoke an irrational response or worse, an attack. Think about positioning some of your team in a safe-haven which you can move back to in the event of an emergency.
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Have a contingency plan
If it all goes wrong, you are going need to disengage from the situation in the quickest and safest way possible. Ideally spotting the warning signs early that the level of risk has changed will give you the best opportunity to disengage, think about using a code word to covertly let the team know it is time to leave. You should remain as a team whilst you extract and stay on your feet, escape via a pre-planned exit route(s) back to an emergency meeting point. Also, be mindful of territorial behaviour and where this may extend to for the subject, if you are pursued, know where your ‘safe area’ will be.
Aj Vickers – Prime Media Safety
