Let’s Get Back To “Protect And Serve”

Here's how a change in thinking benefited me.

This is was a nice change in culture that benefited me. When we first opened our haunted house we were unused to dealing with large crowds on the ground level. We very much went the "law and order" route where everyone had be neatly in line, well-behaved, and patiently waiting their turn. It sounds like a very reasonable request and it really did work quite well, after all, isn't that what everyone wants? The answer is actually no.  We had to kick a few dozen people out each year, mostly because they just wanted to behave like jackasses and I think part of that was because we were treating them like a number instead of like people.

A few years back we changed our thinking completely, we no longer have security (or whatever the law allows what is technically your bouncers) we now call them "hosts". Our number one command to them is "make sure everyone has a good time".  They are there to help, protect our actors and props, and take people to the Sheriffs if they are actin' a fool.  The result has been dramatic, in the last two years we've only had to eject one person (for being insanely drunk and aggressive).

This is my TED Talk on the difference between demanding "Law & Order" and seeking to "Protect & Serve".  I believe the latter is the reason why most people become policemen, but some get caught up on the former. Let's give your police both respect and the directive to get back to what's important. Let them protect and serve.