Retired Marlton police officer offers tips for handling social distance aggression

Monday, May 25, 2020
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's a war over personal safety at a time when thousands of people are still fighting for their lives against COVID-19.

In this new world of social distance, many people are ready to go to bat over their personal space
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"People aren't used to this kind of society, so they're not use to waiting in line or going down the aisles a certain way," said Austin Pendergast, of South Philadelphia.

"A lot of people are out of a job and sometimes when you're without an income, you have to act out," Joe Sippel said.

The hostility is the new focus for Corey Jones, a retired Marlton police officer.

He owns Safetyman Security Consulting, which trains businesses in de-escalating hostile situations.



"One thing I like business to do is be very forward in their advertising of what's expected of the customer. So, big signage all over the place saying, 'You must be 6 feet apart. You are on video for our protection,'" Jones said.
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He says customers also need to play it safe.

"Make sure you have your mask or your face covering, that you're standing 6 feet away to protect yourself and to protect others," Jones said.

Some businesses are considering hiring social distancing bouncers.

"For instance, like a pizza place that has so many people coming in...if there's a bouncer help people coming in and out that helps," said Pendergast, who is a bouncer at Woody's Bar.

"Sometimes people can't follow orders on their own and they need someone to push them in the right direction. A lot of times when people see a bouncer or someone of authority they'll keep it calm," Sippel said.
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