Security guards must submit written reports of incidents, responsibilities done, and detailed explanations of their tasks/observances. These reports are frequently aimed towards diverse audiences. Reports must be produced in a clear, standardized manner to guarantee that information is communicated accurately and without prejudice.
Taking Notes
The purpose of effective note taking is to enable the writer to have a brief, accurate record of daily events in their notebooks. This course teaches security guards about the value of notebooks and how they may become an essential component of their kit.
A notebook is similar to a plumber’s wrench or a carpenter’s hammer to a Security Guard. A Security Guard’s responsibilities will need him or her to deal with a wide range of circumstances and people. Because accurate documentation and testimony at trial are necessary, a notebook becomes a useful tool when utilized properly.
Keeping a notebook serves several functions, the most important of which are:
To aid you in recalling details, and providing accurate testimony.
A notebook serves as a first and main tool in providing truthful testimony. During the course of an investigation, a significant quantity of information is obtained, such as the names and addresses of witnesses, descriptions of items, measurements taken, locations of crucial events, and so on. These sorts of things may never be precisely and totally recalled if they are not written down and preserved as soon as feasible.
In addition, the passage of time will weaken your recall of the incident. Typically, at least five or six months elapse between the occurrence and the trial. Critical facts may be forgotten if you do not correctly document the information. You’ll wind up answering inquiries with “I don’t know,” “I don’t recall,” or “I’m not sure” if you don’t take adequate notes.
Remember that someone who stumbles through a barely remembered occurrence is unlikely to impress a judge or jury. Your reputation is on the line. Take the time to jot down the fundamentals: “who, what, where, when, why, and how.”
Finally, things that may not appear to be very significant at the moment may become highly vital later on. You might be lucky and remember some of these information. A thorough sequence of notes, on the other hand, may be utilized to refresh your memory and trigger the intimate specifics of the occurrence you are attempting to recollect.
As a reflection of your work and ability.
People evaluating your materials will form opinions about your talents based on your notes and reports. Remember that a decent notebook reflects well on the author and increases his or her trustworthiness. A careless recording of an occurrence may lead to the conclusion that the work behind it was as bad. A tidy, efficient, and well-organized notebook demonstrates your organizing talents and capabilities. The relevance of the content in your notebook demonstrates your understanding of the law and the offences you are dealing with. The level of effort you put into your job is reflected in the quality of your notes.
As a basis for writing a report.
A well-organized notebook will help you to precisely depict the sequence of events for the police, your supervisor, or the customer. Making notes will assist you in organizing and prioritizing the material.
As an investigative aid.
Taking notes might help you arrange the information you’ve gathered. Going through the data and arranging them in chronological order may help you fit the jigsaw together. Furthermore, the individuals you interact with now may become the subject of an inquiry tomorrow. Repeat offenders and prior occurrences may be brought up in future cases. Long-forgotten facts may turn out to be hints that assist you deal with other issues. The capacity to reflect on earlier notes and deliver reliable information, then incorporate this into current investigations, is critical.
What to write in the notebook?
In general, you should begin with identifying information such as your name and address. Because you will ultimately fill a succession of notebooks, record the date the book was begun and ended, as well as the book number. Only one notebook should be used at a time.
Security guards who retain one notebook for rough notes and another for good notes have not only been chastised by the courts, but they also risk having the charges against an accused dropped if evidence found in one but not the other is revealed during cross-examination. The note taker may give the appearance to the court that the material has been cleaned up or twisted. The same result may be reached if pencil entries are made, erased, then rewritten. Make the entries in ink to exclude any possibility that the notes have been altered.
Organize your notes chronologically. If an entry has an error, draw a single line across it, initial it, and rewrite it on the next line in the notebook. In your notepad, do not leave any blank spaces, lines, or pages. If this occurs, put a line through it and initial and date it. Do not cut portions or pages out of the notebook. Make sure the entries are clear and avoid using abbreviations or shorthand unless they are followed by a complete description the first time the abbreviation is used. Remember, the aim is for someone else to comprehend what your notes imply.
Maintain control of your laptop. It will contain numerous items that should be kept private throughout time, such as descriptions of events, phone numbers, addresses, and so on. At worst, this information might end up in the wrong hands. And even if you only lose it, it will be as if the notes you would learn to rely on were never written.
Begin each day with a new heading, noting the time and date you are working, the weather, the location of the task site, and so on. These particulars may aid you in recalling your memories of the incident.
Following these entries, you should describe what happened that day. You should keep note of the following:
- The time the call is received, the event viewed, or the complaint made;
- The nature of the incident;
- Factual information, such as names and addresses;
- Any diagrams required (a picture is often worth a thousand words);
- Evidence found:
- By whom
- Where
- At what time
- How it has been labelled
- Disposition
- Victim statements or summaries of victim statements (statements by suspects or accused persons must be recorded verbatim)
- Names of the parties involved, including aliases and nicknames, and, if possible, residences, phone numbers, and birth dates
- Characteristics of persons (clothing, age, height, weight, sex, colour of hair and eyes, ears, nose, scars, tattoos or other distinguishing characteristics)
- Property description (serial number, size, damage, colour, make, or other identifying features)
- The scene is described in detail (including diagrams and measurements as appropriate)
- Climate conditions
Unless it is part of a witness testimony or a statement from the accused, do not use profanity in your notes. The precise words used should be surrounded by quotation marks. Make an effort to keep your notes and observations as objective as possible.
Place just facts in your notepad unless your opinion is relevant. Avoid writing down your thoughts; chances are, you will recall them when you go over your observations. As an example:
Opinion:
The accused was inebriated.
Observation:
The man lurched along the street, and when I got within three feet of him, I could smell a strong odour of booze on him. His eyes were blurry and bloodshot, and his speech was extremely slurred when I spoke with him.
Statements
On rare occasions, a Security Guard may be necessary to take a statement in order to secure the information supplied by a witness. The primary goal of taking a statement is to guarantee an accurate record of the witness’s recall of an event or incident. A statement should be given freely and without any threat or promise to the witness.
Statement processes differ from one firm to the next. Statements should, in general, include the following:
- Full name of the witness, date of birth, identification.
- Employment of the witness and contact information.
- Address of the witness, location of statement.
- Date of interview.
- Time commenced and concluded.
- Name of Security Guard and company who took the statement.
- An introduction paragraph including day’s events and observations.
- Verbatim (word for word) transcription of the witness’s recollection of the events.
- Closing paragraph that ends the statement.
For instance, the concluding sentence may be:
“I, (witness name), have reviewed the above six-page statement and believe it to be true to the best of my knowledge. I was told that I may omit, alter, or amend any section of the statement before signing it.”
As this example shows, the Security Guard should allow the witness to study the statement and request revisions before agreeing to sign it. If a modification is requested, a line should be drawn through the item being deleted, with the witness and Security Guard’s initials at the beginning and end of the adjustment.
The key to taking effective notes is to record as many details as possible.
This is why it is critical to take notes immediately after observing anything so that you do not forget the specifics. Record data from all of your senses, not just what you see. Something unexpected you hear or smell might be significant later on. It is preferable to write too much rather than too little, as some material may turn out to be more vital than you anticipate. Someone, for example, may try to divert your attention by informing you that there is a problem in the parking lot while a robbery is taking on inside the building. It may be useful during an inquiry if you have a detailed description of the individual who informed you of the incident in the parking lot.
If you witness an occurrence for which you know you will need to write a report, make sure your notes include the following information: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, and Action taken.
24-hour Clock
Every number has two times in the day on a conventional 12-hour clock, such as six o’clock in the morning and six o’clock in the evening. This may be quite perplexing.
The 24-hour clock is significantly clearer because each number has just one time of day. The time at six o’clock in the morning is 0600 hours, and the time at six o’clock in the evening is 1800 hours. Many individuals in many countries utilize the 24-hour clock when accurate time is critical. It is found in airports, railway stations, and bus stops. It is also employed by the military, law enforcement, and the security business. You must use the 24-hour clock to compose your notes and reports. If you have to testify in court, you will also utilize the 24-hour clock.
Note: Midnight is also sometimes referred to as 0000
TO TRANSITION FROM 12-HOUR TO 24-HOUR CLOCK TIME
In the 24-hour clock system, the first two numbers represent the number of hours from the start of the day, while the final two digits represent the number of minutes since the start of the hour.
EXAMPLE
Consider 4:30 in the afternoon. You have 12 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon, for a total of 16 hours since the start of the day. Because there are 30 minutes since the start of the hour, the 24-hour clock time is 1630.
12-hour 24-hour clock time clock time
3:06 a.m. 3 hours since beginning of day, so time is 0306
12:05 p.m. 12 hours since beginning of day, so time is 1205
8:14 p.m. 20 hours (12+8) since beginning of day, so time is 2014
12:59 a.m. 0 hours since the beginning of day, so time is 0059
TO TRANSITION FROM 24-HOUR TO 12-HOUR CLOCK TIME
It is not difficult to modify the times between one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The numbers remain the same, and you simply add a.m. or p.m. 0312, for example, is 3:12 a.m., while 1259 is 12:59 p.m. From one o’clock in the afternoon to midnight, we must subtract 12 from the first two digits and multiply by p.m. 1432, for example, is 2:32 p.m.
Introduction to Reports
Report writing is tough, time consuming, and, in general, unimportant for many Security Guards. Report writing is the most tedious aspect of most investigations, according to most investigators. In general, it appears that a guard may have to spend hours preparing paperwork for a few minutes of excitement. This disregard for what will very certainly become the most significant backing for a Security Guard’s actions is concerning.
A Security Guard’s duties will require him or her to communicate factual information to others who were not present at the actual incident that the Security Guard saw on literally thousands of instances. Coworkers, supervisors, subordinates, police, insurance companies, private investigators, company clients, the media, defence attorneys, the crown prosecutor, and the court are examples of these individuals.
A Security Guard must be able to correctly document his or her observations at the moment in a clear, succinct, and logical way.
Reports are used to document precise details about occurrences so that others can learn what happened. When finished, a report should be able to construct a comprehensive picture of the events that transpired in the reader’s mind.
Remember that a good report reflects well on the investigator and increases his or her credibility. A shoddy report may lead to the belief that the effort behind it was as sloppy.
Reports
There are two types of reports that a Security Guard will complete in general.
Administrative, or “Routine” Reports
These are the reports that are required by the office’s normal paper flow on any given working day. These reports might comprise, for example, a requisition for equipment, a visitor’s register, a temporary pass registration, a time card indicating hours worked, requests for vacation leave, training requests, budgets, and so on. Typically, these reports are based on a series of company-generated papers that include tick boxes and other tools to aid the employee in completing the document.
Operatonal, or “Incident” Reports
These reports may include items that your supervisor or customer requests, or they may describe the occurrence of a non-typical event, that is, some odd incidence that has drawn attention to itself while the Security Guard is performing his or her normal tasks. Criminal offences such as property damage, robbery, theft, or assault, a fire or other activity, or the everyday actions of strikers on a picket line are examples of things that may elicit reports.
Some of these reports, such as those documenting the circumstances leading up to a shoplifting incident, will be forwarded to the Crown for use at trial. Others may be given to an insurance company if a claim is made. Whatever the report’s purpose, it must provide a clear and accurate summary of what happened.
An operational report serves three functions:
- To serve as an official record of what occurred
- To document the event for future reference by the writer; and
- To communicate the details of an event to others for a number of purposes.
Your report may be included in the official record of what occurred during the event. For example, if several complaints about a potentially dangerous situation are made to the Security Guard on duty at a site, and someone is injured as a result of nothing being done to remedy the situation, the Security Guard’s report may become an important exhibit in an insurance claim or civil trial for liability.
Records are also significant for another reason. The interval between the commission of an offence and the commencement of a trial is frequently lengthy. Our memories of a certain incident may get clouded with time. In preparation for trial, a good report may help you recollect exactly what transpired at the time of the offence.
Essential Ingredients of Sound Operational Reporting:
A good report writer must pay attention to detail, comprehend why a report is needed, and who will read the report. A good report will be well-planned, factually correct, and properly depict the sequence of events in clear and succinct language.
Reports must be:
Organized – Before drafting the report, become organized. First, get the information. Record the details in your notebook at the moment of the occurrence or as soon as feasible thereafter. Organize your ideas by determining the best way to address the topic and offer a clear picture of what occurred to the reader. The report should then be written. Remember that information should be presented chronologically.
Clear – Keep sentences, paragraphs, and the report brief and to the point. Avoid being too wordy while presenting a clear picture of what transpired.
Legible – If the report is handwritten, ensure that it is legible to others. Please print the report if you have bad handwriting.
Complete – Include all pertinent questions (who, what, where, when, why, and how).
Accurate – All of the information in the report must be correct. Do not make any assumptions or mention anything that you are unaware of.
Proofread – Reread the report to ensure that everything is correct. Better better, after rereading the report, have a coworker look through it to ensure that everything makes sense.
Reports include critical components. They should incorporate the five ‘W’s’ and ‘how’ to be effective. While some of the questions may not have answers at the time the report is written, a comprehensive report will attempt to answer as many as feasible.
Remember that your objective is to provide the person reading or hearing the report a clear picture of what happened. Consider hearing someone else tell you about a movie they saw. If crucial messages are absent, your mental picture of the film will be incomplete. Someone who depends on your report to explain what happened is attempting the same thing. Make certain that your report covers these fundamentals.
- WHO?
- Who was involved?
- Who was the complainant?
- Who witnessed the event?
- Who was the accused/suspect?
The report’s “who” section lists anybody who was engaged in the incident. It can include: a victim; the person filing a complaint, requesting action, or saying that something was witnessed; the person who began the event; the person who reacted to the event; the owner of property affected by the event; and so on.
- WHAT?
- What actually happened?
- What evidence is available?
This section will most likely include the majority of the content of an excellent report. It can include: a description of what happened; what steps were taken by those involved (including the Security Guard); what evidence is available (not only physical evidence, but also what witnesses say); and what was done with the evidence.
- WHEN?
- When did the event occur?
The time and date are critical components of the report. The events should be listed in chronological sequence. Record when you last saw the location previous to the occurrence; when the event occurred; when it finished; when you spoke with a witness; and when police, the fire department, or the ambulance arrived.
- WHERE?
- Where did the event occur? Describe the environment and where you and the other individuals were at the time.
This section of the report describes the incident’s location, including where witnesses were located, where evidence was discovered, and where the accused was located, among other things.
- WHY?
- Why did what happened, happen? What motive was there for the incident? Why did this particular series of events occur?
- HOW?
- How did this event come to your attention?
- How did the event take place?
- How did the accused act?
- How did the witnesses act?
- How was the evidence recovered?
- How was the suspect/accused arrested?
Many of these issues can be answered by conducting an investigation at the location. Even after an extensive inquiry, certain questions may remain unresolved.
- ACTION TAKEN
- What action was taken in response to this observation?
- What did Security do?
This section outlines how the event occurred and what steps were taken in response.
Format
Reports should be written consistently to ensure that a dependable product is delivered. Consumers or end-users of the reports (such as Crown prosecutors, insurance companies, and so on) should be able to discover the same aspects in every security reports they see. The relevant information in the reports will be easy to extract for report consumers. Before writing a report, the Security Guard should take the time to compile the major aspects, including the questions that should be answered to help his or her audience grasp the situation.
Report writing styles differ. Your report writing style should be specified by your employer.
Reports should be written in the past tense:
- I noticed…
- I observed…
- The accused chose…
- The report should be dated with the occurrence date, not the investigation date.
- Use the official address, 1909 Rose Street, rather than Heritage Mall.
- Make certain that you use the correct legal business name in your report. This may necessitate a check of the business license.
- Names should be printed (not written) in capital characters, with the surname (last name) coming first, followed by a comma and the first name. Capitalize the initial letter of the first name. Between the first and second names, a slash is used;
- If the accused does not have identification, ensure that he or she spells out his or her name. The names in your notes and report should be the complete name, not a nickname or shorter form of the full name (for example, “Bill” is frequently used in place of “William,” which is likely the person’s legal name). Include any aliases or nicknames the subject may have in your report.
