How to write an security guard incident report

1. Always assume the report you are writing is going to be viewed by a third party (i.e. attorneys, police, fire, DEP, elected officials, your boss's boss etc.) even if your employer states otherwise that all written reports are considered confidential.
   
   
2. With time permitting,a good Security Officer usually has his/her report written by the end of the shift. If not, 24 hours is generally the norm. Remember, that oncoming Officers want to know what happened before they arrived for duty. As a courtesy to your colleagues, write your reports before your weekend off or prior to taking time off. Never leave it for when you return, you will remember less of what happened.
   
   
3. Most Security Officers write their reports on a template based software used by the employer. If not, Word document works best. Follow steps below. If the report is hand written, be sure it is very legible.
   
   
4. Be professional. Do not give your opinion, just the facts. However, you may state your observations, but be very careful, if you, for example write "he was drunk" you could subject yourself to questions like " are you trained to spot drunk people?" However, you can say something like "I smelled alcohol on Mr. Smith's breath and he appeared to be intoxicated. Do not lie or misrepresent the facts. Insert quotes from suspects, witnesses, or anyone else involved.
   
   
5. Use plain language. If a third party is reviewing your report and they don't know the meaning of say "code white," it will be difficult to follow. I suggest that instead you say ".....dispatched to a 'code white' (medical emergency)......"
   
   
6. Do not share or distribute your report with anyone except authorized individuals or agencies.
   
   
7. Do not have anyone write your report! Do not sign a report that you did not write. Likewise, do not write a report for anyone. Should you be called into court, your ethics and integrity may be called into question.
   
   
8. It is best to take notes, if possible, during and after an incident. When it's time to write your report, you can refer to them easily.
   
   
9. Always remember to answer the following questions: who, what, when, where, how, and why. Do not submit your report if you can not answer these.
   
   
10. Organize you report into appropriate paragraphs for easier reading. Your report should be detailed but don't write a novel.
    
    
11. Were police, fire, EMS or other agency involved? Be sure to include that in your report noting names, badge numbers, and contact information. I strongly suggest that you ask for attach a business card to your report for these agencies. If you have conducted an interview, ask for and make a copy of their driver's license or other ID. This should be attached to the report as well.
    
    
12. Sometimes, it's a good idea to have a Security Officer colleague proof read your report before it is submitted to a supervisor.
    
    
13. Write your incident report.