Security Blog

When I worked in the security field, one of the biggest complaints I got from clients was that security guard report writing were poor in quality. Whether they are hourly shift or incident reports, they need to be legible, easily understandable, and usable if necessary as a legal document in court.

It would be easy to think that anyone working in such a communications oriented field would know how to write a legible and respectable report. Sadly, even with the constant pressure from clients, many don’t. Some security guards don’t even know how to spell or use good grammar, even if they graduated from high school or attended college.

I don’t consider myself to be an expert on the subject of effective report writing for security guards. I didn’t do all that well myself with grammar in high school, and I’ve only learned a little more in the intervening 36 years. However, I do know enough about writing security reports to help keep you, your guards, and your company out of trouble. 

Language

Don’t write using verbose or flowery language; this isn’t a college level language class. Write your report like you’re telling a friend what happened. Be conversational. Use as many direct quotes as you can.

And don’t shy away from using foul language if someone else is using it and it’s necessary for the report. Never use asterisk in place of the curse words, i.e. S*** or B******t. 

Finally, be as succinct as possible. Your customers are busy, that don’t want to spend any more time reading reports than they have to.

Abbreviations

Spell out any abbreviated words in full the first time you us them, with the abbreviation right behind it in parentheses. From then on, just use the abbreviation. For instance, “Security Guard (S/G) Stevens and Police Officer (P/O) Roberts were joined by S/G Junie.” 

This saves time and space without creating unnecessary confusion for the client.

Timestamps

In all cases, record the times when you learn the information, not your guesses as to when something might have occurred. As nice as it would be, we’re not actually capable of seeing through time. 

Keep the report in chronological order as know the details. In other words, write the report with the details as the guard learns them. If a fight occurs at 0400 but the officer doesn’t learn of it until 0600, then he starts the report at 0600. 

Always, unless directed otherwise, use military time to write the report. This helps to avoid and eliminate confusion when it comes to time frame. 

If you have the tools in place to use specific timestamps, make your timeline as specific as possible. If not, use the word approximately, so that you are protected from questions of the reports accuracy. 

Style

All reports should be written in the 3rd person. Using the 3rd person point of view will reduce confusion over who did what and when. If you have multiple guards involved, it will definitely help keep the story line straight. 

Write your report as per current business guidelines. Check with the client to see what formatting they prefer. As long as it doesn’t cause too many headaches, it’s always best to present the information in whatever way the client finds the most helpful. 

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be monitored closely. Poor grammar will have clients questioning your intelligence. You should always have a dictionary close at hand. Paperless reporting tools often have spelling and grammar checkers, and there are plenty of apps and websites out there to help you improve. 

Completing The Report

Fill out the report form completely. Leave no spaces unfilled. If you have empty spaces when you’re finished, then place something like N/A or and X through them. This makes the form look more formal and complete, and it prevents someone else from writing things in those spaces.

It’s All About The Customer

These above guidelines are just that, guidelines. Everywhere a security guard goes the format is bound to be a little different. In the security industry, how the client wants their reports is the way you’ll write them. That includes not just the formatting, but also the information that is included and highlighted.

Still, these tips apply to almost security guard report writing. Remember them, and you’ll be able to write a report that makes the client happy, gives them all the information they need, and can stand up in a court of law.

Robert Sollars is a recognised expert on security issues, specifically workplace violence. He’s spent 32 years in the security field and 24 studying, writing, & speaking about workplace violence.