MODULE 5 – REPORT WRITING

5.1 – Note taking and Reports

Taking Notes
The goal of good note taking is to allow the writer to record a concise, accurate
account of daily occurrences in their notebooks.
There are several purposes in keeping a notebook, most notably:

To aid you in recalling details and providing accurate testimony.

A notebook is first and foremost an aid to giving accurate testimony. There is a

considerable amount of information gathered during an investigation, such as the
names and addresses of witnesses, descriptions of things, measurements that are
taken, locations of key events etc.,

As time passes, your memory of the event will slowly go away, so that’s why
notes must be taken as soon as the events happen. Take the time to write down
the basic details of an event “who, what, where, when, why, and how”
A good notebook reflects favorably on the author and adds to his or her
credibility. A poorly recorded incident may result in the conclusion that the work
behind it was sloppy as well. An efficient, neat, and well-organized notebook
reflects your organizational skills and abilities. 

Two main ways a notebook can help you are:

1) As a basis for writing a report
2) As an investigative aid

1) As a basis for writing a report

A well-organized notebook will help you easily portray the chain of events for a
police officer, client, or your supervisor. This will aid in prioritizing information.
 2) As an investigative aid
- Note taking will help you organize the material you already attained. Putting
facts in chronological order will help you in putting the event into perspective
and thus making it clear to explain.
The ability to reflect back and provide accurate information from your previous
notes, then incorporate this into current investigations is crucial.

What to write in your notebook.

You should start with identifying material such as your name and address. Since
you will eventually fill a series of notebooks, include the date the book was
started and finished, together with the number of the book. You should use only
one notebook at a time.
Having one notebook for rough notes and another for good notes, not only
subject a Guard to criticism by the courts, but also having the charges against the
accused dropped. Evidence that appears in one notebook, but not in the other,
this gets discovered during cross-contamination. Courts may get the impression
that the evidence has been manipulated or cleaned up by the note taker.
Keep the notes in chronological order. If a mistake is made in an entry, draw a
single line through it, initial it, and rewrite the entry on the next line in the
notebook.
Do not leave blank spaces, lines, or pages in your notebook. If this happens, draw
a line through the space and initial and date it. Do not tear out sections or pages
from the notebook. Make sure the entries are legible and do not use
abbreviations or shorthand unless you also include a full description the first time
the abbreviation is used. Remember, the goal is for someone else looking at your
notebook to understand exactly what the notes mean.
Keep control of your notebook.
Start each day with a fresh heading, recording the time and date you are working,
weather conditions, location of the job site, and so on. These details may help you
to recall your memories of the event that took place.
After these entries, you want to detail events that occurred during that day. Some
of the things you want to keep track of are:
 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:
o By whom.

o Where
o At what time.
o How it has been labelled.
o Disposition.
 Statements or summaries of statements of victims (statements by
suspects or accused persons must be recorded verbatim).
 Names of the parties involved, including aliases and nicknames, if
appropriate, and if possible, addresses, telephone numbers, and dates
of birth.
 Descriptions of individuals (clothing, age, height, weight, sex, colour of
hair and eyes, ears, nose, scars, tattoos, or other distinguishing
characteristics).
 Description of property (serial number, size, damage, colour, make, or
other identifying features).
 Description of the scene (including diagrams and measurements as
appropriate).
 Weather conditions.

Do not use profanity unless it is part of a witness statement or a statement from

the accused. Unless you have a relevant opinion, place only facts in your
notebook.
Statements
A guard on occasion may be required to take a statement to secure information
provided by a witness. The key purpose of taking a statement is to ensure an
accurate record of the recollection of an event or occurrence by the witness. A
statement should be taken freely with no threat or promise made to the witness.
General good practice is for statements to provide 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.
The key to writing good notes is to record as many details as possible.

Record information received with all your senses, not just what you see.
If you observe an incident that you know you will need to write a report about,
make sure your notes include the answers to these important questions: Who,
What, Where, When, Why, How, and Action taken.

The 24-hour clock.

In the 24-hour clock there is only one time in the day for each number. (e.g., 6
o’clock in the morning is 0600 and 6 o’clock in the evening is 1800). This makes it
much clearer to use as opposed to the 12-hour clock. When taking notes down as
a security guard you need to write your notes and reports using the 24-hour
clock. Also, you will need to use the 24-hour clock when testifying in court.

Midnight is referred to as: 0000

In the 24-hour clock system, we write the time that’s passed since the beginning
of the day.

The 24-hour clock always has 4 digits with no breaks between the digits.

Example:

3:30 am – 3 hours since beginning of day, 30 minutes since the beginning of the
hour - 0330.

Introduction to reports:

A Security Guard must be able to take the observations he or she has made at the
time and accurately record them in a clear, concise, and logical manner.

Reports are a means by which detailed facts of the events are recorded so that
others may learn what has occurred. When complete, a report must be able to
paint a complete picture of the events that occurred in the mind of the reader.

REPORTS:

In general, there are two categories of reports that a security guard will complete:

1) Administrative, or “Routine” reports

- These are the reports that are required by the general paper-flow through
the office on any given working day.
- These reports include: a requisition for equipment, a visitor’s register, a
temporary pass registry, a timecard for hours worked etc.,
OPERATIONAL OR “INCIDENT” REPORTS

These reports may describe those things that your supervisor or the client wants a
description of, or they may describe the occurrence of a non-typical event, that is,
some unusual incident that has drawn attention to itself during the execution of
the daily duties of the Security Guard. 

Some of these reports, such as those outlining the events surrounding a

shoplifting incident, for example, will be passed on to the Crown for use at trial.
Others may be provided to an insurance company in the event of a claim.
Regardless of the use of the report, it must contain a clear and accurate
description of what transpired.

The purpose of an operational report is threefold:

 To become an official record of what happened.

 To record the occurrence for the writer’s future reference; and
 To pass the facts of an occurrence on to others for a variety of uses.

Essential ingredients of sound operational reporting

Good report writing requires attention to detail, an understanding of the reasons

why a report is needed, and the audience of the report.

There are various KEY ELEMENTS of good operational reporting:

Reports MUST be:

1) Organized
2) Clear
3) Legible
4) Complete
5) Accurate
6) Proofread
Reports have essential topics. In order to be effective they must include:

1) Who
2) What
3) Where
4) When
5) Why
6) How

1) Who
- Who was involved?
- Who was the complainant?
- Who witnessed the event?
- Who was the accused/suspect?

The “who” of the event describes anyone involved in the event

2) What
- What actually happened?
- What evidence is available

This portion will most likely provide the substance of a good report

3) When
- When did the event occur?

The time and date are essential parts of the report. The events should be laid out
in sequential order.

4) Where?
- Where did the event occur? Describe the environment and where you and the other
individuals were at the time.

This part of the report states the location of the incident.

 5) Why?
- Why did the event happen? What motive was there for the incident? Why did this particular
series of events happen?

6) How?
- How did this event come to your attention?
- How did the event take place?
- How did the accused act?
- How did the witness act?
- How was the evidence recovered?
- How was the suspect/ accused arrested?

This portion describes how the incident took place and what action was done in
response.

FORMAT

Reports should be written in a consistent manner to guarantee that a reliable

product is produced.

Reporting styles may vary, always ask your employer to specify the style of report
that you should use.

 Write reports in the past tense:

o I noted…;
o I observed…;
o The accused selected…;
 Date the report with the incident date, not the investigation date;
 Use the legal address: 1909 Rose Street – not Heritage Mall;
 Make sure that you use in your report the actual legal business name. This may
require checking the business licence;
 Names should be printed (not written) with the surname (the last name) first, in
capital letters, followed by a comma and the first name. The first letter of the first
name should be capitalized. A slash is used between the first and second names;
 Make sure that if the accused has no identification, he or she spells out his or her
name. The names in your notes and report should be the actual name, not a
nickname or shortened version of the full name.  
5.2 – Observational Skills

Observational skills Security Guards are often described as the “eyes and ears” of
the client. You are hired to notice and report anything unusual at the site you are
guarding. It is very important for you to develop strong powers of observation. 

 Observational and Memory skills are important.

Powers of observation are:

1) Noticing
2) Interpreting
3) Recalling

1) Noticing
- As a security guard you must be actively aware of everything going on around
you, this is a skill that can be better with experience and practice.

2) Interpreting
- You must think about the smells, sights, sounds and touches that you have
experienced on patrol. 
- You must analyze everything you experience to decide if it could harm the
people and property you are protecting. You must learn to trust your gut
instinct and to be suspicious of anything or anyone out of the ordinary.
- Be careful not to jump to conclusions about people.

3) Recalling
- You will often be asked to recall incidents, faces, names, dates and many
other things by your supervisors, clients, police, and even the courts. 
- CAR is good way to improve memory:
o Concentration
o Association
o Repetition
YOUR SENSES.

Your five senses (hear, smell, touch, taste, and see) are the basis to good
observation. With practice and experience professionals will be very good at all
aspects of the job including:
 Being able to say with confidence that he/she has conducted his/her
tour of duty in the best possible manner.
 Being able to see a problem situation forming and take appropriate
action before the situation gets out of hand.
 Being able to give more accurate descriptions of people, places and
things and being able to see signs of untruths when dealing with people.

Visibility

Visibility of an object depends on three things:

a) Distance from observer
b) Size of the object
c) Illumination of the object

Problems related to Sight in observation:

There are 2 problems with sight in observation:

1) Night Vision
2) Position of the observer

Hearing

This is an important aid in identifying persons, places of events, and things –

especially at night when sight is limited. You must be aware of the different
sounds which are normal at your workplace. The following are sounds which you
should learn to recognize and be able to differentiate:

1. ACTIVITY NOISES – animal calls, footsteps, glass breaking, etc.

2. VOICES – volume, pitch, accents, intonation, etc.
 3. MOTORS – drills saws, foreign vehicles, domestic vehicles, etc.
4. FIREARMS – pistols, rifles, shotguns, automobile backfiresS.

SMELL

Professional Guards must be able to differentiate potentially dangerous odors –

this may assist emergency personnel as well cut down on the extent of loss of life
and property.
The following are substances you should know and be able to distinguish:

 Gasoline.
 Natural gas.
 Gas fumes that endanger health, such as chlorine gas.
 Smoke: wood, electric or rubber.

Taste

taste is closely related to the sense of smell. Our taste buds only allow
us to experience sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
 You should never rely on your sense of taste while on patrol.
Your other 4 senses will give you a lot more information.

Touch
 This sense can give you vital information that would be difficult to obtain in any
other way. The following are some of the ways touch can assist you in your job:

 Feeling walls or glass for heat from an unseen fire. For vibrations
created by sound, movement or tools in a burglary.
 Check the pulse or heartbeat of an unconscious crime or accident
victim.
 One’s first reaction when discovering a possible intrusion is to use the
sense of touch to examine doors and windows in the dark for signs of
forced entry. It is safer to use your flashlight rather than risk destroying
evidence such as fingerprints and perhaps injuring yourself on the
twisted metal, broken glass, or sharp slivers.
 Check tires, engines, or mufflers for warmth to see if a car has been
running recently.
  To identify types of cloth or paper.

MEMORY

Memory is the act of recalling information. You need this skill to be effective in
the security field. You may have developed this sense to its peak, but if you can’t
recall the information given to you for your notes and later for your reports for
your superiors, you are not fulfilling your responsibilities. 

Some exercises to help improve this vital skill on the job include:

 During your patrols or even when out shopping, examine a pedestrian

who walks by you and mentally record his or her appearance, then
double back and determine how closely your mental record was to the
person’s appearance. As you progress, cut back on the amount of time
you take to study the person and lengthen the time you take to double
back to re-examine them.
 Use this same technique on display cases in stores or other locations
which have a variety of objects
 Study photographs, set them aside, write lists of your observations, then
compare. You can also do this with objects in a box.

How to improve your senses

The five senses are: Sight, Smell, Hear, Touch, and Taste. A few ways to improve
these senses are:

1) Sight
- Make sure to have your vision tested. If glasses or contacts are required, then
wear them. Try to focus on what you are seeing instead of just looking. Be
aware of what your looking at.

2) Hearing
- Know and be able to distinguish various sounds sometimes associated with
crime, and those sounds which are normal for your job site. Know your limits.
 Don’t state that you heard a particular sound unless you are 100% sure that is
the sound you heard.
3) Smell
- Know when this sense is limited, through a cold or other sinus condition.
Guard against this happening to you. Know the various danger smells at your
site and be able to distinguish them.
4) Touch
- Don’t hamper this sense by covering it with other materials. Know when and
how to use it. Know the feel of different material

Things to watch for when observing people:

1) Face
- Forehead
- Skin
- Markings
- Ears
- Cheeks
- Cheek bones
- Facial Hair
- Hair
- Mouth
- Eyebrows
- Eye shapes
- Eyelids
- Nose
- Neck
- Chin

2) Full Body
- Jewelry
- Sex
- Age
- Height
- Weight
- Build
 3) Other
- Glasses
- Shirt
- Extras (Belt, chain, or scarf)
- Skin
- Pants
- Socks
- Shoes
- Other clothing
- General appearance

Things to watch for when observing objects, property, and vehicles.

Vehicle description: When describing vehicles, it is best to look at every detail.

While many owners share the same vehicle make and model, there are other
smaller details that can be observed to differentiate one vehicle from another of
the same class, make or model.

 Colour, Year, Make, & Model

 License plate number
 Location of the vehicle
 Identifying damage or markings
 Motor vehicle registration information
 Headlight panels
 Decals and racing stripes
 Mufflers
 Stereo systems
 Security alarms
 Window tinting
 Any items left on the seat or dashboard
5.4 – REPORTS AS EVEIDENCE

Security Guards may receive a subpoena (a writ ordering a person to attend

court) and be called upon to testify in court in relation to a situation they dealt
with. That is why it is imperative to keep good notes.

THE USE OF NOTEBOOKS IN GIVING EVIDENCE

The law with respect to the rules of using notes in court is:
Provided that the document in question is made substantially at the same time as
the occurrence of the event to which it relates and provided also that it was
made, read over by, and prepared under the supervision of the witness, that
witness may use the document in giving evidence in order to refresh his [or her]
memory.

Permission of the court is still required for a security guard to open his/her
notebook.

The main purpose of the notebook when on the witness stand is to enable the
note-taker to refresh his or her memory of the events that took place.

Refresh your mind with them. Recall what happened aCnd then answer the
question as best you can.

 The only exception to this rule is when: you quote statements, give
measurements, or where exact detail is required. Only then you may read directly
from the notebook. With these rules in place, it may seem to be more work to make, keep,
and maintain a notebook than it is worth in the long run. However, in the absence of the
notes, the Security Guard’s memory may fail and result in the dismissal of the
charges against the accused.
Crown Disclosure

The Crown has a general duty to disclose to defense counsel the existence of all
relevant evidence as well as disclose all of the evidence that it has in keeping prior
to being called upon in court to enter a plea or make an election. This privilege is
based upon the Charter Right to make “full answer and defence”

The purpose of this broad approach to disclosure is:

 To ensure that defence is aware of the case of the Crown and is

adequately able to prepare a defence.
 To resolve non-contentious issues in advance of trial and to ensure a
more efficient use of court time.
 To encourage the Crown and defence counsel to review the evidence
and promote the early resolution of cases where appropriate.
 Normally, disclosure includes things such as:
o Written witness statements.

o Notes and reports prepared by police officers or security staff

summarizing relevant evidence, including oral witness
statements or a summary of what a witness said when
interviewed or a “can say” outlining what the witness is
expected to say if no statement has been taken.
o Names and addresses of those witnesses who did not provide
a statement.
o A copy of any statement by the accused.
o Particulars of the accused’s criminal record.
o Copies of all forensic and scientific reports.
o A list of exhibits available relating to the offence together
with reasonable access or, if possible, copies of documentary
evidence or photographs.
o Copies of videotaped statements or access to the tapes.
 
Any additional disclosure will be made as required by the Crown, on a case-by-
case basis.

A Security Guard should make full disclosure of materials he or she possesses to

the Crown. 

5.5 – TYPES OF EVIDENCE

Evidence is the information used by investigators and court personnel to confirm

or eliminate an individual’s participation in a criminal act. 

Evidence can be:

1) Verbal (e.g., a testimony)

2) Physical (Murder weapon)
3) Documentary (emails or letters)

As your role as a security guard there is potential for you to encounter evidence
and your obligations are to secure the crime scene and secure the evidence
pending arrival of the police.

On some occasions, you will be the first responder to a scene where criminal
activity has occurred. Your first duty is to ensure there are no further hazards at
the scene (e.g. broken glass, chemicals) and to check for the safety of any
bystanders. If police and/or emergency services have not been called, call them or
instruct someone else to do so.

Once you have done your best to ensure the safety of yourself and others, you
should begin to observe the scene. Look around, using all of your senses, making
mental notes and, as time permits, entering the information into your notebook.
Remove extra persons (curious onlookers) from the scene; ask witnesses to step
to the side to await further instructions from you or from the police.
When the police arrive on scene make note of the time they arrived (include it in
your notebook and reports); introduce yourself to the officer taking charge and
answer any questions the officer may have. Let the officer know if there are any
witnesses to the incident. Ask for the officer’s name and contact information so
you will be able to include it in your report. Making note of this transition of
authority over the scene is important as you may need to demonstrate (in court
at some point in the future) that the locale was secure at all times and that no
additional persons had access.
The types of evidence

There are several different categories of evidence which may be derived from any
crime scene:

1) Direct
2) Circumstantial
3) Hearsay
4) Documentary
5) Physical
6) Trace

1) Direct Evidence

- The information provided by a witness as is usually presented as first-hand

testimony given during a court proceeding

2) Circumstantial

- Information which suggests an individual may have been present at the scene
or responsible for the criminal activity. 

3) Hearsay Evidence

- Evidence based on something said by a third party

4) Documentary Evidence
- may include photographs, security video footage, and various types of
documentation.
 5) Physical evidence
- the ID card mentioned in the description of circumstantial evidence is an
example of physical evidence. On its own, it does not necessarily mean
anything but taken in context.

6) Trace Evidence
- This includes – footprints, fingerprints, and samples on which DNA testing
may be performed.

5.6 - PREPARING FOR COURT

The information you document in your notebook and in reports may eventually
be used in court. If you have kept an accurate, complete notebook and submitted
professional quality reports, preparing to testify in court should not be too
daunting of a task.

You will be formally notified if you are required to attend court. You will be given
a subpoena, which is a document used to summon witnesses to testify in court
about a particular matter. The subpoena will tell you the date and time you are
required to attend. You can be called to court even if you are no longer employed
with the organization, you were working for at the time of the incident. If you
receive a subpoena your attendance at court is mandatory; if you fail or refuse to
attend, you may be charged with contempt of court. Make prior arrangements
with your supervisor if your court time is scheduled during one of your regular
shifts.

If you are being called to court, it is because the information you are able to
provide is considered important for either the prosecution or the defence. You
should spend some time prior to your court date in preparation for your
testimony. 
Tips to help you be confident in court
 Dress professionally; ensure your uniform is clean and pressed and you
are well groomed.
 Speak clearly and confidently; use your professional communication
skills.
 Do not chew gum or bring a beverage (e.g., water bottle) with you to
the stand.
 Refrain from using sarcasm or humor; always use a polite and respectful
tone of voice.
  Be mindful of both your verbal and non-verbal communication during
your testimony (e.g., use good posture, make eye contact with the
individual asking you the question).
 Always tell the truth.
 Only state the facts; do not include your opinion or your guess as to
what happened.
 Only answer what you have been asked; sometimes, all that is required
is a yes or no answer. If the lawyer wishes to obtain further information
based on your response, you will be asked for it.
 If you do not remember something, say so; guessing at the answer or
assuming will ruin your credibility as a witness much more than simply
stating you do not know the answer to a question.
 Refer to your notebook for information, if necessary.