40
Protection Officer Training Manual, Unit 2
FIELD NOTES AND
REPORT WRITING
By Martin A. Fawcett, CPO
Consider for a moment what our world would be like without newspapers, magazines, books, or any other kind of
written material. How would we learn about things that
were happening in other parts of the world? How would we
learn new skills, become educated, or pass what we have
learned on to others?
The only source of knowledge that we would be able to
obtain would be that which was readily at hand to us
through other people, providing they were willing and able
to pass along this information. Without the written word for
us to read and to learn, we would still believe that the world
was flat, there wouldn't be the advances in technology that
we have become accustomed to over the years, such as television, radio, automobiles-and the list goes on and on.
In order for man to advance as he has and to continue to
advance, there must be a written word that can be passed on
to future generations in order that they will learn through
our mistakes and our successes.
As you may now appreciate, the written word is an important and integral part of our personal and professional
lives. There is not one part of our culture that is not affected
directly or indirectly by the written word. It is the foundation upon which we build our knowledge, our experience,
and our life.
In the security industry, like other professions, the written word is an important "tool of the trade." It is the means
by which detailed, factual reports of events or incidents are
recorded so that others may learn what has occurred and if
necessary, take action.
A protection officer in the course of duties may encounter a myriad of events or incidents that will require the passing of factual information to person(s) who were not
present at the event or incident. In order to effect this duty,
the protection officer must be able to accurately observe the
event and then take those observations and put them on
paper in a clear, concise, and logical manner.
This passing of information takes the form of notes and
reports. Unfortunately, experience has shown us that many
people lack appreciation of the value of taking good notes
and preparing proper reports. There are no prerequisites set
by employers on notes and reports in most instances, and
the matter of notebooks and the manner of report writing is
often left up to the individual protection officer or his immediate supervisor's discretion.
Experience has also shown us that many inaccurate reports are the direct result of inaccurate or incomplete notes.
This has led to losses in assets, information, statistical data,
and convictions in court.
As you can see, both notes and reports are very important
and that it becomes incumbent on the protection officer to
become as proficient and as professional in his/her use of
these valuable tools.
FIELD NOTE-TAKING
A protection officer's notes may be defined simply as "a
quick and accurate method of recording that what you saw,
did, and heard."
Let's take a closer look at what the notebook is. A notebook should have the following features.
1. Small enough to carry easily in your clothing
2. Large enough for easy writing
3. Clothbound with no looseleaf pages
4. Pages numbered sequentially
5. Protected by adequate cover
Before looking at what should go into the notebook and
how it should be put in, let's look first at why we need
them.
There are five main areas of consideration when determining the purpose of keeping a notebook.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Assist in preparing reports
Detecting contradictions in statements
Refresh your memory
Investigative aid
Reflect officer ability
ASSIST IN PREPARING REPORTS
The protection officer, during the course of a tour of duty,
may have occasion to investigate a number of events, incidents, and people. In most instances, some form of report
will have to be submitted. Some of the events that will be
looked at will not necessarily be investigated at a place that
is convenient to the protection officer.
As a result, report forms, desks, office areas, and so on
will not be available. Notes will be made in the officer's
notebook and a full report will be made at some point in
time after the investigation is completed. It now becomes
necessary for the protection officer to ensure that he has all
the facts, details, names, addresses, and so on, that will be
required when it comes time to complete his report.
The protection officer cannot trust these facts and details
to memory. The tendency to forget details and events with
the passage of time is a well-known fact. Notes, properly
made at the time, are seldom forgotten, will never change
with the passage of time, and will ensure that accuracy and
detail are not lost.
!"
Field Notes and Report Writing
DETECT CONTRADICTIONS IN
STATEMENTS
During any investigation, certain facts are made known by
witnesses and suspects, and certain statements may be made
by those persons involved. If the protection officer has conscientiously made good notes regarding the events, then any
contradictions or changes in facts or details will be found
and further questioning may result in the apprehension of
the culprit or the recovery of assets or information.
If proper notes have not been made, then the officer must
rely on memory, which mayor may not be accurate. The
proper use of notes in this instance makes for a more professional investigation and more credibility when questioning people regarding conflicting facts.
REFRESH MEMORY AT LATER DATE
As discussed earlier, man's memory is far from infallible.
Notes made at the time of an event will not change and
form a permanent record of events as they occurred or were
observed by the protection officer.
They become an invaluable aid when trying to recall an
incident or specific detail of an investigation at a later date.
The notes will remind you of what you actually saw, did,
and heard.
This in turn assists you in report preparation, giving evidence in court, or in apprising a supervisor of what occurred. The courts have long recognized the value of the
written word over memory.
INVESTIGATIVE AID
In some instances, an investigation into an event or incident
may take many days and many hours to complete. During
the investigation, notes are being made of each step in the
investigation and subsequent reports are being filed as they
are completed.
Should you become involved in this type of investigation, then it becomes apparent that it is most cumbersome to
carry around a briefcase filled with reports concerning the
event.
The use of a notebook in these instances makes the investigator's job that much easier, as he has much greater
freedom in packing around a notebook filled with facts than
in carrying around a briefcase filled with numerous reports.
REFLECT OFFICER ABILITY
Many times during his career, the protection officer may be
required to show his notebook to any number of different
people. He may be required to show it to his supervisor on a
regular basis; he may be asked to produce it in court as part
of his evidence.
In any of these circumstances, the protection officer's
abilities may be judged solely on the basis of what is presented in his notes. (Note: While the protection officer may
not be directly involved in the investigation or interrogation
process, what he/she saw, did or heard is vital to the information-gathering process.)
41
Tips on the Use of Notebooks
While most of the rules governing the preparation and content of report writing apply to note taking, here are a few
items worthy of mention.
1. Prepare your notes in a legible manner
This means that you are able to go back anytime in the future and be able to understand what you have written. Many
people are unable to go back to their notes even a week
later and be able to remember what has occurred because
they are unable to make accurate observations from their
own notes.
2. Keep your notes complete
If your notes are legible and you are able to go back and
read them and understand them, you must also ensure that
there is enough detail in your notes to give you a complete
picture of the event that you are detailing. Again, many
people will jot down some basic facts regarding an incident,
but if asked to relate what actually occurred, they are at a
loss because their notes are incomplete.
3. Be systematic
Record your observations in chronological order; don't
bounce around in your story because this becomes confusing when refreshing your memory at a later date. Also, keep
the day-to-day details pertaining to your tours of duty in
proper sequence. It does no good to have to look back
through an entire notebook to find one day's events. If your
notes are kept in proper order, it becomes easy to find specific information no matter when it occurred.
4. Abbreviations
As long as you can remember what word or phrase you are
abbreviating, then go ahead and use them. If you will be
unable to remember what the abbreviation means, then use
the full form of the word or phrase.
5. Use all pages and spaces
Use all spaces and all pages in your notebook. By leaving
spaces, you are not only wasting space, but you are leaving
yourself open to questioning regarding the accuracy of your
notes at some future time. The courts, especially, view the
leaving of blank pages and spaces with extreme skepticism,
believing that you may have added or deleted vital information. Don't fall into this trap. Always fill in every line, even
if you must draw a line as a filler.
6. Develop your own style
Remember that these are your notes. Develop a style that is
comfortable for you to use. Everyone will have a slightly
different style of using a notebook, and no one way is better
than another. Try different methods and use those that will
be of benefit to you and discard the rest.
7. As soon as possible
Get into the habit of making your notes as soon as possible
after an event or incident. The longer you wait to record
your observations, the less you will remember. The best
method is to write down your observations as you make
them and to note details provided by witnesses as they give
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Protection Officer Training Manual, Unit 2
them. If this is not practical, then at the earliest possible
moment, take the time, stop what you are doing, and make
your notes.
8. Ripping out pages
Whenever possible, avoid ripping out pages from your
notebook. Should the occasion arise that you must do this,
take a page from the back of the notebook and use it. When
this is done, you should note the time and date on the stub
that is left.
9. Errors
Should you make an error while making an entry, do not
attempt to erase it. Draw a single line through the error and
initial it, then continue. Any other method is unacceptable
in a court oflaw.
10. Personal notes
Personal notes have no place in your notebook. If you find
that you need to jot something down and do not have any
extra paper to write on, tear out a piece from the back of
your notebook as discussed earlier. Never leave any personal notes in your notebook.
11. Opinions
Opinions have no place in your notebook. Remember
that your notebook is a "diary" of what you saw, did, and
heard-not your opinion.
12. Review
Always try to take your notes with the idea that you will, at
some point in the future, have to re-read them and be able
to understand all that occurred. After you have completed
your notes on an event, review them and see if they make
sense, and if they tell the entire story and represent the
event as it actually occurred.
Remember, there is no better way to ensure accuracy
than properly prepared, properly preserved, and properly
presented notes. This information will be invaluable to the
protection officer in bridging the gap between the "first
occurrence" and their "later use."
"The dullest pencil /WSa better memory than the sharpest mind. "
REPORT WRITING
The basic elements of report writing are taught in the elementary and high school years. All protection officers have
had a certain level of education and must know how to lay
out and write an account of their actions.
They should understand singular and plural persons;
past, present, and future tenses; and masculine, feminine,
and neuter gender. They should have a good vocabulary and
know how to spell. In general, before they even become a
protection officer, they should have a reasonable education.
A dictionary should be within reach at all times. The report requirements of a protection officer today are much
more rigid than in past years-therefore, standards must be
higher.
You must combine your prior learning with knowledge
of security work, experience, and common sense for better
security reports. Remember, your written work is the mirror
of your mind at the time of writing. Even more important, it
may well be a permanent reflection of your thinking.
A well-written report by an efficient protection officer
displays not only their proper application to duty in the
field, but their completeness as a competent individual in
applying their academic side to their vocation. Today both
qualities are not only desired but imperative.
Progressive protection officers who recognize a weakness in themselves in the field will attempt to improve. A
recognized weakness in written work must be treated likewise.
Do not become one of the smug individuals who say to
themselves, "I'm as good as, or better than, other officers. I
just can't put it on paper." Do something to improve this
self-acknowledged weakness. It will be easier for you to
eliminate the problem than to live with it.
Who Security Reports Are For
1. The security supervisor
2. The security organization
3. The client
4. Various civic organizations
5. Various segments ofIndustry
6. The courts (criminal and civil)
7. Anyone who may request and is entitled to proprietary
information
Security reports are prepared by the protection officer in
order to pass on information to those concerned parties who
are not present at the time of the incident or event. The report must be complete and accurate and answer all possible
questions the reader might have.
The security report that is incomplete or inaccurate will
have to be sent back to the writer for clarification, which is
not only a waste of valuable time, but shows a lack of professionalism on the part of the writer.
Many reports are copied and sent on the other organizations or individuals. Depending on the type of event, some
reports end up being read by lawyers who may be defending or prosecuting a case based on the event reported.
Many of these people will have little if any experience
with security work, and the only information available to
them will be the security report. As a result, you, your company, and other protection officers may be judged solely on
the basis of the security report.
Remember this point each time you set out to write a report: Your report must be clear and concise, accurate and
complete. The reader of the security report must be able to
understand what has occurred based on the contents of the
report.
Types of Security Reports:
There are a large number of different types of security
forms and reports, and each client or company will have
some that are unique. These are some of the more common
varieties that you may encounter.
1. Daily occurrence
J
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Field Notes and Report Writing
2. Weekly summary
3. Motor vehicle accident
4. Department memorandums
5. Visitor access logs
6. Administrative policy
7. Employee evaluations
8. Event occurrence
9. Post orders
Planning the Security Report
Before writing a security report, particularly a lengthy one,
the protection officer should plan how he is going to write it
before starting. All the relevant facts should have been obtained and should be readily available.
All relevant reference material, post orders, directives,
dictionary, and so on. should be readily available for quick
and accurate reference.
You should not be rushed in compiling your information
into the written format of the security report. The most
common error made by protection officers is that they rush
through their reports believing that they have done a satisfactory job and that their time is of more value in the field
than in writing the report.
In fact, the opposite is true. The protection officer who
takes the extra time to properly write a complete and accurate report is of more benefit to his/her employer than the
one who races through reports and makes mistakes.
Reports should be completed as soon as possible after an
event has occurred and never later than the end of the tour
of duty. Leaving reports to pile up only encourages the protection officer to hurry through the reports. Remember that
report writing is just as important as patrolling and should
be given the same thoroughness and attention to detail.
Avoid distractions; be thorough. Go to the area that
has been set aside for writing your reports, place all your
materials down, make sure that you have everything you
will need, and then you will be ready to start your report.
Before beginning to write, arrange all your facts into
chronological order so that the reader can progressively
follow you through the sequence of events.
Refer to your notes and other reference material to verify
that you have the correct information. Absolute accuracy is
essential; do not trust your memory in relating facts. Check
facts before committing them to paper.
Vital facts such as names, addresses, company names,
vocations, times, occurrences, and so on should be emphasized in the report. This can be done in a number of different ways. Block lettering is useful in a written report, as is
underlining. Choose a method that makes these facts stand
out from the rest of the information in the report.
First-person conversation, when used, should be in quotation marks. A word of caution about direct conversation
-if you are not absolutely accurate in reporting what was
said, word for word, don't use quotation marks.
Start off saying that what was spoken was "words to the
effect" and then write down what you believe was said.
Using quotation marks at the wrong time has been the
43
scourge of many a protection officer and could result in
misleading the report reader.
Avoid abbreviations, unless they are in common use. The
writer must clearly indicate which facts are attributable to
their own actions or observations and which were the actions or observations of others.
If certain facts are not available at the time you write
your report, then these facts must be clearly spelled out
along with what action has been taken or will be taken in
order to complete the report.
Never leave a report incomplete at the end of your tour
of duty without authorization and without attaching a memo
to indicate the date you expect to have it completed.
To ensure that your reports are submitted in the proper
manner, they must be kept in a safe and secure place away
from any unauthorized personnel. Confidentiality is a key
component in the report writing process.
THE SIX ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
There are six main essential ingredients that must be included in most security reports. Not all security reports will
contain these ingredients. Some, such as access logs, will
only contain a minimum of information; however, whenever an event occurs~or an incident requires reporting, then
all six ingredients will be present and must be included in
the report. These six ingredients are Who, What, When,
Where, Why, and How.
1. Who relates to who was involved in the event, the
name of the complainant, client, witnesses, suspects, accused parties or officers.
2. What relates to the type of incident or event, what
actually occurred.
3. When is the time and date that the event occurred.
4. Where is the location that the event took place, or
subsequent locations, depending on the type of incident.
5. Why is the motive. It can frequently be determined
by proper investigation. It may explain the reason for the
occurrence, but can't be officer speculation or unfounded
opinion.
6. How is how the event came to your attention, how it
occurred. This means the complete details about how the
event happened from start to finish.
In a normal occurrence report outlining even the simplest
event, all six ingredients will be present. Unfortunately,
most protection officers fail to include all six ingredients as
some of the details seem unimportant at the time.
This results in lost information that may prove valuable
at some later time and may also lead to the embarrassment
of having to explain a sloppy report to an irate client or
supervIsor.
Always ensure that all six ingredients are properly explained in your report.
SECURITY REPORTS ARE IMPORTANT
We have been stressing the importance of submitting complete, accurate security reports, but before we go further
44
Protection Officer Training Manual, Unit 2
into how to write useful reports, let's examine just what it is
about reports that makes them so important.
1. Accurate and permanent record (memory bank)Reports that are submitted become part of the "paper flow"
of your organization. Every business, no matter how large
or small, requires a certain amount of paper flow.
With proper record-keeping, this paper flow will allow
you and every other member of your security team to instantly access information that has been stored. If proper
security reports are written and filed, this storehouse of
information can be priceless. This includes manual and
electronic filing.
2. Detecting problem areas-We have already examined the reasons that the passing of information is a vital
tool in our everyday lives, but in security it becomes even
more important. The submission of reports allows every
other officer access to your experiences while on the job.
Everything that has occurred while on duty has been properly submitted in the prescribed report format.
You are now able to access that information as far back
as your file/data system allows. This can become a useful
tool to the effective protection officer who sees from many
reports various patterns forming regarding a problem area
in the security of the facility.
It may be something as innocuous as a side door being
constantly left unlocked. You may only have noticed it once
and not thought much about it.
But if a number of reports pointing to the same event are
filed, if suddenly becomes a serious matter, a breach in security that may indicate an employee is testing the security.
3. Statistical data-From the security reports that are
generated, it is possible to compile statistics that may eventually assist in justification of existing or future expenditures in the areas of personnel, equipment, and facilities.
4. Indication of work-This means that there is a simple and effective way to check on the amount of work and
the type of work each officer has been doing.
REPORT ORGANIZATION
The security report detailing a specific occurrence should
contain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
The introduction should let the reader know in the briefest
manner what basically occurred. It should include the date
and time, the location, people involved,and what happened.
BODY
The body will include a detailed chronological narrative of
what actually occurred, observations made, and subsequent
interviews and inquiries, witnesses' names, statements, and
descriptions.
CONCLUSION
The conclusionwill show what follow-upactionsare still
required and expected time of completion,preventative
action taken, and a brief summary of any points that are not
completely answered in the body of the report.
All reports, no matter how seemingly insignificant, have
value. The value is the information contained. It must be
remembered that information is our greatest asset in security work. We must have it to operate effectively. It is of
little value if it is retained by one individual. Through reports, this information is recorded and is disseminated to
the security personnel.
Every person who writes a report, fills out a form or
makes a memorandum must question in their minds what
essential ingredients are required. They must ask themselves this question: "Is my work clear, concise, accurate,
and complete?"
Every security report must be self-explanatory. It must
clearly paint a word picture for the reader. If it does not,
then the report has failed to serve its purpose. A wellwritten report must contain the following properties:
1. Clear-The language and format must be simple and
to the point; facts must follow a logical sequence.
2. Legible-When
handwritten or printed, the reader
must be able to understand what is written; it must be easily
read by others.
3.
Complete-All
available information will have
been included in the report covering all six essential ingredients.
4. Accurate- All facts presented in the report must be
accurate. To ensure accuracy, the officer must make the
effort to check and double-check facts before committing
them to writing.
5. Brief-Keep the report as brief as possible by eliminating excess words. The report needs to have all essential
ingredients, with nothing more.
6. Re-read-Before
submitting a report, re-read it and
be sure that all the questions that could possibly be asked
have been answered in the report. Do not assume that the
report is complete until you have proofread it. If necessary,
rewrite the report.
7. Prompt-Reports
must be completed as soon as possible and never later than the end of the tour of duty. All
reports must be handed in to the appropriate person as soon
as possible in order that the information contained in the
report can be acted upon quickly.
Remember, you must satisfy the questioning mind of
your supervisor, who does not see you at work, and the
judgment of your abilities will come from reading your
reports. Your personal evaluation is often based largely on
the type of report you submit, so take care in the preparation of your security reports.
A shift properly conducted, but inadequately reported,
not only fails to provide the administration with the products needed for proper record-keeping, but reflects on the
protection officer's total job performance. On the other
hand, reports alone do not equate to an effective protection
officer.
Field Notes and Report Writing
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
.
SECURITY QUIZ
Field Notes and Report Writing
45
.
?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Notes and reports can be considered tools of the
to the protection officer. (Fill in the
blank.)
, and
2. An officer's notes are a quick and accurate method of recording what he
. (Fill in the blanks.)
and
are not
3. Properly made notes will ensure that
lost. (Fill in the blanks.)
4. It is important to double-check and all facts before committing them to a report. (Fill
in the blank.)
5. When choosing a notebook, which of the following should be considered?
0 (a) Small enough to carry easily in clothing
0 (b) Pages numbered sequentially
0 (c) Durable cover
0 (d) All of the above
0 (e) None of the above
6. Notes will assist the officer in:
0 (a) preparing reports
0 (b) refreshing memory
0 (c) reflecting officer ability
0 (d) All of the above
0 (e) None of the above
7. Notes are important in ensuring that:
0 (a) facts will not be forgotten
0 (b) your supervisor knows you are doing a good job
0 (c) you will remember what shift you are working
0 (d) All the above
0 (e) None of the above
8. The protection officer must be able to observe accurately and record observations on paper in a clear, concise, and logical
manner.
DTDF
9.
Accurate reports can be traced back to poor notes.
DTDF
10. Detecting contradictions in statements results from a protection officer's interrogation.
DTDF