Security Officer Incident Reports/Daily Activity Logs

[Curtis Baillie]

I get paid just 13% over the state's minimum wage You get what you pay for. This is how my DAR looks like. If there's any safety-relevent info, I write that in red, or highlight it. If it requires detail explanation, I fill out an "Incident Report" or "Discrepancy Report." Because I feel I'm underpaid, I write out my DAR the last 15 minutes before I get off.

Underpaid? But you still agreed to take the job. You may want to consider taking my advice - We're all free to seek employment elsewhere.

[Guest]

+ ALOT to Curtis. We all chose this field.
If you feel you are underpaid, go elsewhere or build your resume' and give yourself some room to negotiate. Do I make what I think I should? Of course not, my services to me are worth millions, but there isn't a guard company in the world that will pay it. Am I going to sit around a piss and moan and do my job poorly because I only make 9-something/hr? Nope, that's not what I get paid to do.

[Echos13]

For a while all the CPOs where writing detailed SORs. It got to be about three pages. The central office said enough on "wasting" paper. We started the short to the point -obvious- lines. We have a journal we use for pass-on and significant occurrences. But according to management they "know" what our job is and feel making a detailed report about it all every day is redundant. We make contact with over 200 people a day. Same in information, PR, safety details, traffic and patrol. Building, parking lot and various other areas. Honestly it does take a lot of paper. I did not mind it but apparently someone in upper management did. Honestly I don’t think anyone reads these things unless an IR is made. We have no office at our post. Just a little cheap file cabinet tucked away in the corner of the attendants office. Enough room for blanks, just barely enough for completed forms. Each mouth they are picked up and sent –somewhere-? I was considering my own reports. But using official paperwork for our own use would get frowned upon. A personal journal is under consideration by most of us. Since a new outfit is going to take over the state’s control of security here we thought it may be a good idea. Unless this consortium outfit decides to require detailed reports. Sigh. It’s always the same issue is it not? They want this. But they prefer that because it’s not what they like and not what they think the other needs. Ai-ya! The unwritten book of CYA always comes in handy.

[OMG_Ihatethisjob]

Underpaid? But you still agreed to take the job. You may want to consider taking my advice - We're all free to seek employment elsewhere.

The laws of economic survival dictates we pursue which ever skill / profession will reap the highest gain. These guard companies are billing the clients at least 60% over what they're paying us by the hour. I'm paid only 13% over the state's minimum wage. My other option is either warehousing, or the restaurant industry, which are both dominated by illegal aliens in the Los Angeles area, and only pay minimum wage.

I've called my guard company (and a number of others) pretending to be a potential client, shopping around for 24/7 guard service. The fees they quoted me leaves me to conclude every guard in the Los Angeles area are being exploited. They can easily pay us $10 an hour (20% over state minimum wage), and still turn a decent profit. Most guards I know are working 2 jobs with 2 different guard companies. $9 is the best I can find, till I secure an in-house position.

At least I'm doing my job constantly patrolling my shopping center. The other guard who relieves me will do an hourly patrol, hide and sleep for a while, then patrol again when his clock alarm goes off. Takes about 10 minutes to patrol the entire shopping center, and there are no detex keys to document the patrol was ever done. He's always tired because he's holding down a graveyard shift post, and juggling 2 jobs to make ends meet. I'm not going to report him because I feel this guard company deserves to get what they pay for.

The client isn't getting his money's worth, but this is the price he pays for contracting with a guard company, instead of going in-house and hiring his own staff of S/Os. If we loose this acct, its because my relief got caught sleeping. If I were holding down 2 jobs to make ends meet, I'd be asleep at my post too.

[Curtis Baillie]

I just don't know what to say.

[HotelSecurity]

The grass is not always greener on the other side. My In-house staff at one of my hotels make $10.50/hour. Quebec law regulates that contract Security guards make $12.50/hour. At the other 2 hotels owned by the same owner they make just over $14.00/hour but do all sorts of added value jobs that contract companies probably would not have their staff do.

[gcmc security part 2]

I just don't know what to say.

Curtis,

I started a reply, deleted, retyped and finally said forget it, I can't deal with ignorance.

[inman]

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 Security 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 Security 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 Security Officer or his immediate supervisor’s discretion.

Experience has also shown us that many inaccurate reports are the direct result of inaccurate of 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 Security Officer to become as proficient and as professional in his/her use of these valuable tools.

Security reports are prepared by the Security 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.

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 this report.

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 equal to an effective Security Officer.

[Mr. Security]

Filling out reports at the end of a shift or later is a great way for doubt to be raised about the accuracy of the information since most, if not all, humans forget details as time goes by.

There may be times in an emergency were time will not allow a detailed report while the event is unfolding. Still, one should write down the basics so that the report can be completed accurately as soon as possible.