Patrolling, Observation, and Reporting
Patrol is the engine of the job: visible presence deters, and good observation produces the facts that reports and investigations depend on. Candidates should understand patrol patterns-fixed versus random, interior versus perimeter, foot versus vehicle-and why randomized timing and varied routes defeat people who learn a guard's routine. Know the value of checkpoints and logs, and the difference between a patrol that documents presence and one that actually looks.
Observation rests on disciplined perception. Learn the elements of a good description: height, build, clothing from top to bottom, distinguishing features, direction of travel, and vehicle make, model, color, and plate. Understand situational awareness and the limits of human memory-witnesses are unreliable, so record facts promptly and separately from opinion. Note the chain of custody for evidence and how to preserve a scene.
Reporting is where many candidates lose points. A good report is objective, chronological, complete, and specific: who, what, when, where, how, and what was done. Distinguish fact from inference ("the man appeared unsteady" versus "the man was drunk"). Avoid conclusory labels, slang, and speculation. Traps include writing opinions as facts, omitting the guard's own actions, using vague times ("around midnight"), and altering a report after submission instead of adding a dated supplement.
Rule of thumb: write the report so a reader who was not there could picture the event and defend the guard's decisions-cover what you saw, what you did, and why. If you did not observe it, attribute it ("the clerk stated..."), never adopt it as your own observation.