Open Side Door on the Night Patrol
At 02:15 on a Wednesday, you are the lone guard on night shift at Ganges Cold Storage, Howrah. While patrolling the rear loading bay, you find the side door open by about 15 cm. The hasp is not broken, but the padlock is hanging open. The corner has no CCTV coverage, and your radio is in a dead zone. Your mobile shows one bar. Inside, you hear a low thump, then silence. The main gate is 200 metres away; the supervisor's number is on the wall, and police control room is 100. The cold store contains food cartons and a separate locked section for chemicals. Company policy says guards must not enter a dark building alone or confront intruders. You have a torch and a lathi but no body camera.
1. What should you do immediately, and why?
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Do not enter the building alone. The open door, the thump, the lack of CCTV, and the policy against confronting intruders all point to a possible intruder. A lone unarmed guard inside a dark cold store is at risk and may also contaminate evidence.
- Move to a safe position from which you can see the door, preferably with cover and an exit route. Do not touch the door, handle or padlock.
- Try the mobile from a higher point or near a window where the signal may be better. Call 100 and the supervisor; state the exact location, door and what you heard.
- Request police and backup; ask the supervisor to come with another guard. If the phone has no signal, go to the main gate or landline while keeping the door under observation if possible, or send for help - do not silently abandon the post without informing someone.
- Observe only. Note time, door position, lock condition, sounds, and any vehicle or person. Do not shout or challenge into the dark.
- Preserve the scene until police arrive; keep bystanders away.
2. What details should you record, and how do you preserve evidence?
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Record facts, not conclusions:
- Time you found the door and the exact position (open about 15 cm); padlock hanging open, hasp not broken.
- What you heard ("one low thump, then silence") and where you stood.
- Calls: time of call to 100 and supervisor, numbers used, who answered, instructions received.
- Weather and lighting, CCTV gap, radio dead zone, and that you did not enter.
- Names of any witnesses and the backup guard.
Preserve evidence by not touching the door, lock or floor area; do not let others crowd the entrance. If it is safe, photograph the door from outside without crossing the threshold. Secure the area with tape or a chair at a distance, and start a bound incident log with chronological entries. Hand over the log and keys to police or the supervisor and keep a copy.
3. You hear glass breaking and a person runs out. What do you do?
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Do not tackle or chase a fleeing person into a dark area; your safety comes first, and a lone guard cannot lawfully use unrestrained force.
Observe and record: direction of running, height, build, clothing, mask, bag, any vehicle registration, and whether the person was armed. Shout a clear warning to others to stay back, not a challenge that invites confrontation. Call 100 immediately with the description and direction; inform the supervisor and request backup.
If the person is injured or surrenders, keep a safe distance, ask them to sit in a well-lit area, and call police. You may exercise the limited citizen's-arrest power available to any private person only if a cognizable, non-bailable offence is happening and it is safe; hand the person to police without delay. Do not search, beat or question them at length. Write your statement while events are fresh.