Patrolling and Surveillance
Patrolling is moving observation; surveillance is watching from a fixed position or through cameras. The exam tests patrol types, why routes are randomised, what a guard should notice, and how to monitor CCTV without falling asleep behind the screen.
Types of patrol
- Foot patrol - close observation, best inside buildings.
- Bicycle, motorcycle or vehicle patrol - large compounds, industrial estates.
- Fixed sentry - a gate or vital point.
- Dog patrol - night perimeter work. Clocking points or tour-check devices prove the guard actually visited a point; signing them without going there is a serious offence.
Randomise the route
A predictable patrol lets a thief work to your timetable. Vary timing, direction and the order of checkpoints, while still covering every point.
What to observe
Use all senses: look for forced doors, fresh damage, loose wiring, unfamiliar vehicles; listen for alarms, breaking glass, unusual silence; smell smoke, gas or chemicals. Notice behaviour - someone loitering without purpose, a person avoiding cameras, a vehicle parked with occupants.
CCTV monitoring
Know the blind spots, use pan-tilt-zoom deliberately, log anything unusual with camera number and time, and never leave the monitor unattended. Report, do not investigate alone.
Suspicious objects
Do not touch, open or sniff an unattended package. Cordon the area, keep people back, and inform the supervisor and police.
Worked example
At 02:40 a guard smells burning near the canteen. He does not fling the door open. He feels the door with the back of his hand, sees smoke at the edge, raises the alarm, calls the fire brigade, and starts evacuation from the assembly point. Reasoning: heat on the door suggests fire behind it, and opening it would feed the fire with air.
Traps that cost marks
- Following the same route at the same minutes every night.
- Signing clocking points from the rest room.
- Using a mobile phone while on camera duty.
- Handling an unidentified object to 'check' it.