Police Request at the Factory Gate at 02:10
At 02:10 you are the only guard on duty at the main gate of a garment factory in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. Two uniformed police officers arrive and say a night-shift machine operator is suspected of stealing copper wire. They ask you to (a) hand over the last 48 hours of CCTV recordings, (b) take them to the production floor to identify the worker, and (c) lock the worker in the guard room until questioning is finished. Your shift supervisor does not answer the phone. The security procedure states that CCTV footage may be released only with written authorisation from the security manager or a lawful police request, and that guards must not detain anyone. The factory has one guarded gate, 14 cameras and a locked server room. The officers are polite but say they have no warrant and do not need one because it is a factory matter. You have a logbook, a radio and the security manager's mobile number.
1. For each of the three police requests, state what you should do and why. Include the limits of a security guard's authority.
Read the worked answer
Request (a) – CCTV: Verify the officers' names, rank and station and record the exact request. Do not hand over footage on your own. You are not the data owner and the procedure requires written authorisation or a lawful police request. Preserve the footage, keep the server room locked and call the security manager. If police produce a written demand, record what was taken and by whom. Request (b) – production floor: Escort them to reception or a public interview area, not the floor, unless the manager authorises it. Your role is to facilitate lawful access, not to identify or search for a suspect. Request (c) – detention: Refuse. A guard has no power to detain a person for questioning; suspicion is not enough. Locking the worker in the guard room could amount to illegal detention and expose you and the company to liability. A guard may use minimum force to stop an offence in progress or defend a person, but not to hold a suspect for police convenience. Keep the worker calm and separate from the officers, call the manager and, if needed, a senior police officer.
2. What should you record, and how should you communicate with your supervisor and the police?
Read the worked answer
Record in the logbook: time, officer names and badge numbers, station, each request, your replies, names of witnesses, whether the manager was contacted, and the time the officers left. Note clearly that no footage was released and no detention was made. Preserve the CCTV and do not let it overwrite. Radio or phone the supervisor and send a short factual message. Avoid opinion such as 'police were aggressive' unless you can describe the actual behaviour. If the manager instructs release, get the instruction in writing or record the caller's name and time. Give the police a factual written statement only about what you saw and did; do not speculate about the theft or about the worker's guilt.
3. If the officers become insistent, what should you do to protect yourself and the factory while remaining professional?
Read the worked answer
Stay calm and keep your hands visible. Do not physically block a doorway if that would provoke a struggle; instead state clearly that you cannot comply, call your manager and ask to speak to the officers' station supervisor. Move the discussion to a safe area away from workers. Write down everything immediately. If the officers attempt to enter restricted areas without authority, record it and call the manager; do not obstruct a lawful police action, but do not assist an unlawful search. If a worker is threatened or arrested, note the time and the officer's details. Ask the manager to attend in person. Your aim is to keep the incident peaceful and documented, not to win an argument with the police.