OK Security Guard cheat sheet

Oklahoma Security Guard Act is codified at 59 O.S. §§ 1750.1–1750.11; CLEET administers licensing, registration, and the required training curriculum.

Licensure categories: security guard (unarmed), armed security guard, private investigator, and agency/employer license; each individual license requires an approved application plus fingerprint-based OSBI/FBI background check.

Unarmed guard training minimum is 40 hours (including CLEET-designated use-of-force, legal, and report-writing blocks); armed endorsement adds firearms training with a qualifying score on a CLEET-approved course of fire.

A guard may act only within the authority of a private citizen unless separately sworn; a security guard license is not a peace officer commission and confers no arrest or search powers beyond citizen's arrest.

Guard credentials must be carried while on duty and produced on request of CLEET, a law enforcement officer, or the employer; failure to carry or display is a violation subject to administrative action.

Employer/agency must notify CLEET of hiring, termination, and name or address changes within the reporting window set by CLEET rules; unlicensed guard employment is prohibited.

CLEET may deny, suspend, or revoke a license for conviction of a disqualifying offense, fraud in the application, use of excessive force, or failure to complete required continuing training.

Uniform and identification rules: guards must be identifiable as security personnel and may not wear markings that imply law enforcement status (e.g., 'police,' sheriff's star, or similar insignia).

Oklahoma citizen's arrest (22 O.S. § 202) permits a private person to arrest for a felony committed in the person's presence, or for a public offense committed or attempted in the person's presence; the arrestee must be delivered to a magistrate or peace officer without unnecessary delay.

Force used to detain must be objectively reasonable and proportional: verbal commands first, then soft empty-hand control, then hard empty-hand or intermediate weapons, with deadly force only to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.

Deadly force may never be used solely to protect property; Oklahoma law and CLEET standards limit deadly force to defense of self or others against imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.

A private security guard is a private actor, not a state actor, so the Fourth Amendment does not directly bind the guard; however, a guard acting at police direction or as an agent of police becomes a state actor subject to constitutional limits.

A guard may use reasonable force to defend premises or eject a trespasser only after asking the person to leave and giving a reasonable opportunity to comply, absent exigency.

Search limits: a guard may search a person or bag only with voluntary, informed consent, incident to a lawful citizen's arrest for evidence of that offense, or under a valid employer policy clearly disclosed as a condition of entry.

Detention must be temporary and purpose-limited; once the suspect is restrained and the threat is neutralized, the guard must stop using force and transfer custody to police.

Use-of-force reporting: any force beyond verbal persuasion, any injury, and any display or discharge of a firearm must be documented and reported to the employer and to responding law enforcement.

Patrol pattern types: fixed-post, random foot patrol, vehicle perimeter, and interior sweep; randomize timing and route to defeat pattern observation by adversaries.

Observation baseline: record time, location, subject description (head-to-toe), actions, statements, witnesses, and disposition - the 'who, what, when, where, why, how' elements.

Report format standard: chronological narrative, first person, past tense, objective language; quote statements verbatim in quotation marks; avoid conclusions and labels such as 'suspicious' without factual support.

Reports must be written contemporaneously or as soon as practicable; note the exact time of observation and the time the report was completed to preserve evidentiary value.

Document only what was personally observed or reliably reported; attribute secondhand information ('Ofc. Smith stated...') and never present hearsay as direct observation.

Corrections to a completed report are made by dated, initialed addendum or strike-through, never by erasure or overwriting, to preserve chain-of-custody integrity.

Evidence handling: log item description, location found, time, collector, and storage location; maintain chain of custody for every transfer.

Patrol documentation includes post checks, alarm activations, lock and lighting deficiencies, and safety hazards; each entry should be actionable and time-stamped.

Life safety priority order: life safety first, then incident stabilization, then property conservation.

Incident Command System (ICS) is a scalable, modular management structure; the five functional areas are Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.

Span of control in ICS is typically 3 to 7 subordinates per supervisor, with 5 as the target.

A guard's first actions at an emergency: ensure personal safety, call 911 or activate the internal alarm, give location and nature of emergency, then begin evacuation or isolation per the facility emergency action plan.

Evacuation vs. shelter-in-place decision: evacuate on fire, bomb threat, or hazardous material release with a safe route; shelter in place for severe weather, active assailant, or external airborne hazard.

Fire response uses RACE (Rescue, Alarm, Contain/Confine, Evacuate/Extinguish) and PASS for extinguisher use (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).

Active assailant response follows Run-Hide-Fight: evacuate if safe, barricade and silence devices if not, and fight only as a last resort; guards should not attempt solo confrontation without training and equipment.

Unified command applies when multiple agencies or jurisdictions share incident authority; a guard hands command to responding fire/police and transitions to a support role (access control, information, scene preservation).

Use the '3 A's' contact standard: acknowledge the person, ask what is needed, act or refer; every contact is a reflection of the employer's brand.

Ethical decision tests: is it legal, is it consistent with policy, would I be comfortable if it were public, and is it fair to all parties? Any 'no' stops the action.

Confidentiality: guard may not disclose client information, incident details, or personal data except to law enforcement, the employer, or as required by law or court order.

Conflicts of interest: no accepting gifts, gratuities, or side work that could compromise judgment; report any relationship with a person under investigation or on the premises.

Use-of-force ethics: force is a last resort after presence, verbal de-escalation, and time/distance; retaliation, punishment, and force out of anger are prohibited and reportable.

De-escalation elements: calm tone, controlled breathing, active listening, offering choices, maintaining exit space, and avoiding unnecessary physical contact.

Bias and profiling: decisions must be based on observed behavior and articulable facts, not race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or appearance; document the specific behavior that prompted contact.

Professional appearance and communication: uniform and badge worn per policy, no personal phone use on post, and clear, non-confrontational verbal commands.

Access control model: identify, authenticate, authorize, and audit; every entry point should have a defined credential and a defined consequence for failure.

Credential types: something you know (PIN), something you have (badge/key), something you are (biometrics); multi-factor requires two different categories.

Tailgating and piggybacking prevention: one person per credential swipe, mantrap or turnstile where required, and challenge unknown persons politely and document the encounter.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles: natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance.

Perimeter layers: outer perimeter (fence, lighting), building envelope (doors, windows, locks), interior zones (sensitive areas), and asset level (safe, cage).

Key control: log issuance, return, and loss; rekey on unreturned keys; never leave master keys unattended or in a vehicle.

Alarm response: verify the alarm, check the specific zone, do not enter a suspected intrusion alone, and preserve the scene for police.

Visitor management: sign-in, photo ID verification, escort policy, badge color-coding by access level, and sign-out at departure.

Elements of a crime: act (or omission where a duty exists), mental state (mens rea), causation, and resulting harm; all must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mental states in Oklahoma law include purposeful, knowing, reckless, and negligent; the mental state must match the offense element as defined in the statute.

Classification: felonies are punishable by death or imprisonment in the state penitentiary (generally more than one year); misdemeanors are punishable by fine or county jail.

Burglary requires unlawful entry into a structure with intent to commit a crime inside; robbery requires taking property from a person by force or fear; theft is taking property without force.

Assault is an attempt or offer to do bodily harm; battery is the unlawful use of force or violence on another; aggravated assault and battery involve intent to cause great bodily harm or use of a deadly weapon.

Trespass: entering or remaining on property without authorization after being asked to leave; guard may request departure and use reasonable force only after refusal.

Self-defense in Oklahoma requires a reasonable belief of imminent unlawful force; a person may use force to defend self or another, and deadly force only against imminent threat of death or great bodily harm.

Arrest vs. detention vs. investigatory stop: only police may make a warrantless arrest for a misdemeanor not committed in their presence; a guard's authority is limited to citizen's arrest for offenses in the guard's presence.

Armed endorsement requires a valid CLEET armed security guard license, an approved firearms training course, and a qualifying score on the CLEET-approved course of fire.

Weapon safety rules: treat every firearm as loaded, keep finger off the trigger until on target, never point at anything you are not willing to destroy, and know what is behind the target.

Duty weapon retention: weapon remains in a secured holster, never left in a restroom, vehicle, or unsecured location; report any loss or theft immediately to police and employer.

Use of deadly force is limited to defense against imminent death or great bodily harm; a guard may not fire a warning shot, fire at a moving vehicle solely to disable it, or fire into a crowd.

Defensive tactics force continuum: presence, verbal direction, soft empty-hand control, hard empty-hand control, intermediate weapons (baton, OC), then deadly force.

Handcuffing: apply only to persons lawfully detained or arrested, double-lock, check for proper fit, and never leave a restrained person face-down or unattended.

Post-shooting and post-force protocol: stop force when threat ends, render aid if trained, secure the weapon, call 911, notify supervisor, and document before discussing the incident.

Weapons qualification is periodic and documented; failure to maintain qualification or carry required documentation results in loss of armed authority.