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Yet Another Disappointing Security Officer Report

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You call this a Daily Activity report? Really? I call it “scribble”! Or you can call it “chicken scratch” …or even “alien speak”…but just don’t call it a Security Officer Activity Report…because this is nothing even close to what a daily report should look like. By the way…if you can decipher what this report actually says, I might even buy youlunch…because I can’t figure it out. The hand writing is so bad that I can’t even recognize more than two words. Is it written in English? Spanish? Latin? Or… ?

As I discussed in my previous post, another example of a poor security officer report, a Security Officer is being paid to “observe and report”. This Officer may have done an effective job during the shift he worked, but the end result of his work (the report) looks like an example of Bart Simpson’s homework assignment instead of a professional and detailed Daily Report.

Remember, one of the most important qualities that an employer wants to see in a Security Officer is the ability to communicate effectively. (see my previous post on this topic) Effective communication includes the ability to speak clearly and the ability to write in a legible format that can be read at a later time, if needed.

How would you like this report to be presented in front of a judge or a jury during a liability case or a criminal defense trial?

The results for this client would be disastrous!

I know I sound like a broken record…but I have to keep it real.
So…if a Security Officer turns in a report that looks like this example, do you think the client is going to appreciate the quality of the words written on this page?

Not in a million years…

Talk soon…

Colt

P.S. Stay tuned for some examples of “A” rated Daily Reports!

Another Example of a Poor Security Officer Report

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Here’s another example of what I consider a very poor Security Officer report. The Security Officer who completed this report should have just completed a one-line report that said, “Warm body was here…”.

Maybe I’m being too critical of this Officer’s daily re-cap, but as I pointed out in my previous post, a good example of a bad report, this report does not provide any value to the client. There is simply no excuse for this type of report.

So…on a six hour shift (1330 hrs.-1930 hrs.) this Security Officer didn’t observe any activity at all?

Hard to believe.

He mentions three specific areas that were “patrolled” all day (the dock, the inside, and the parking lot) but does not indicate any activity at all. Isn’t the top of the report specifically titled “Shift Activity”?? What’s the delio, dude?

“Once again…if I had to assign a grade to this daily report, I would give this report an “F”….as in FAIL!”

Security Officers are looked upon as “trained observers” and should provide a basic report that gives the client a detailed account of what transpired on their shift.

Use this report as a guide on what you should never turn in to your Supervisor.

Good report writing is not difficult if you instill a routine habit to just “report what you observe”.

Pretty simple.

Colt

Good Example of a Bad Security Officer Report

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Daily Activity Reports are very important documents for the client. The Daily Activity Report, also known as a “DAR”, is the only tangible way for your client to get a feel of what is happening at a particular post or assignment.

Nearly every Uniform Security Officer is required to submit a written activity report or log on a daily basis.

It is extremely important for a Security Officer to have good writing skills. Poor writing skills can mean the difference between a “warm body” Officer and a highly Skilled Security Officer.

I want to share with you a real example of a weak poor Security Officer daily report.

The photo you see in this post displays the entire written report for an 8 hour shift.

Take a look at the content that is written and then imagine that this was your Daily Report. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this really a detailed re-cap of what I observed on my entire shift?

2. Are terms like “All is well…Nothing to report…No problems” proactive prevention?

3. Would the client by satisfied with this report?

4. Am I relaying as much information as possible about this location?

5. Did I deter or prevent any crimes? If so, I don’t need to include it on my report, do I?

Can you see where I am going with this line of questioning?

The bottom line on this report…from my perspective…is that it gets a big fat “F”!

After reading a stack of logs like this one, most clients would be mumbling…”If this is the re-cap of what happened over an 8 hour shift at a busy center, then maybe I don’t need a Security Officer assigned to this location?” Remember…the client is paying your salary, right? Shouldn’t you try to make the client happy?

Here’s some really good advice…

Don’t ever turn in a report that looks similar to this one!

(Unless you want to forever remain an entry-level Security Officer)

Stay tuned to a future post where I will provide an example a great Daily Report!

Be safe!

Colt