CITY OF PALMDALE BUSINESS OF THE WEEK | SELECTED & FEATURED 2023

Daily activity reports are a critical part of every security operation. For contract security teams, the daily activity report is often the forefront of client communication. Successful companies understand the importance of a well written Daily Activity Report (DAR for short) and train their teams accordingly. In this article we'll cover the four basic elements every DAR should include. Then we'll finish by exploring three bonus elements that the industry's best are making an effort to incorporate on their reports. Ok.. let's start with the basics. Basic Daily Activity Reports should include the officers time on/off site, shift change information (if applicable), a record of all activity throughout the shift including routine patrols, and any unusual activity. These are items that must be in every daily activity report. Even if they’re not required by the client. Part of being a professional in the security industry is maintaining a high standard of service, whether it’s required by the client or not. #1 Accurate Arrival and Departure Times No.. not the time the shift was supposed to start. The time the shift actually started. And the same goes for the end of the shift. Allowing the officer to round off start and end times is starting off on the wrong foot. Use time keeping or guard management software to accurately log the time on and off site. Most solutions even use geofencing around the property to prevent the officer from clocking-in or reporting unless they’re on the property. #2 Shift Change Information If there are pass down orders relevant to the property and/or the client, your officers should document that exchange of information in the DAR. Now, not every post will have a shift change. But most posts will have duties that apply specifically to the beginning of a shift. If that's the case, note it in the report. This lets your client know that the officer is on site, ready, and prepared to work. #3 All Routine Preventative Measures Daily activity reports should document everything the security team does to increase presence on the property and prevent unwanted activity from happening. Remember, the DAR is the summary of the work completed for the client on a daily basis. #4 Any Exceptions to the Norm Anything outside the normal occurrences on the property should be noted in the DAR. This includes incidents (although incident reporting should be separated) and any other issues of concern including, but not limited to: Safety hazards Maintenance issues Unexpected visitors Doors found unlocked that were supposed to be locked Positive or negative contacts with anyone on property Security risks or concerns Any vendors on-site (janitorial, street sweepers, construction, etc.) Security should be the eyes and ears for the client. You wouldn't want your customers finding out about an unusual occurrence from someone else on the property. To avoid that, officers should report anything happening on site out of the norm. At the very least, this proves that the officer is alert and paying attention. The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.