2. 2
Patrols
Carried out to:
â—Ź Prevent unauthorised access or occupation, disorder
or damage
â—Ź Prevent destruction, damage or theft
â—Ź Prevent assaults or other injuries
Provide a visual deterrent
Identify and react to breaches of security.
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3. 3
Patrols
â—Ź The times and frequency of patrols vary from
site to site
â—Ź Details of how and when they should
be carried out will be found in the
Assignment Instructions (A.I.s)
â—Ź Patrols may be made on
foot or in vehicles, depending
on the size of the site
â—Ź They may be made by lone
security officers or in pairs.
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4. 4
Types of patrol
FIRST or INITIAL PATROLS
Initial patrols are made at the beginning of the shift.
Carried out to identity any problems or incidents that need
dealing with as soon as the security officer comes on duty.
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5. 5
Types of patrol
RANDOM or ROUTINE PATROLS
Made either infrequently or at set times, dependent on the
site’s Assignment Instructions.
Ideally patrol times should be varied, to prevent criminals
being able to predict when there is a security presence.
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6. 6
Types of patrol
FINAL PATROLS
The last patrol of the shift before the security officer goes off
duty or hands over to the next shift.
Carried out to ensure that all is as it should be at the end of
the tour of duty.
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7. 7
Types of patrol
SNAP PATROLS
Further immediate patrols may be required to deal with
particular incidents, such as reports of intruders or alarm
activations.
Carried out on the spur of the moment, on top of the usual
initial, routine and final patrols.
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8. 8
â—Ź What patrols are required during a shift
â—Ź When the patrols should take place
â—Ź The geography of the site
â—Ź The route to take
â—Ź Any hazards
â—Ź Where the vulnerable areas are
â—Ź What equipment to take with you
â—Ź That the equipment is working correctly
â—Ź Any clocking sites on the patrol
â—Ź How to get assistance if needed
â—Ź Who to inform that the patrol has started/ended.
Before patrolling
You will need to know:
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9. 9
Patrolling procedures and techniques
â—Ź How and when patrols are made
will be detailed in the site’s A.I.s.
â—Ź They will have been designed to fit
the security requirements for that site.
â—Ź Some sites will require you to follow
a specific route at a specific time during
the shift, often using a mechanical or electronic clocking
device to record the patrol.
â—Ź On other sites patrol times and routes may vary, and it may
even be left to the security officer’s discretion to decide
when and how patrols should be made.
What you will need to know:
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10. 10
Varying patrol times
Patrol times and routes should be varied:
To reduce the chance of criminals being
able to predict when there will be
a security presence so they can
avoid being caught in the act of
committing a crime
Patrolling is a proactive way of
securing a site
Security officers should be
vigilant at all times.
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11. 11
Safety on patrol
Security officers need to:
Follow their site’s A.I.s
Inform either colleagues or the control room of the start and
conclusion of a patrol
Ensure that someone knows that they are out and about,
possibly on their own, so regular radio/phone check calls can
be made to ensure your safety.
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12. 12
On patrol
Patrols are carried out to identify any
problems that need to be dealt with
Patrols ensure the security and safety of
the site
Patrols protect any people or property on
the site
Try to gain a good working knowledge of
the geography of the site
Remain vigilant at all times
Identify any actual or potential problems.
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13. 13
Vigilance
Vigilance and an awareness of any local crime issues
will help security officers to identify:
â—Ź Breaches of site security
(break-ins)
â—Ź Suspicious people, vehicles
and packages
â—Ź Crimes being or having been
committed
â—Ź Actual or potential safety hazards.
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14. 14
Dealing with incidents
If incidents are discovered during a patrol
security officers should:
Follow their A.I.s as to how they
should be dealt with
Investigate anything unusual
or suspicious
Challenge suspicious people
or intruders.
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15. 15
Dealing with incidents
When dealing with incidents during a patrol:
Ensure your own safety first
Report the matter to the control room or a supervisor, so that
someone else at least knows what you are doing
Seek assistance if required
Make regular check calls
Maintain contact with the control room or a supervisor.
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16. 16
Dealing with incidents
In serious incidents the emergency
services may need to be called
Details of incidents should be made in a
notebook at the time
A full incident report can be made once
the matter has been dealt with
Always follow the site’s A.I.s.
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Editor's Notes
Security officers are often required to carry out patrols on some sites. Whether the patrols are made within the building being protected, or cover the whole grounds and outside areas of a site, they are carried out to:
Prevent unauthorised access or occupation, disorder or damage;
Prevent destruction, damage or theft;
Prevent assaults or other injuries; and
Patrols are carried out to:
provide a visual deterrent; and
identify and react to any breaches of security.
The times and frequency of patrols vary from site to site, but details of how and when they should be carried out will be found in the A.I.s.
Patrols may be made on foot or in vehicles, depending on the size of the site. They may be made by lone security officers or in pairs.
FIRST or INITIAL PATROLS
Initial patrols are made at the beginning of the shift. These are done to see whether there are any problems or incidents that need dealing with as soon as the security officer comes on duty.
RANDOM or ROUTINE PATROLS
Random or routine patrols are made either infrequently or at set times, dependent on the site’s Assignment Instructions.
Ideally patrol times should be varied, to prevent criminals being able to predict when there is a security presence.
FINAL PATROLS
These are the last patrols of the shift before the security officer goes off duty or hands over to the next shift. Final patrols are carried out to ensure that all is as it should be at the end of the tour of duty.
SNAP PATROLS
Further immediate patrols may be required to deal with particular incidents, such as reports of intruders or alarm activations. These may have to be carried out on the spur of the moment, on top of the usual initial, routine and final patrols.
Before patrolling
To ensure the safety of the security officer, patrols need to be planned properly. Before setting out on a patrol, security officers need to know:
What patrols are required during a shift;
When the patrols should take place;
How long they should take;
The geography of the site;
The route to take;
Any hazards;
Where the vulnerable areas are;
What equipment to take with them;
That the equipment is working correctly;
Any clocking sites on the patrol;
How to get assistance if needed; and
Who to inform that the patrol has started/ended.
Patrolling procedures and techniques
How and when patrols are made will be detailed in the site’s A.I.s, and will have been designed to fit the security requirements for that site.
On some sites security officers will be required to follow a specific route at a specific time during the shift, often using a mechanical or electronic clocking device to record the patrol.
On other sites patrol times and routes may vary, and it may even be left to the security officer’s discretion to decide when and how patrols should be made.
Ideally patrol times and routes should be varied, to reduce the chance of criminals being able to predict when there will be a security presence, which would assist them to avoid being caught in the act of committing a crime. Patrolling is a proactive way of securing a site, and security officers should be vigilant at all times.
Security officers need to follow their A.I.s in relation to informing either their colleagues or their control room of the start and conclusion of a patrol. This ensures that someone knows that they are out and about, possibly on their own, and so regular radio/phone check calls can be made to ensure that all is well.
Vigilance and use of local and site knowledge
Patrols are carried out to identify any problems that need to be dealt with so that the security and safety of the site, and any people or property on it, can be maintained.
Security officers should gain a good working knowledge of the geography of the site they are working on, and will need to remain vigilant at all times so that they can identify any actual or potential problems.
Site knowledge, vigilance and an awareness of any local crime issues will help security officers to identify:
Breaches of site security (break-ins);
Suspicious people, vehicles and packages;
Crimes being or having been committed; and
Actual or potential safety hazards.
If any of these incidents are discovered during a patrol, security officers should follow their A.I.s as to how they should be dealt with. Anything unusual or suspicious should be investigated, and any suspicious people or intruders should be challenged.
When dealing with any type of incident during a patrol, security officers must ensure their own safety first, and they should report the matter to the control room or a supervisor, so that someone else at least knows what they are doing and may be able to assist.
Regular check calls will also help to maintain contact with the control room or a supervisor, contributing to the security officer’s safety.
In serious incidents the emergency services may need to be called to attend.
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Details of incidents should be made in a notebook at the time, so that a full incident report can be made once the matter has been dealt with.
