Security Incident Reporting SOP Template

1.Purpose

To make sure every security incident is documented accurately and promptly, escalated to the right people, and followed up with corrective action.

2.Scope

Applies to all security incidents on the property, including theft, trespass, altercations, vandalism, suspicious activity and safety hazards discovered during duty.

Definitions

Security incident

Any event involving theft, trespass, violence, vandalism, unauthorized access or a safety hazard that a guard becomes aware of during duty.

Incident register

The master log where every completed incident report is recorded and tracked to closure.

3.Responsibilities

Security Guard

Secures the scene, gathers facts and witness information, and completes the initial incident report.

Shift Supervisor

Reviews the report, classifies severity, and coordinates the immediate response.

Control Room Operator

Retrieves CCTV footage related to the incident and logs the notification time.

Security Manager

Notifies the client or management for serious incidents, tracks corrective actions and closes the incident record.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →Incident report form
• →Incident register
• →Camera or phone for scene photos
• →CCTV system for footage retrieval
• →Witness statement forms
• →Evidence bags for any recovered items

Personal protective equipment

• →Uniform and identification badge
• →Disposable gloves for handling recovered items

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Ensure immediate safety

   Security Guard

   Assess the situation for any ongoing danger, call emergency services immediately if there is injury or an active threat, and move bystanders to safety.

   Warning: Personal and bystander safety comes before documentation. Call emergency services first if anyone is in danger.

2. 5.2

   Secure the scene

   Security Guard

   Restrict access to the area where the incident occurred so evidence is not disturbed, and keep people not involved away until the scene is documented.

3. 5.3

   Notify the control room immediately

   Security Guard

   Radio or call the control room as soon as the scene is safe, giving the location, nature of the incident and whether further response is needed.

4. 5.4

   Gather witness information

   Security Guard

   Identify anyone who witnessed the incident and record their name, contact information and a brief account while details are still fresh.

5. 5.5

   Take photos of the scene

   Security Guard

   Photograph the scene, any damage, and relevant conditions before anything is moved or cleaned up, to support the written report.

6. 5.6

   Retrieve CCTV footage

   Control Room Operator

   Identify the cameras covering the incident location and time, and save or export the relevant footage before it is overwritten by the system.

   Checkpoint: Relevant footage is saved before the system's normal overwrite cycle deletes it.

7. 5.7

   Complete the incident report

   Security Guard

   Fill out the incident report form with the facts: what happened, who was involved, exact times, actions taken and any items recovered, using only what was observed or reported.

8. 5.8

   Submit the report to the shift supervisor

   Security Guard

   Submit the completed incident report to the shift supervisor before the end of the shift in which the incident occurred.

   Checkpoint: The incident report is submitted before the reporting guard's shift ends.

9. 5.9

   Classify severity

   Shift Supervisor

   Review the report and classify the incident's severity based on injury, loss value and risk, deciding what level of escalation is needed.

10. 5.10

    Notify client or management

    Security Manager

    For incidents classified as serious, notify the client or site management with a summary of the incident and immediate actions taken.

11. 5.11

    Assign corrective actions

    Security Manager

    Identify any corrective action needed, such as a lighting repair, additional patrol coverage or a policy reminder, and assign an owner and due date.

12. 5.12

    File and track to closure

    Security Manager

    Log the incident in the incident register and track the assigned corrective actions until they are confirmed complete.

6.Quality checks

• →Every incident report is submitted before the end of the shift it occurred in.
• →CCTV footage relevant to an incident is saved before the system overwrites it.
• →Serious incidents are classified and escalated to the client or management the same day.
• →Assigned corrective actions are tracked until confirmed closed.

7.Records

• →Incident report forms
• →Incident register
• →Witness statements
• →Saved CCTV footage related to incidents

8.KPIs

• →Percentage of incidents reported before the end of shift
• →Average time to classify and escalate a serious incident
• →Percentage of corrective actions closed by their due date

9.Common mistakes

• →Cleaning up or moving items before the scene is photographed.
• →Writing opinions or assumptions into the report instead of only what was observed.
• →Waiting until the next shift to file the report.
• →Forgetting to retrieve CCTV footage before it is automatically overwritten.

10.Revision history