NZ Security Licence Reporting and Documentation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Why is accurate documentation of security incidents critical?
- It creates a legal record that supports investigations, prosecutions, and the security guard's defence if their actions are challenged (Correct answer)
- It is only required for incidents where force was used
- It is primarily for billing and contract purposes
- It is only required by some employers — it is not a legal or professional obligation
Correct answer: It creates a legal record that supports investigations, prosecutions, and the security guard's defence if their actions are challenged
Accurate documentation creates a contemporaneous record of events that can support legal proceedings, protect the security guard from false allegations, and enable management review of incidents.
Question 2: What information should be recorded in a security incident report?
- Date, time, location, persons involved, a factual description of events, actions taken, and witnesses (Correct answer)
- Only the security guard's actions — the other party's behaviour is not relevant
- Only the outcome — details of the incident itself are not required
- Only information provided by the patron, not the guard's own observations
Correct answer: Date, time, location, persons involved, a factual description of events, actions taken, and witnesses
An incident report should capture all material facts: who, what, when, where, and how. Both the incident and the guard's response must be recorded — completeness and factual accuracy are essential.
Question 3: What does 'contemporaneous' mean in the context of incident reporting?
- Recorded at or shortly after the time of the incident while the details are still fresh (Correct answer)
- Reviewed and approved by a supervisor before being finalised
- Prepared in consultation with other witnesses to ensure consistency
- Completed within 48 hours in standard report format
Correct answer: Recorded at or shortly after the time of the incident while the details are still fresh
Contemporaneous records are made at the time or very shortly after an event. They carry greater evidentiary weight than records made later from memory, as they are less subject to distortion or forgetting.
Question 4: What tone should a security incident report use?
- Factual and objective — avoiding personal opinions, assumptions, or emotional language (Correct answer)
- Persuasive, arguing for the guard's position in any dispute
- Formal but including the guard's personal assessment of the other party's character
- Narrative and descriptive, including the guard's emotional response to the situation
Correct answer: Factual and objective — avoiding personal opinions, assumptions, or emotional language
An incident report is a factual document. Opinions, assumptions, and emotional language reduce its credibility and reliability. 'What was seen and done' — not interpretation or personal judgment.
Question 5: What should a security guard do if they realise they made an error in a completed incident report?
- Add a correction note with the date and initials — never alter or delete the original entry (Correct answer)
- Delete the incorrect entry and rewrite the correct version
- Leave the error if it is minor and unlikely to affect the outcome
- Ask a colleague to rewrite the entire report under their name
Correct answer: Add a correction note with the date and initials — never alter or delete the original entry
Incident reports are legal documents. Errors must be corrected by addition — striking through with initials and date — never by deletion, which could appear as falsification.
Question 6: In what situation is a security guard legally required to report an incident to Police rather than just their employer?
- When a serious offence has been committed, when they have made a citizen's arrest, or when directed by their employer's procedures (Correct answer)
- Only when a weapon is involved
- Never — security guards report to employers only, not directly to Police
- Only when the incident results in hospitalisation
Correct answer: When a serious offence has been committed, when they have made a citizen's arrest, or when directed by their employer's procedures
Certain incidents — serious offences, citizen's arrests, or incidents as directed — require Police reporting. Security guards should follow their employer's protocols and their legal obligations, not limit reporting to employers only.
NZ Security Licence Reporting and Documentation 1
Why is accurate documentation of security incidents critical?