Incident Report Examples: How to Document Security Incidents
A well-written incident report protects your company and provides critical documentation. Here are examples and templates for common security incidents.
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Why Incident Reports Matter
Incident reports are one of the most important documents a security guard produces. They provide an official record of what happened, when it happened, and what actions were taken. A well-written incident report can protect your company from liability, help law enforcement investigate crimes, and give clients confidence in your professionalism.
A poorly written incident report — or no report at all — can have the opposite effect, leaving you vulnerable to lawsuits and client disputes.
What Every Incident Report Should Include
Regardless of the type of incident, every report should contain these key elements:
- Date and time: When did the incident occur?
- Location: Where exactly did it happen?
- Reporting guard: Who is writing the report?
- Incident type: What category does it fall under?
- Description: What happened, in factual detail?
- Parties involved: Who was involved or affected?
- Actions taken: What did the guard do in response?
- Law enforcement: Were police called? What was their response?
- Witnesses: Were there any witnesses?
- Photos/evidence: Were photos or other evidence collected?
Incident Report Examples
Example 1: Unauthorized Person on Site
Date/Time: June 15, 2025 / 2:30 AM
Location: North parking lot, Building B
Incident Type: Trespassing
Description: While conducting a routine patrol of the north parking lot, I observed an unidentified male approximately 30 years old, wearing a dark hoodie and jeans, attempting to open vehicle doors. Upon seeing me approach, the individual fled on foot toward the east exit.
Actions Taken: I immediately contacted local police dispatch and provided a description of the individual. I then checked all vehicles in the area for signs of forced entry. No damage was found.
Law Enforcement: Police arrived at 2:45 AM. Officer badge #4521 took a report and surveyed the area.
Photos: 3 photos taken of the parking lot and exit point.
Example 2: Equipment Malfunction
Date/Time: June 15, 2025 / 11:15 PM
Location: Main entrance, Building A
Incident Type: Equipment/Property Issue
Description: During routine patrol, I noticed that the main entrance door's electronic lock was not engaging properly. The door could be opened without a key card.
Actions Taken: I immediately notified the on-call maintenance team and secured the door manually using the secondary lock. I then notified the site manager.
Follow-up: Maintenance team arrived at 11:45 PM and confirmed the lock mechanism needed replacement. Temporary repair completed at 12:10 AM.
Example 3: Medical Emergency
Date/Time: June 15, 2025 / 3:45 PM
Location: Lobby, Building C
Incident Type: Medical Emergency
Description: A visitor in the lobby reported chest pain and difficulty breathing. The individual was a male, approximately 55 years old.
Actions Taken: I immediately called 911 and requested medical assistance. While waiting, I assisted the individual to a seated position and remained with them. I did not administer any medication as I am not medically trained.
Law Enforcement/EMS: Paramedics arrived at 3:52 PM. The individual was transported to St. Mary's Hospital.
Witnesses: Lobby receptionist, Jane Smith, witnessed the incident.
Best Practices for Writing Incident Reports
- Write immediately: Complete the report as soon as possible while details are fresh
- Stick to facts: Don't include opinions, assumptions, or speculation
- Be specific: Use exact times, descriptions, and locations
- Use clear language: Write in plain English, avoid jargon
- Include photos: Visual evidence strengthens any report
- Proofread: Errors undermine credibility
How ShiftGuard Can Help
ShiftGuard makes incident reporting fast and professional:
- Mobile incident reporting from the guard app
- Photo attachments with GPS location tagging
- Severity categorization (low, medium, high, critical)
- Automatic notification to supervisors and managers
- Review and revision workflow for accuracy
- Client portal visibility for transparency
- Historical incident database for analysis
Start 14 day trial with ShiftGuard and streamline your incident reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included in a security incident report?
Every incident report should include the date, time, location, description of what happened, parties involved, actions taken, whether law enforcement was contacted, witnesses, and any photos or evidence.
How soon should an incident report be filed?
Incident reports should be filed as soon as possible — ideally within 30 minutes of the incident — while details are fresh in the guard's memory.
Should incident reports include opinions?
No. Incident reports should contain only factual, objective information. Opinions, assumptions, and speculation have no place in a professional incident report.
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