Security Patrol Report Example (and What to Include)

Patrol report vs DAR vs incident report

These terms overlap, so it helps to be precise. A daily activity report (DAR) is the running log of a shift. An incident report documents one specific event in depth. A patrol report focuses on coverage — proving the rounds happened — and usually folds the DAR and any incidents into one client-facing document.

In practice, the strongest patrol report combines a coverage summary, the activity timeline, and the evidence behind any incidents.

What to include in a patrol report

• Site, officer, date, and shift times.
• A coverage summary: rounds completed and checkpoints scanned.
• A verification indicator — how strongly the shift was backed by location and checkpoint data.
• An activity timeline with timestamps.
• Incidents with photos and actions taken.
• A short, plain-English summary for the client.

Worked patrol report example

What makes a report defensible

Anyone can write a tidy-looking report. What makes it hold up is the data behind it: checkpoint scans with times, location signals, and timestamped photos. A verification score turns that data into a single indicator a client can trust at a glance — and lets them drill into the detail when they want it.