Conducting Interviews & Statement Taking

Field Interviews vs Accusatory Interviews

A security guard in Alberta conducts field interviews — information-gathering conversations with complainants, witnesses, and involved persons at a scene. A field interview is neutral: the guard is trying to establish what happened, not to extract a confession.

An accusatory interview (an interrogation aimed at a suspect) is a police function, not a security guard's role. A guard who tries to interrogate a suspect risks contaminating a case, violating the person's rights, and creating evidence that is challenged in court. If a guard believes a person has committed an offence, the correct action is to observe, record, and turn the information over to police.

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Question Types

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions invite a full, free-form account. They let the person tell the story in their own words and reveal information the guard would not have thought to ask about.

"Tell me what happened, from the start." "Describe the person you saw — anything you can remember."

Open-ended questions are used first. They produce the most accurate memory because the person is not led by the guard's assumptions.

Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions seek specific, short answers — often yes/no or a single fact. They are used to confirm details after the open account.

"Was the side door locked when you arrived?" "About how many minutes did you wait?"

Closed-ended questions are useful but should never lead the witness. "Was the man wearing a red jacket?" leads; "What was the man wearing?" does not.

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The Funnel Approach

The funnel approach sequences questions from broad to narrow:

flowchart LR
    A[Open questions<br/>broad, free-form account] --> B[Narrow questions<br/>specific areas of detail]
    B --> C[Closed questions<br/>confirm specific facts]

1. Open — Let the person give the full account in their own words. Do not interrupt.
2. Narrow — Follow up on specific areas: "You mentioned a second person — tell me more about them."
3. Closed — Confirm specific facts: "So the second person was taller than the first?"

The funnel approach works because the open stage captures the person's uninfluenced memory, the narrow stage fills gaps, and the closed stage pins down the details needed for the report.

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Statement Taking

A statement is a written record of a person's account, in their own words, that may be used as evidence. Taking a proper statement is a core security skill.

Rules for an Accurate Statement

1. Get the account in the person's own words. Ask them to describe what happened; do not put words in their mouth.
2. Record it accurately. Write (or type) exactly what they say — do not edit, summarise, or paraphrase. If you must paraphrase, ask the person to confirm the wording is correct.
3. Identify the writer. The statement should record who is giving it — full name, date of birth, contact information, and their role (complainant, witness, involved person).
4. Read it back. Read the statement back to the person word for word and ask if it is correct. Make any corrections they request and have them initial the changes.
5. Sign and date. The person signs and dates the statement; the guard signs as the taker, with the date, time, and location.

Notebook Use

The guard's notebook is the primary record of the interview. Best practice:

• Record the date, time, location, and persons present at the start of each entry.
• Take notes during the interview, not after — memory fades quickly.
• Write in ink, in chronological order, with no gaps or blank spaces that could be filled in later.
• Never tear pages out or alter entries; cross out errors with a single line and initial them.
• The notebook may be subpoenaed, so treat every entry as a potential court exhibit.

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Legal Implications of Statements

A statement taken by a security guard may be used as evidence in court — in a criminal trial, a civil suit, or a hearing before a regulatory body. Because of this:

• The statement must be accurate and complete. Inaccurate or incomplete statements can be challenged and excluded.
• The statement must be voluntary. It must not be obtained by threat, promise, or coercion. A guard who pressures a person into a statement risks the statement being ruled inadmissible and a complaint against themselves.
• The guard may be called to testify about how the statement was taken — the conditions, the person's state, and the procedure used.
• A statement is not a finding of fact; it is one person's account. The guard's job is to record it, not to judge it.

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Putting It Together

A typical field interview with statement taking runs: arrive and establish who is present; ask the person to give the open account; take notes in the notebook; use narrow and closed questions to fill gaps; read the account back; have the person sign and date it; sign as taker; store the statement securely and turn it over to police or the client per site policy. Done well, this gives the investigators what they need and gives the guard a clean, defensible record.