Foot & Vehicle Patrol Procedures

Why Patrol

A patrol is a planned movement through an assigned area. Regardless of whether it is on foot or in a vehicle, it serves the same purposes:

• Visibility and deterrence — a seen guard discourages crime before it starts
• Hazard detection — fire, leaks, damage, lighting failures, blocked exits
• Checking doors, locks, and vulnerable points — confirming the physical security of the site
• Response — getting to an incident quickly

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Foot Patrol

Foot patrol is the standard method for most posts. The guard walks a route through the property, close enough to touch doors, read labels, and speak to people.

Types of Foot Patrol

• Random routes — the guard varies the path each round so a suspect cannot predict where they will be
• Scheduled routes — fixed rounds at set times, used when the client requires documented check-ins at specific points (e.g., watchtour stations)
• High-visibility patrol — deliberately obvious, often in a marked uniform in a central area, prioritising deterrence over detection

Techniques

• Vary routes and timing even on scheduled posts — predictability is a vulnerability
• Use all senses, not just sight: listen for alarms or voices, smell for smoke or gas, feel for hot doors
• Check vulnerable points every round: entries, exits, alleys, loading docks, dark corners, utility rooms, fire exits
• Radio check-ins at the start, end, and key points of each round — if you go off-air, dispatch knows something is wrong
• Approach corners wide and from the outside so you see around the corner before your body enters the space

Hazards

• Lone-worker safety — a single guard injured or trapped on patrol may not be found quickly; check-ins and panic buttons mitigate this
• Corner approach — approaching a corner too close exposes you to anyone waiting on the other side
• Slips, trips, and falls — uneven surfaces, ice, poor lighting

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Vehicle Patrol

Vehicle patrol uses a marked or unmarked vehicle to cover large sites, multi-building properties, or multiple sites in one shift.

Techniques

• Control speed — drive slowly enough to actually observe; a fast drive-by misses everything
• Window down so you can hear alarms, voices, or breaking glass
• Use the spotlight judiciously — it helps you see into dark areas but also announces your presence and can blind drivers
• Vary routes and timing just as on foot
• Lock the vehicle and take the keys when you dismount for a foot check
• Dismount for close checks — a vehicle-only patrol misses what a walking guard catches

Limitations

• Less detail than foot patrol — you cannot read a door label or smell gas from inside a car
• Harder to engage people — approaching someone from a vehicle is intimidating and limits conversation
• Restricted access — vehicles cannot reach alleys, stairwells, upper floors, or fenced yards

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Foot vs Vehicle Patrol

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The Combined Patrol

Most real posts use both. A typical pattern is a vehicle loop around the perimeter and between buildings, with the guard dismounting for foot checks of entries, alleys, and vulnerable points on each stop. This captures the speed of the vehicle and the detail of foot patrol. The guard should radio dispatch when dismounting and when back in the vehicle so location is always known.

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Watchtour Stations and Patrol Documentation

Many sites use watchtour stations (also called guard tour points or baton points): physical checkpoints mounted along the route that the guard taps with a wand or electronic device to record that they were there at a specific time. These serve three purposes:

• Proof of patrol — the system logs each tap with a timestamp, which the client can review
• Route discipline — the guard must reach each station, ensuring vulnerable points are checked rather than skipped
• Accountability — gaps in the log show exactly which points were missed and when

If your post uses watchtour stations, a missed tap is a documented gap. If a station is broken, report it and record the manual check in your notebook.

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Lone-Worker Safety Systems

Lone-worker risk is highest on foot patrol in isolated areas (parkades, basements, large industrial sites after hours). The standard safeguards are:

• Mandatory radio check-ins at set intervals (commonly every 15–30 minutes) and at the start and end of each round
• Panic button / man-down alert — a wearable device that sends an alarm if the guard is motionless for a set period or presses a button
• Dispatch awareness — the dispatcher should know your general location at all times
• No-solo-response policy — for high-risk alarms (intrusion with possible suspect on scene), wait for backup or police rather than entering alone

If you miss a check-in, dispatch should attempt contact and then escalate per post orders. Never disable your man-down device to avoid false alarms — report the false-alarm issue so it can be adjusted.