Download the free DAR template (PDF)
What a daily activity report is
A daily activity report, or DAR, is the guard's written record of a shift: when they arrived, what they checked, what they saw and what they did about it. It is the document a client, a supervisor, the police or an insurer looks at when something goes wrong. A clear DAR protects the guard, the security company and the client.
What to include
- Site, date and shift times. The client and location, with the start and end time of the shift.
- Guard name and ID. Who was on duty, and who took over at handover.
- Rounds and checkpoints. Each patrol round with the time each checkpoint was checked.
- Observations. Anything out of the ordinary: open doors, lights out, vehicles, people on site.
- Incidents. What happened, when, where, who was involved, what action was taken and who was told.
- Equipment and keys. Keys, radios and equipment received and handed over.
- Handover notes. What the next guard needs to know.
- Signature. The guard's signature and the time it was completed.
How to write a good entry
Write facts, not opinions, in the order they happened. Use the 24-hour clock. Say exactly where. Name the action taken. Compare these two entries:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Door was open, closed it. | 01:17 Roll-up door at dock 3 found unlocked during round. No sign of entry. Checked dock area, locked door at 01:24. |
| Saw someone in the lot. | 02:40 Adult male near parking lot B entrance, dark jacket. Left on foot toward Pier Road when approached. No damage found. |
The problem with paper DARs
Paper DARs get lost, get wet, and are hard to read. They do not prove when a round happened. And someone has to retype them into an email for every client. A patrol app removes that work: guards record each checkpoint, note and incident on their phone, and the report builds itself.
Security guard daily activity report example
Want to see a full one? This sample daily client report (PDF) was built by PatrolSheet from a sample night: every round with its time, the missed checkpoints, two incidents with photos, the guard's activity notes and the handover note. You can also read it on the web. The company, site and guard are fictional.
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