ABSTRACT
This chapter evaluates best methods in report compilation and makes suggestions as to how the author and the firm and client represented will benefit by taking this task very seriously. Reports are crucial to historical accuracy and assure an objective appraisal of events and conditions surrounding the case as it unfolds. Reports and record keeping promote productivity and efficiency in the typical security agency’s operation and the many duties and tasks it undertakes. From an administrative perspective, reports and documentation organize the functions, such as assignments, expenses, payroll, photographic or investigative findings common to and generated by the security firm. Reports are “critical communicative tools” between the client and investigator and a means to “educate” the client. Field notes play a critical role in the draft of any subsequent report and are often the first mental impressions converted to actual written text.
