Patrol Reporting Records

These records are created, used, retained and managed in accordance with the following authorities:

• University Act (RSBC 1996, c. 468)
• Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266)
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165)
• Reporting Procedures: Security Notebooks (SFU Campus Security S.O.P. No. 13.05; 22 Nov. 2004)
• Reporting Procedures: Campus Security Notices (SFU Campus Security S.O.P. No. 13.06; 22 Nov. 2004)
• Security Patrols: Patrol Procedure (SFU Campus Security S.O.P. No. 15.01; revised 22 Nov. 2004)
• Recruit Training Manual (SFU Campus Security S.O.P. Appendix H, s. 6, "Security Notices")
  

The total retention period ("CY patrol activity documented + 6 years") recommended for Patrol Notebooks and Electronic Database Entries of Daily Security Patrols ensures the University maintains evidence that proper procedure was followed and in support of incident investigations. It also meets the University's responsibilities under section 3(5) of the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266). The total retention period ("CY report or notice issued + 1 year") recommended for Shift Reports and Security Notices is a sufficient timeframe to meet the administrative needs of the Department, including using the records as a ready reference to highlights of the daily patrol for follow-up, as back-up documentation in the event of clerical error when entering the information in the database, or if a related investigation results. For those security notices that include personal information, this retention period also meets the University's responsibilities under the FOI / POP Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165, s. 31), which requires that personal information used to make a decision that directly affects an individual must be retained for at least one year.

FILING GUIDELINES

Closed or filled patrol notebooks should be maintained together by calendar year in which the last entry was made. This will facilitate the application of retention periods. Within these calendar year groupings, notebooks can also be arranged alphabetically by patrol officer name. This will allow for the ready location of notebooks of specific patrol officers.

Shift reports and security notices are retained by calendar year with reports arranged chronologically in file volumes and notices arranged chronologically by month.

RECORDS DISPOSITION

Patrol notebooks complement, rather than mirror, the electronic database entries. For instance, in addition to individual patrol notebook entries, an overall picture or objective perspective from multiple patrol officers is often recorded in the database. And, when a patrol officer is attending a scene and is unable to write in their patrol notebook, they must radio their actions to the dispatcher who records it in the database in real time. Therefore, the patrol notebooks and electronic database entries together make up the complete record.  As a result, the same retention period and final disposition should be applied to both record types to ensure this schedule is applied consistently.

Shift reports are born-digital. Once printed to paper, electronic versions of these reports become transitory and can be deleted immediately. Alternatively, the electronic records can be maintained for ease of future reference, but should be deleted upon the expiration of the total retention period recommended in this schedule.

Organizer scheduling software and email correspondence are used to communicate items of interest and highlights to the next patrol supervisor on shift. Since the information communicated is reflective of the shift report and security notices, this electronic data is redundant and should be deleted immediately.

At the end of the active retention period ("CY patrol activity documented + 2 years") for patrol notebooks and database entries, box and transfer the notebooks to the University Records Centre (URC).  For each box prepare a box contents listing, itemizing all notebooks contained in the box.  Always include ONE copy of the file list inside the box sent to the URC taped to the underside of the lid; keep ONE copy for your own records; and send ONE copy (paper or electronic) to the Archives (see Procedures for Transferring Records to the University Records Centre).

Electronic database entries of daily security patrols (or dispatch entries) cannot be transferred to the URC at the end of the active retention period. Therefore, it is the Department's responsibility to maintain these records for the ensuing semi-active period and to delete them at the end of the total retention period. If the data has value for the generation of longitudinal statistics, and it is to be retained longer than the retention periods outlined in this schedule, the data should be anonymized. Maintaining personal information after the recommended retention period places an undue burden on the University to continue to guard against the unauthorized use or disclosure of that personal information in accordance with the FOI / POP Act and this records series' status as a PIB.