TPS General Procedures and Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A security officer discovers a door that should be locked is standing open at 2 AM. What is the FIRST action they should take?
- Secure the door immediately and continue patrol
- Notify their supervisor and wait for instructions
- Check the area for unauthorized persons before taking further action (Correct answer)
- Call local law enforcement and secure the perimeter
Correct answer: Check the area for unauthorized persons before taking further action
Officers should first check for unauthorized persons to assess the situation safely before taking corrective action.
Question 2: Under Texas law, which document outlines the specific duties a security officer must follow at an assigned post?
- The Texas Private Security Act
- Post orders (Correct answer)
- The officer's license certificate
- The security company's insurance policy
Correct answer: Post orders
Post orders are site-specific written instructions that define the duties, procedures, and authority of a security officer at a particular location.
Question 3: When completing a daily activity report (DAR), a security officer should record entries:
- Only when an incident occurs
- At the end of the shift from memory
- Continuously throughout the shift as events occur (Correct answer)
- Only when directed by a supervisor
Correct answer: Continuously throughout the shift as events occur
Entries should be recorded as events happen to ensure accuracy and completeness rather than relying on memory later.
Question 4: A visitor refuses to show identification at an access control checkpoint. The security officer should:
- Allow entry since detaining someone without cause is illegal
- Physically prevent the visitor from entering and call police
- Deny entry per post orders and notify a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Ask the visitor to wait while contacting the person they are visiting
Correct answer: Deny entry per post orders and notify a supervisor
Security officers must follow post orders, which typically require denying access to anyone who refuses identification, and should notify a supervisor of the situation.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes a security officer's legal authority to detain a person in Texas?
- Officers may detain anyone suspected of any crime indefinitely
- Officers may use citizen's arrest authority to detain someone caught committing a felony or breach of the peace (Correct answer)
- Officers have the same arrest powers as sworn police officers
- Officers may only detain trespassers on the property they guard
Correct answer: Officers may use citizen's arrest authority to detain someone caught committing a felony or breach of the peace
Texas law grants private citizens, including security officers, the authority to arrest someone who commits a felony or breach of the peace in their presence.
Question 6: During a patrol, a security officer notices a co-worker sleeping on duty. The MOST appropriate response is to:
- Ignore it to avoid conflict with a colleague
- Wake the officer and report the incident to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Take over the sleeping officer's duties without reporting it
- Immediately call local law enforcement
Correct answer: Wake the officer and report the incident to a supervisor
Officers must wake the sleeping colleague for safety reasons and report the violation through the proper chain of command.
Question 7: The primary purpose of conducting random patrol patterns rather than fixed routes is to:
- Save time and reduce physical fatigue
- Comply with Texas DPS licensing requirements
- Make it harder for potential criminals to predict officer movements (Correct answer)
- Allow officers to take breaks at irregular intervals
Correct answer: Make it harder for potential criminals to predict officer movements
Random patrol patterns prevent criminals from timing their activities around predictable officer routes, increasing deterrence effectiveness.
TPS General Procedures and Practices 2
A security officer discovers a door that should be locked is standing open at 2 AM.
What is the FIRST action they should take?