Should a security guard collect evidence at a crime scene?

Usually not. Leave evidence where it is and protect it for police. Move an item only if it would be lost or destroyed, or if it is a danger to people, and record what you did.

What is continuity of evidence?

It is the record of everyone who had an item from the moment it was found until court. Gaps in that record can make a court doubt the evidence.

What should I do first at a scene where someone is hurt?

Help the injured person within your training and make sure 911 is called. Life safety always comes before protecting evidence.

How do I save CCTV footage for police?

Act quickly before the system records over it, note the time difference between the system clock and real time, export it by your site's approved method and keep the copy unchanged.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace the security licence training required in your province or territory.

Scene and Evidence Preservation Course 2026

Question 1 of 25

A person is hurt at a scene where there is also evidence. What comes first?

Photograph the evidence before anything else
Tape off the area before helping anyone
Find witnesses before calling for help
Help the injured person and make sure 911 is called

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Answer: D. Help the injured person and make sure 911 is called

Life safety always comes before evidence. Evidence can sometimes be recovered later, but a life cannot.

Question 2 of 25

Who normally takes control of a crime scene from security staff?

The client's insurance company
The property manager
The police
The first guard's family contact

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Answer: C. The police

Guards protect the scene until police arrive. Police then take charge and decide what happens to the scene and the evidence.

Question 3 of 25

Why should a guard set the scene perimeter wider than the area that seems important?

It is easy to make a scene smaller later, but evidence trampled outside a small perimeter is lost
A bigger area means fewer people need to be told
Police are only allowed to search inside tape
The law sets a minimum perimeter of 50 metres

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Answer: A. It is easy to make a scene smaller later, but evidence trampled outside a small perimeter is lost

Start wide. You can shrink the perimeter later, but you cannot undo damage to evidence that was left outside it.

Question 4 of 25

What is the main purpose of a scene log?

To list the value of stolen items
To record the weather for the insurance company
To sign up volunteers to search the area
To record every person who enters or leaves the scene, with times and reasons

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Answer: D. To record every person who enters or leaves the scene, with times and reasons

A scene log shows exactly who was inside the scene and when. Police and courts use it to judge whether evidence could have been disturbed.

Question 5 of 25

The site manager wants to walk into a protected scene "just to have a look". What should the guard do?

Let the manager in if they promise not to touch anything
Politely refuse, explain that the scene must stay clear until police arrive, and note the request
Let the manager in because they represent the client
Leave the post to give the manager a guided tour

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Answer: B. Politely refuse, explain that the scene must stay clear until police arrive, and note the request

Every extra person can disturb evidence. Keep the scene clear, stay polite, and record who asked to enter and when.

Question 6 of 25

How many ways in and out should a protected scene have?

One controlled path, watched by the guard
One for each person who needs to enter
As many as the building has doors
None, so nobody can ever enter, even paramedics

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Answer: A. One controlled path, watched by the guard

A single controlled path limits damage and makes it easy to log who enters. Paramedics and police must still be able to get in.

Question 7 of 25

Which is an example of fragile evidence that may be lost quickly?

A locked filing cabinet
A metal tool left inside a building
Footprints in fresh snow
A signed paper visitor log

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Answer: C. Footprints in fresh snow

Fragile (short-lived) evidence such as footprints in snow, wet marks or smells can be destroyed by weather or traffic, so it needs protection first.

Question 8 of 25

When may a guard move an item of evidence before police arrive?

Whenever it makes the area look tidier
Whenever the item is small enough to carry
Only when it would otherwise be lost or destroyed, or to keep people safe
Whenever the client asks for it to be moved

Show answer

Answer: C. Only when it would otherwise be lost or destroyed, or to keep people safe

Leave evidence where it is. Move it only to save it from being destroyed or to remove a danger, and then record what you did.

Question 9 of 25

Rain is about to wash away a dropped glove at an outdoor scene. Before moving it, what should the guard do if possible?

Put it in a pocket to keep it safe
Note or photograph exactly where and how it was lying
Wipe it dry so it is easier to see
Ask a passer-by to hold it

Show answer

Answer: B. Note or photograph exactly where and how it was lying

Recording the original position keeps important information that is lost once an item is moved.

Question 10 of 25

What does "continuity of evidence" (chain of custody) mean?

A record of everyone who had an item from the moment it was found until it reaches court
The time it takes police to arrive
A list of guards on each shift
The order in which crimes happen at a site

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Answer: A. A record of everyone who had an item from the moment it was found until it reaches court

If there is a gap in who held an item, a court may doubt that it is the same item, unchanged.

Question 11 of 25

Why should each item of evidence be packaged separately?

So each item can be returned to its owner sooner
To make the items easier to count
Because the law bans putting two items in one bag
To stop material moving from one item to another (cross-contamination)

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Answer: D. To stop material moving from one item to another (cross-contamination)

Items in the same bag can transfer fibres, fluids or other traces to each other and lose their value as evidence.

Question 12 of 25

Police ask a guard to package a damp, blood-stained cloth. Which container is usually better?

A sealed plastic bag
A paper bag or envelope
A glass jar with water
A cloth bag from the staff room

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Answer: B. A paper bag or envelope

Plastic traps moisture, which can damage biological evidence. Paper lets it breathe. Always wear gloves and follow police directions.

Question 13 of 25

What should an evidence label include?

Only the item's estimated value
A drawing of the scene and nothing else
The date and time found, the location, a description and the name of the person who found it
The suspect's name, even if it is a guess

Show answer

Answer: C. The date and time found, the location, a description and the name of the person who found it

A full label lets anyone tell exactly what the item is, where it came from and who found it.

Question 14 of 25

A guard hands an item of evidence to a police officer. What should the guard record?

Nothing, because police keep their own records
The officer's name and badge number, the time and what was handed over
The guard's opinion of who committed the offence
Only that police took "some items"

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Answer: B. The officer's name and badge number, the time and what was handed over

Each hand-over is a link in the chain of continuity. Record who received the item and when.

Question 15 of 25

Under section 494(3) of the Criminal Code, what must a guard do after arresting someone without a warrant?

Hold the person until the end of the shift
Deliver the person to a peace officer forthwith (right away)
Release the person once their name is written down
Take the person to the courthouse

Show answer

Answer: B. Deliver the person to a peace officer forthwith (right away)

Anyone other than a peace officer who arrests without a warrant must deliver the person to a peace officer forthwith.

Question 16 of 25

A guard wipes away fingerprints to protect a friend from charges. Under section 139(2) of the Criminal Code, this can be…

allowed if the guard is not on duty
a minor workplace rule breach only
obstructing justice, which can bring up to 10 years in prison
legal if the guard did not touch anything else

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Answer: C. obstructing justice, which can bring up to 10 years in prison

Wilfully trying to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice is an offence under section 139(2), with a maximum of 10 years.

Question 17 of 25

Why should a guard act quickly to save CCTV footage of an incident?

Cameras stop working after an incident
Footage becomes illegal to keep after one hour
Police cannot use footage older than a day
Many systems automatically record over older footage after a set time

Show answer

Answer: D. Many systems automatically record over older footage after a set time

Many recorders overwrite old video on a cycle. Saving the footage quickly stops it from being lost.

Question 18 of 25

A guard notices the CCTV clock is 4 minutes ahead of the real time. What should the guard do?

Delete the footage and start again
Change the clock and say nothing
Ignore it, because 4 minutes does not matter
Write down the difference between the system time and the real time in the report

Show answer

Answer: D. Write down the difference between the system time and the real time in the report

Recording the time difference lets investigators match video times to real events. Do not change settings unless policy allows it.

Question 19 of 25

Under section 31.2 of the Canada Evidence Act, how can the best evidence rule be met for an electronic record such as video?

By converting it to a paper photo
By getting the client to sign the video
By showing the video was filmed on a new camera
By proving the integrity of the system that recorded or stored it

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Answer: D. By proving the integrity of the system that recorded or stored it

For electronic documents, the best evidence rule can be met by proving the integrity of the electronic system that recorded or stored them.

Question 20 of 25

According to the federal Privacy Commissioner's guidelines, which use of parking lot video is appropriate?

Giving police footage of a car break-in
Sharing a clip with friends for fun
Tracking when a tenant comes and goes
Posting a clip online to find the suspect

Show answer

Answer: A. Giving police footage of a car break-in

Footage should only be used for its stated purpose or as the law allows. The guidelines give a car break-in as an example that can be shared with police.

Question 21 of 25

What is the right way to handle a video clip exported for police?

Cut out the boring parts before handing it over
Crop and brighten it so it looks better
Keep only a phone recording of the screen and delete the original
Keep the exported copy unchanged and record who exported it and when

Show answer

Answer: D. Keep the exported copy unchanged and record who exported it and when

Edited or incomplete video can be challenged in court. Keep an unchanged copy and record each step.

Question 22 of 25

Why should a guard write notes at the time of an incident or soon after?

Notes replace the need for the guard to testify
Notes are only useful if they are typed
With the judge's permission, notes made close to the event can be used to refresh memory in court
The law bans writing notes after a shift

Show answer

Answer: C. With the judge's permission, notes made close to the event can be used to refresh memory in court

Courts allow witnesses to refresh their memory from notes made while the events were fresh, with the judge's permission.

Question 23 of 25

Several witnesses saw an incident. What should the guard do?

Send them home without taking any details
Get their names and contact details and, if possible, keep them from discussing what they saw
Ask them to agree on one version of events
Tell them what the guard thinks happened

Show answer

Answer: B. Get their names and contact details and, if possible, keep them from discussing what they saw

Each witness's account should be their own. Talking together can change what people remember.

Question 24 of 25

Which of these is digital evidence?

Access card swipe records from a door reader
A footprint in mud
Broken glass from a window
A dropped glove

Show answer

Answer: A. Access card swipe records from a door reader

Digital evidence includes CCTV, access control logs, alarm records and emails. The others are physical evidence.

Question 25 of 25

A guard protecting a scene is called to a medical emergency elsewhere. What is the best practice?

Leave without telling anyone
Remove all the evidence and take it along
Hand the scene over to another guard or tell a supervisor, and record the time and reason
Ask a member of the public to watch the scene

Show answer

Answer: C. Hand the scene over to another guard or tell a supervisor, and record the time and reason

A scene should not be left unguarded without a record. Handing over and noting the time protects continuity.

Scene and Evidence Preservation Course 2026

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