Parking Lot Patrol Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Your role and your authority

Parking lots and parkades are common places for theft, vandalism and personal attacks. They are large, open at many points and often empty at night. Your job on parking patrol is to observe, deter and report: be seen, notice what is wrong, and get the right help fast.

The three core duties of parking patrol.

Observe: learn what is normal for your lot.
Deter: be visible so people decide not to commit a crime.
Report: tell the right people quickly.

A security guard is not a police officer or a bylaw officer. Your powers are about the same as any private citizen's. They come mainly from section 494 of the Criminal Code, which allows an arrest only in limited cases, and from your province's trespass law. Anyone who is not a peace officer and makes an arrest must deliver the person to a peace officer right away.

Post orders decide what you enforce

Each site has its own rules: who may park, where, and for how long. The client's post orders tell you which rules you enforce and how. For example, you might leave a warning notice, report a vehicle to the client, or call a tow company the client has hired. Never invent rules or penalties that are not in your post orders.

Trespass

Trespass rules come from provincial law, so they differ across Canada. Two examples:

Alberta (Trespass to Premises Act): notice not to trespass can be given orally, in writing, or by signs posted at each entrance normally used to enter the premises.
Ontario (Trespass to Property Act): it is an offence not to leave right away when the occupier, or a person they authorize, tells you to. A guard who arrests a trespasser under this Act must promptly call for police and hand the person over.

Towing

Guards do not tow vehicles. If your post orders include towing, you follow the client's process and a tow company does the work. Towing is regulated by provinces and cities. For example, in Ontario anyone who provides towing or vehicle storage services must hold a provincial certificate under the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act.

Lesson 2: Patrolling lots and parkades

A good patrol covers the whole site, including the places nobody likes to visit. Change your route and timing so no one can predict when an area will be empty.

An irregular route makes it hard for anyone to time a crime around your patrol.

A predictable loop: the same route at the same times. People watching soon learn the gaps.
An irregular route: a changing order and timing that covers inner areas too.

Area	What to check
Entrances and exits	Gates and barrier arms work, no damage, signs can be read
Stairwells and elevators	Lights work, doors close and latch, no one in distress, no hazards
Pay machines and booths	No tampering or damage, area well lit
Lighting	Burnt-out or flickering lights, especially in corners
Emergency phones and call buttons	Working, with power, and not damaged
Fences and doors	Holes, cut fencing or doors that have been forced
Cameras	Lenses not blocked or moved

Staying safe around vehicles

Wear high-visibility clothing so drivers can see you, day and night.
Never stand or walk behind a vehicle that is backing up or has its reverse lights on.
On ramps, walk to the side and take extra care at blind corners.
Watch for vehicles pulling out of stalls. Drivers often look only for other cars.
In winter, report ice on ramps, stairs and walkways right away, and follow the site's process for salt or sanding.

Wear high-visibility clothing
Warning: slippery surface

Lesson 3: Vehicles, plates and suspicious activity

Much of parking patrol is noticing vehicles and describing them well. A complete description lets police or the client find the vehicle again.

Detail	Example
Licence plate and province	ABC-1234, Ontario
Colour	Dark blue
Make and model	Toyota Corolla
Body style	Four-door sedan
Damage or unique features	Dent on rear bumper, roof rack, sticker on back window
Location and time	Level P2, stall 46, 02:15

Signs of trouble

A person trying door handles or looking into several cars
Broken glass beside a vehicle, or a door or trunk left open
Someone hanging around the pay machines or parkade entrance with no clear reason
A vehicle that has not moved for days, has no plates, or looks stripped
An engine running with someone inside who does not respond

If a crime may be happening, keep a safe distance, call police and keep watching so you can describe the people, any vehicle and the direction they go. Do not chase. Property can be replaced; you cannot.

If a child, a vulnerable adult or a pet is alone in a vehicle in heat or cold and seems to be in distress, call 911 right away and follow the dispatcher's directions.

Plates and privacy

Under PIPEDA, Canada's federal private-sector privacy law, personal information is any information about an identifiable person. Plate numbers in your notes can often be linked to a vehicle's owner, so treat them as confidential. Use them only for the job, and share them only with people your company's policy allows, such as the client or police.

Lesson 4: People, conflict and emergencies

Most people in a parking lot just want to find their car. Friendly help, like giving directions or calling for a boost as your post orders allow, builds trust and makes the site safer.

Disputes about tickets and tows

A driver whose car has been ticketed or towed may be angry. Stay calm, keep a safe distance and leave yourself a way out. Listen first, then explain the rule and where they can dispute it. Do not argue about whether the rule is fair, and never block a person's path or vehicle.

People sheltering in the parkade

Parkades are warm and dry, so people experiencing homelessness sometimes shelter there. Treat every person with respect. Check first that they are safe, then explain the site rules and share information about shelters or outreach services if your site has it. If you must ask a person to leave, give them time to collect their things.

Medical emergencies and overdose

Call 911 for any serious injury or medical emergency, then give first aid if you are trained. Health Canada lists these signs of an opioid overdose:

Slow, weak or no breathing
Blue, purple or grey lips or nails
Very small (pinpoint) pupils
Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds
Cannot be woken, even when shaken or shouted at

Call 911, give naloxone if you have it, and stay with the person. Naloxone lasts 30 to 120 minutes, but most opioids last longer, so breathing may stop again. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people who seek help at an overdose from charges for simple drug possession.

Lesson 5: Notes and reports

Your notes are the record of your shift. Police, insurers, the client and courts may rely on them.

Write as events happen, or as soon as you safely can.
Record times, exact locations (level, row, stall), vehicle details and plate numbers.
Write what you saw and heard, not what you guess. Write "window broken, glass on the ground", not "someone broke in to steal stuff".
Take photos only if your post orders allow it, and keep them with the report.
Never erase. Cross out a mistake with one line and initial it.

A full incident report answers the same six questions.

Who was involved.
What happened.
When, in the 24-hour clock.
Where: level, row and stall.
Why, only if facts show it.
How it was handled and who you called.

At the end of your shift, hand over anything still open, such as a vehicle you are watching, a broken light or a tow in progress, so the next guard can follow up.