GPS patrol tracking uses a phone app, dedicated handheld device, or vehicle unit to log an officer's location at intervals throughout a shift, creating a route history that can be reviewed by a supervisor or shared with the property manager. This provides an objective record of whether contracted rounds actually covered the agreed-upon areas.
On a real property, GPS accuracy can degrade indoors, in parking structures, or between tall buildings, sometimes showing an officer's position off by a building or more even though they were on the correct route. Battery drain from continuous tracking is a practical constraint for handheld devices used all shift.
A track log showing an officer's presence at a location does not confirm what they did there — it must be paired with checkpoint scans or written notes to show actual activity rather than just proximity. Tracking software also raises workplace privacy considerations that a patrol company should address in officer policies.
In a patrol program, GPS data is typically reviewed alongside guard tour checkpoint reports and daily activity reports to give the property manager a combined picture of route coverage, timing, and what the officer actually observed and did.
Related entries
Official sources
- [1]FCC GPS and location-based services informationFederal Communications Commission
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