The short answer
An after-hours patrol should verify conditions that matter when normal staff and tenants are absent. Post orders can require checks of exterior doors and gates, perimeter fencing, loading and service areas, parking, vacant spaces, accessible windows, lighting, water leaks, fire or life-safety indicators, unauthorized people or vehicles, and any client-defined critical equipment visible without entering unsafe areas.
What to know
The plan should specify property boundaries, access credentials, patrol zones, checkpoints, visit frequency or time windows, and whether patrol timing may vary. Officers need procedures for an open door, alarm, broken glass, utility problem, trespass concern, damaged property, fire, medical emergency, or evidence of forced entry. They should not enter a potentially dangerous scene merely to complete a checkpoint; safety, communication, and police notification come first.
Each patrol should produce a time-stamped record of arrival, areas checked, observations, actions, and departure. Significant findings require immediate client notification and an incident report. Photographs or GPS data should only be used under approved privacy and evidence rules. Arrow offers mobile, foot, and bicycle patrol and publishes GPS-enabled daily activity reporting for property-management work. The contract should confirm whether visits are dedicated or shared across properties, minimum time on site, response expectations between visits, supervisor checks, and how missed patrols are handled.