Communication & PRQuestion 159 of 200
After an incident on a client's property, the security officer is approached at a bar by friends asking 'who got arrested?' The officer should:
a.Share the details — the incident is already public knowledge once police arrive
b.Decline to discuss specifics; details of an incident are confidential to the client and the involved parties, and idle disclosure can violate privacy and expose the officer and employer to defamation or invasion-of-privacy claims
c.Share only the suspect's name but not the details
d.Discuss freely as long as no recording device is present
Explanation
Incident information collected in the course of duty is the property of the client and the employer and is treated as confidential. Casual disclosure can defame uninvolved parties, identify victims (especially of sexual assaults, domestic violence, or juvenile incidents — protected by California Welfare & Institutions Code and other privacy regimes), prejudice ongoing investigations, and breach the security company's contract. Even police-attended incidents are not automatically 'public' until the agency releases information through its formal channels (a, c, d are all wrong).
Law Reference: BSIS confidentiality standards; CCPA / privacy dutiesPractice all 200 questions free — no signup required.
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