Guard presence verification: proof the guards are on site

A clock-in shows a guard arrived. Presence Verification shows they are still there. At set times in every shift the commander’s phone rings, the commander goes to the site, and every guard on shift is verified in person or recorded as not there, with the reason.

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TL;DR — Quick Summary

Presence Verification is the Sentry check that the guards who clocked in at a site are actually on site. The company sets how many checks each site needs per shift. The site commander’s phone rings when a check is due, each guard verifies with the same methods used for clocking in, and the office sees every check on the dashboard within a minute.

One to six checks per site per shift
The commander’s phone rings when a check is due
Every guard verified in person, by face, NFC card, ID barcode or employee number
Absences recorded with a reason, visible to the office within a minute

What is guard presence verification?: A check during the shift that each guard who clocked in is still at the site. A commander visits the site and every guard on shift is verified in person, or recorded as not present with a reason.
How is it different from a clock-in?: A clock-in records the start of a shift. A presence check happens during the shift, at times the guards do not choose, and proves who was on site at that moment.
Who does the checks?: A site commander, a watch commander or a manager. The commander verifies themselves first, then each guard.
How often are guards checked?: Each company chooses one to six checks per shift for each site, for day shifts, night shifts or both. Checks at the same site are at least an hour apart.
What does the office see?: Every finished check appears on the Presence Verification page of the dashboard within a minute: who did it and when, who was present or not and why, and where each person was checked on a map.

How it works

The phone says when a check is due

When a check window opens, the commander’s phone rings and shows every site that needs a check and the time it is due by. The commander taps Start the check on arrival, or On my way while travelling, which quiets the alarm for 15 minutes. Each snooze is recorded with the check.

Every guard on shift, one by one

The phone lists every guard clocked in at the site. The commander goes to each guard, who verifies with any clock-in method. Finish check stays unavailable until every guard on the list has been accounted for.

Face recognition

NFC card tap

ID card barcode

Employee number

Absences recorded with a reason

If a guard cannot be found, the commander marks them Not present and chooses why, with a note for the office if it helps.

Absent without leave

Sick or medical

Bathroom or short break

Injured

Family emergency

Missing, cannot be found

Other

Guards found on site but not on the list

A guard who is on site but not clocked in can be added to the check and verified, so the record shows who was really there.

Several sites in one round

The phone works out which site the commander is at, and offers a choice when more than one is in range. Next site on the finish screen starts the following check, for commanders who drive between sites.

Live on the dashboard

The Presence Verification page shows every check of the day for all sites, refreshed every minute: done, due now, overdue or missed. Filters jump straight to the sites that need attention, and earlier days stay one click away.

FAQ

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Sentry Presence Verification, answered for security operators and site supervisors.

How does Sentry prove a guard is on site during a shift?How it works

At set times in each shift the site commander’s phone rings. The commander goes to the site, verifies themselves, then verifies every guard clocked in there by face, NFC card, ID barcode or employee number. Any guard who cannot be found is recorded as not present with a reason.

Can presence checks catch a guard sleeping on duty?Sleeping on duty

A guard asleep at the post cannot answer a check, and the record shows the time, the commander and the result. Because the guard verifies in person, the same record also protects a guard who was awake and on post when a complaint comes in later.

How many checks can a site have?Settings

One to six per shift, set for each site, for day shifts, night shifts or both. The shift is split into that many windows, so a 12-hour shift with three checks has three four-hour windows. The first check can be delayed so guards have time to reach their posts.

What happens if the commander is not at the site when a check is due?Alarm

The commander taps On my way. The alarm stops for 15 minutes and rings again if the check has still not been done. Each snooze is recorded with the check, so the office can see how long the site waited.

Can the office see the checks without being at the site?Dashboard

Yes. Each finished check reaches the Presence Verification page of the Sentry dashboard within a minute, with who was present, who was not and why, and where each person was checked on a map.

See it with your own sites

Book a demo and we will walk through the Presence Verification module with your own sites and shift patterns.

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Beathan Technologies·Enterprise IT Solutions Provider — South Africa & Worldwide

Last updated: 6 November 2026

Reviewed by IT experts

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