Title: A Short History of Corporate Security and Law Enforcement
Abstract: The history of security is long. As with so much in the 20th century, security experienced major changes. The 20th century will be remembered for many events, and change may very well be the most significant. This too may be said of security and assets protection. The role security plays in both the public and private sectors is bigger now than at any other point in time. Private security has become more complicated, sophisticated, and prevalent. Gone are the days when private security just meant watchmen. The perception of security as a “rent-a-cop” is rapidly changing. The complexity of the security role, improved relationships with law enforcement, and the advancement of technology have all contributed to improving the image of the security professional. The growing dependence on private security by businesses, institutions, and the public has also improved security’s image. Companies hire and use very skilled security professionals who perform a multitude of duties beyond those of guarding and providing for the physical security of people and property. Even the basic tasking of a guard has grown more sophisticated, as use of specialized and complex equipment grows and the demands and expectations of the public, industry, and government increase. This growth will continue. Businesses, institutions, the public, and even government will continue to become more dependent on private security and will demand higher standards, quality, and reliability. There is much in store for private security. Historically, the responsibility for controlling and preventing crime has been the purview of government. However, private security has always played a role in support of this effort. In recent times, the role of private security has expanded. Increases in crime, competition for scarce government resources, and the overall cost of crime prevention have placed greater pressures on public law enforcement agencies. Consequently, private security is now playing a greater role in the prevention and control of crime. As an example, by 2013 ASIS International estimated the size of the US security industry for operational and IT security to be approximately $350 billion. In 2013, the Justice Policy Institute estimated the United States spends over $100 billion a year on policing. This trend is not exclusive to the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, there are roughly twice as many private guards as public police. This ratio becomes even larger in countries such as Russia and Third-World countries. What is it today in your country? Public law enforcement and private security have increased their interdependencies. As law enforcement agencies, for a variety of reasons, shifted their focus from crime prevention to maintaining public order and apprehending criminals, private security assumed a larger prevention role. Although some crime rates have declined in the last few years, overall rates are still relatively high and increasing. The result is that police necessarily tend to focus more narrowly on serious crimes, reducing or even eliminating the watch and service functions they traditionally provided. More and more neighborhoods, businesses, and other private interests have taken on the responsibility to prevent crime by providing their own form of security. There is every indication that this trend will continue.
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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