Private security in the US is an essential factor in protecting certain individuals as well as intellectual property. Private security officers are accountable for protecting the nation’s top institutions as well as various other important infrastructures of the nation.
Private security can be defined and broken down into many different definitions, but Asis; the biggest private sector in the US, defined private security as ?the nongovernmental, private-sector practice of protecting people, property, and information, conducting investigations, and otherwise safeguarding an organization‘s assets. (ASIS International, 2009a).Private security has a wide range of functions and is growing exponentially greater in the US. Their use is becoming a more critical need for companies and other private sectors. The increasing growth of private security can be attributed to the various increases of roles which have been assigned to private security.
One may also realize the migration towards a more professional approach and the historical development of private security and its effect.Private security organizations provide a variety of services, including guard services, alarm monitoring, investigation, armored transport, correctional facilities management, and various other jobs that pertain to the safeguarding of information. Historically private security has been around for a significant number of years. In the early stages, it did see a decline around the time of the Great Depression.
Around the time of World War II there was an increase in private security due to the necessity to protect the United States’ military and industrial facilities. After the war ended, many of the returning veterans became part of the private security sector due to their police training while serving in the war.This caused an increase in the necessity for private security. The Task Force Report caused private security to assume a more direct role in the crime fighting department. This lead to an increase in private security but also a bit of a rivalry with enforcement officers.
Though the Task Force Report caused friction between enforcement officers and the private sector, the government has lobbied for the two to work cooperatively and therefore causing an increase in both facets of security.In the early stages of private security, there was a lack of professionalism due to the lack of government funding for the private security. There were many gaps and holes that needed to be filled to help improve the private security in all areas. The lack of educational programs also assisted to the deficiency of professionalism within the private security. Professionalism grew a small amount when war veterans started to join the private security because they used their tactics from the military along with the police training they received. The National Institute of Justice granted federal money to criminal justice related activities.
With the Task Force Report implemented to helped private security, the money for the criminal justice related activities help foster a new sense of professionalism by providing financial and educational support.Historically, the private security has seen many changes and has become an interesting developing facet of the US. It has assumed a more prominent role and has developed into an all important staple of American security. Private security has once again been called upon to help conquer new frontiers for capitalist exploitation, assisting with primitive accumulation in a transnational neoliberal project that proceeds largely through “accumulation by dispossession” (Harvey, 2003: 67). Allan Pinkerton was known as the founder of private security around 1850. He had founded the Chicago-based Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which would quickly become the industry's largest private security companies.
Even before Pinkerton founded private security in the United States, private security could be traced backed to ancient times where personal security protected kings, queens and other figureheads. In today’s time, security personnel may be interested in the development of private security because private security is a field that will always have a need for incoming security personnel. Security professionals will want to have insight on the development of private security to first to establish a foundation in the field of private security and to have knowledge of the changes that occur within the private security sector. Security professionals receive proper training and education to learn about security development over the years. It’s a staple in furthering their career in the security department.
Conclusively, the private security department is an ever growing career path because there will always be a need for individuals in the private security sector. Private security has experienced growth from underlying factors and in times of crisis. With the implementation of financial help and education programs, private security has taken a giant step towards professionalism. Also, current security professionals are inclined to learn about the historical development of private security so that they can build a foundation in the field. The practices of private security have evolved over the years and will continue to flourish as well as experience change with the test of time.
