Private security services regulations in the United States today

ABSTRACT

Security services regulations in the United States began formally in the second half of the twentieth century. Many states – never the federal government – first set and then increased, and sometimes decreased, standards over the years. With the shock from the events of 11 September 2001 (9/11) and the subsequent war on terrorism, the pace of regulatory growth increased. Even so, regulations for security personnel – especially security guards – remain at an indefensibly low level with 12 states having no requirements at all for unarmed security personnel and 14 having none for armed. Yet along the way, regulatory pre-employment screening requirements have incrementally improved, training demands, less so. Expecting a security officer with zero-to-a-few hours preassignment training to be a competent first responder, a skilled communicator with the public, a knowledgeable person about applicable law, an informed user of security technology, and a worker educated on the mission and operations of the workplace is not a convincing point of view. The security industry espouses higher standards, including through regulation, but then does not act upon its aspirations. For other security services – alarm installation and monitory personnel, investigators/private detectives, and locksmiths – regulations vary widely according to state. They don’t exist at all for security consultants. This article comments on and reviews regulations for all these security services.

KEYWORDS:

• Regulations
• private security
• security guards
• alarms
• investigators
• security consultants
• locksmiths

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert McCrie

Robert McCrie is professor of security management and deputy chair of the Department of Security, Fire and Emergency Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York. He was the founding editor-in-chief of Security Journal and writes and publishes Security Letter, and is the author of Security Operations Management.