Private Security Law

Private Security and the Law, Fourth Edition, is a unique resource that provides a comprehensive analysis of practices in the security industry as they relate to law, regulation, licensure, and constitutional questions of case and statutory authority. It is an authoritative, scholarly treatise that serves as a solid introduction for students regarding the legal and ethical standards that shape the industry. The book takes you step-by-step through the analysis of case law as it applies to situations commonly faced by security practitioners. It describes the legal requirements faced by security firms and emphasizes the liability problems common to security operations, including negligence and tortious liability, civil actions frequently litigated, and strategies to avoid legal actions that affect business efficiency. It also examines the constitutional and due-process dimensions of private security both domestically and internationally, including recent cases and trends that are likely to intensify in the future. New features of this edition include: a chapter on the legal implications of private contractors operating in war zones like Afghanistan; updated coverage of statutory authority, as well as state and federal processes of oversight and licensure; and special analysis of public-private cooperative relationships in law enforcement. A historical background helps readers understand the present by seeing the full context of recent developments. This book will appeal to: students in physical security, security management, and criminal justice programs in traditional and for-profit schools; security professionals; and those working in law enforcement. Authoritative, scholarly treatise sheds light on this increasingly important area of the law Historical background helps readers understand the present by seeing the full context of recent developments National scope provides crucial parameters to security practitioners throughout the US NEW TO THIS EDITION! A chapter on the legal implications of private contractors operating in war zones like Afghanistan, updated coverage of statutory authority, updated coverage of state and federal processes of oversight and licensure, special analysis of public-private cooperative relationships in law enforcement

Historical foundations of private security -- Regulation, licensing, education, and training: the path to professionalism in the security industry -- The law of arrest, search, and seizure: applications in the private sector -- Civil liability of security personnel -- Criminal liability of security personnel -- The enforcement of laws and the collection, preservation and interpretation of evidence -- Public and private law enforcement: a blueprint for cooperation -- Selected case readings -- Appendix 1. Florida Statutes -- Appendix 2. List of Associations and Groups -- Appendix 3. Sample Forms -- Appendix 4. The Law Enforcement-Private Security Consortium, Operation Partnership: Trends and Practices in Law Enforcement and Private Security Collaborations 119-122 (2005).

Rapid growth and burgeoning diversification within the private security industries have extensively increased interaction between security operators and the public. This increased exposure, together with a number of highly publicised incidents, has brought about a heightened focus on levels of industry professionalism and accountability (including public concerns surrounding personal freedoms), and more burdensome licensing and regulatory controls upon both security companies and individuals. Importantly, it has also prompted security staff to be mindful of their own vulnerability in a vocation where personal legal immunities are rare. The only work of its kind in this country, The Law of Private Security in Australia, 2nd Edition is an indispensable guide to the rights and responsibilities of private security personnel and their employers.The authors utilise examples from the industry, underscored by case law, State and federal laws and regulations, industry codes of practice, and ethical protocols. They clearly identify the sources and scope of private security powers and the liabilities impinging upon them. In each scenario, a range of potential actions - desirable and undesirable - is given, as well as the legal consequences that spring from these actions for both employers and employees. The law covered is also of great relevance to police officers, as many of the legal principles that apply to private personnel emanate from the laws that empower and restrict public police. With its clear explanations of legal concepts by authors with years of experience in teaching lawyers and non-lawyers, The Law of Private Security in Australia, 2nd Edition is essential reading for every security company, security operator and private policing agency.

This book covers all areas of law that apply to private security with emphasis on the enforcement of specific laws, detention and arrest, search and seizure, and criminal and civil liabilities of private security personnel.

Private Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice, Second Edition explains foundational security principles—defining terms and outlining the increasing scope of security in daily life—while reflecting current practices of private security as an industry and profession. The book looks at the development and history of the industry, outlines fundamental security principles, and the growing dynamic and overlap that exists between the private sector security and public safety and law enforcement—especially since the events of 9/11. Chapters focus on current practice, reflecting the technology-driven, fast-paced, global security environment. Such topics covered include security law and legal issues, risk management, physical security, human resources and personnel considerations, investigations, institutional and industry-specific security, crisis and emergency planning, computer, and information security. A running theme of this edition is highlighting—where appropriate—how security awareness, features, and applications have permeated all aspects of our modern lives. Key Features: Provides current best practices detailing the skills that professionals, in the diverse and expanding range of career options, need to succeed in the field Outlines the unique role of private sector security companies as compared to federal and state law enforcement responsibilities Includes key terms, learning objectives, end of chapter questions, Web exercises, and numerous references—throughout the book—to enhance student learning Critical infrastructure protection and terrorism concepts, increasingly of interest and relevant to the private sector, are referenced throughout the book. Threat assessment and information sharing partnerships between private security entities public sector authorities—at the state and federal levels—are highlighted. Private Security, Second Edition takes a fresh, practical approach to the private security industry’s role and impact in a dynamic, ever-changing threat landscape.

This book addresses the ambiguities of the growing use of private security contractors and provides guidance as to how our expectations about regulating this expanding ‘service’ industry will have to be adjusted. In the warzones of Iraq and Afghanistan many of those who carry weapons are not legally combatants, nor are they protected civilians. They are contracted by governments, businesses, and NGOs to provide armed security. Often mistaken as members of armed forces, they are instead part of a new protean proxy force that works alongside the military in a multitude of shifting roles, and overseen by a matrix of contracts and regulations. This book analyzes the growing industry of these private military and security companies (PMSCs) used in warzones and other high risk areas. PMSCs are the result of a unique combination of circumstances, including a change in the idea of soldiering, insurance industry analyses that require security contractors, and a need for governments to distance themselves from potentially criminal conduct. The book argues that PMSCs are a unique type of organization, combining attributes from worlds of the military, business, and humanitarian organizations. This makes them particularly resistant to oversight. The legal status of these companies and those they employ is also hard to ascertain, which weakens the multiple regulatory tools available. PMSCs also fall between the cracks in ethical debates about their use, seeming to be both justifiable and objectionable. This transformation in military operations is a seemingly irreversible product of more general changes in the relationship between the individual citizen and the state. This book will be of much interest to students of private security companies, war and conflict studies, security studies and IR in general. Kateri Carmola is the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Political Science at Middlebury College in Vermont. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.