Private Security Growth, Advantages & Law Enforcement Comparison

This essay explores the growth of private security in the United States, driven by factors such as continuous environmental threats, advancements in IT, and the rise of cybercrime. It compares private security to law enforcement, highlighting that while police enforce laws across a jurisdictional area, private security protects specific properties or individuals. The essay also discusses the advantages of private security, including its cost-effectiveness, use of automated devices, and flexibility, while acknowledging disadvantages such as lack of employee commitment and high turnover due to lower pay scales. Desklib provides this document and many other resources for students.

Running head: CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Table of Contents
Q.1: State three reasons why the field of private security continues to grow in the United
States..........................................................................................................................................2
Q.2: How does private security compare or differ from the work of law enforcement?...........2
Q.3: Discuss advantages and disadvantages of private security................................................3
Disadvantage..........................................................................................................................3
Reference:..................................................................................................................................4

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Q.1: State three reasons why the field of private security continues to grow in the
United States
Answer: The field of private security has been grown in a fast way in United States. The
growth has been observed after the rise of digital technology (Button). The country has been
benefitted by this. According to a report, in the year 2010, US security agency had spent 350
billion dollar on private security. There are certain reasons regarding the same. According to
the foreign and domestic source, a continuous threat to the environment is the main reason for
the rise of private security. It can be considered as the first reason. Certain advancements in
the IT sector instigate the growth of the private security (Abrahamsen & Leander). The
second reason regarding this is to chase the criminals in certain areas and private security
helps to investigate in the matter. The evidences obtained from the private security mediums
could be trust worthy to the investigators. The third reason is the excessive rise of hacker in
USA. Private security helps to protect the system from the hackers.
Q.2: How does private security compare or differ from the work of law enforcement?
Answer: There are certain comparison made in between the law enforcement sources and
private security. The duty of police is to enforce law all over the jurisdictional area. On the
other hand, private security works to protect certain particular property or individual.
Further, the police are conferred with certain discretionary power to arrest or cease any illegal
property of an individual. However, certain limitations could be observed in the case of
private security.
The jurisdictional power of the police is quite good and big. Therefore, people can make
approach before the police for their security and in those cases the police have less limitation.

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
However, in case of the private security, this facility is not possible and they are acting as a
medium to connect the police with the place of occurrence.
Q.3: Discuss advantages and disadvantages of private security.
Answer: Advantages:
 Private securities are quite helpful to secure the private interest and individual
could be less worry about their life and property;
 Private security is cheaper compared to the public security (Joh);
 Private security uses certain devices that are automated in nature and all these
staffs are used to prevent the criminal activities;
 Unlike the public securities, the nature of private security quite flexible
Disadvantage:
 One of the fundamental disadvantages in this case is lack of commitment. It is
a fact that the employees who are hired privately have low loyalty level.
Further, low pay level could be proved as lack of motivational source. Further,
the duties of the private securities are same as the career employees; however,
they are not provided similar benefits (Taylor et al.).
 Another disadvantage can be high turnover that can affect the whole
performance. The reason behind it is low pay scale provided to the private
security. This consider as a source of hindrance to the private security.

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Reference:
Abrahamsen, R., & Leander, A. (Eds.).. Routledge handbook of private security studies.
Routledge (2015).
Button, Mark. Security officers and policing: powers, culture and control in the governance
of private space. Routledge, 2016.
Joh, Elizabeth E. "Private Security Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Deadly Force." UCDL
Rev. 51 (2017): 569.
Taylor, Robert W., Eric J. Fritsch, and John Liederbach. Digital crime and digital terrorism.
Prentice Hall Press, 2014.