Private Security: Society’s Largest Source of Protection

Private citizens and private officers performing security duties form society’s largest protective force.

Their impact is felt daily and often is the back story of historic headlines, like the successful evacuation done by World Trade Center security staff after the planes struck September 11th, 2001.

Citizens from backgrounds as varied as retirees to homemakers to any profession imaginable either detain or provide valuable information to the authorities leading to the arrest of serious criminal suspects.

Private officers assigned to grocery stores; retail outlets; malls; theme parks and elsewhere are first responders to offenses and emergencies they must effectively handle until relieved by law enforcement.

Private officers, as bail agents; private investigators and bail recovery agents capture fugitives on a regular basis at a higher rate than their public counterparts.

Patrolling private citizens like the famed Guardian Angels and others stop fights and perform citizens arrests after stopping crimes in progress on their routes.

Despite these ongoing accomplishments, there is a tendency to dismiss the protective value of private citizens and officers as “untrained civilians” or “rent-a-cops” whose lack of police powers and affiliation discount their usefulness in securing society.

Fortunately, the truth is otherwise.

In an era of homeland security, private citizens and private officers now more than ever must step up to the challenge of providing heightened awareness and protection as terrorists and organized criminals attack our nation assuming that the absence of police in a given area equals easy pickings.

Anyone recall the private citizens who tackled and held a gunman who shot at the White House in the late 1990s? How about news accounts of armored car or bank robberies foiled by vigilant private officers?

Legally armed private citizens stop more attempted robberies and home invasions than all the police officers in America combined.

A better working relationship between private citizens, private officers and the police would increase the already impressive effectiveness of society’s largest source of protection- a goal well worth pursuing.

NADRA ENZI, AKA CAPT. BLACK, promotes crime prevention and self-development alongside his STREET TEAM OF AMERICA (very) concerned citizens group. 22 West Bryan Street #133, Savannah, GA 31401 * (912) 272-2898 * Click Here to Email Nadra * www.myspace.com/nadrasw1