Private Security and the Law

Private Security and the Law, Fourth Edition traces legal developments affecting the private security industry. It examines the industrys staying power and ability to adapt to changes in law enforcement, from street and community protection to the protection of assets, buildings, and people. It considers the roles of law and legal analysis in private-sector justice, and shows how areas such as courts, prisons, policing, and community services are drawn into the world of privatization.

The book is divided into eight chapters encompassing topics ranging from the historical foundations of private security to professionalism in the industry. It walks the reader through the laws of arrest, search, and seizure and their applications in the private sector, along with the nature of civil liability and the criminal liability of security personnel. It also discusses the role of private security in enforcing the law and explains how evidence is collected, preserved, and interpreted. Moreover, it compares law enforcement in the public and private sectors and considers the concepts of self-help and self-protection, as well as the constitutional framework of criminal justice in the United States. Other chapters address the place of arrest in private sector justice, challenges to the safe harbor of private security, and positive programs for interaction and cooperation between the public and private sectors in law enforcement. Selected cases that have set precedents for private security are also presented. This book is a valuable resource for security managers and traineers, as well as for educators.