The Changing Role Of Private Security In The United States

When the topic of Homeland Security is introduced, the first thought that comes to mind is either 9/11 or the Transportation Security Administration, TSA for short. No matter the reference, most Americans know that Homeland Security has something to do with Terrorism. Until an actual attack occurs, or election season begins, the average person may never give any thought or credit to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security goes far beyond terrorism and terrorism prevention. Homeland Security does not just encompass holding individuals up at airports for multiple hours to intentionally hinder passengers from catching their flight out of the Caribbean. Homeland Security is multiple levels of legislation; law and policy to prevent

In society today many citizens feel violated with the security methods taken by homeland security. “On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States marked the beginning of the global war on terrorism. The methods used are justifiable as they provide protection against possible threats or attacks. This attack on U.S. soil increased surveillance of both American citizens and foreign nationals” (Andrew, C., & Walter,

Department of homeland security and the private sector works together hand and hand helps to keep the private sector safe because department of homeland security and protect the nation by itself on a local level a so that’s where the private sector plays a part in the infiltrator according to (Engaging the private sector to promote homeland security law enforcement-private security partnerships) Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, law enforcement-private security partnerships have been viewed as critical to preventing terrorism. Local law enforcement and private security organizations working together is vitally important to homeland security; the private sector owns or protects the overwhelming majority of the country’s infrastructure,

Prior to the infamous day of September 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies were heavily focused on traditional crimes similar to homicides, robberies and organized crime(Davis, 2010). Law enforcement agencies are meant to serve and protect the citizens of their jurisdictions according to the citizen’s perspective concerns. Unfortunately, preventing and combating terrorism was not the main concern for the people of the U.S., so there was not much support in focusing the necessary resources and funding for law enforcement agencies. Surprisingly, every airport security before 9/11 was contracted out to private security companies(Villemez, 2011). I can think of an abundance of issues that stem from hiring private security firms for airports like the lack of standardization in training and equipment used to perform sensitive, essential tasks in preventing terrorism at airports. Another concerning issue law enforcement agencies face was the lack of communication and sharing of intelligence amongst another(Davis, 2010). There were so many smaller law enforcement agencies working in seclusion that is was nearly impossible to connect the dots of terrorism or any crimes in relation to terrorism(Davis, 2010). Local police departments had no clue if a current resident was a suspected terrorist by the federal law enforcement agencies even if they had arrested those suspects for an unrelated crime(Davis, 2010).

The original goal of the Department was to enhance the safety of the American citizenry. Unfortunately, this has not occurred as the resources of the Department of Homeland Security have been so widely spread that increasing the safety level of the nation has taken a back seat to other concerns and what additional security that has been provided has come at the expense of the civil rights of the American citizens (Kettl, 2004).

"Private security and public law enforcement share many of the same goals: preventing crime and disorder, identifying criminals, and ensuring the security of people and property," ("Private Security and Public Law Enforcement," n.d.). There are many more private security officers than public police officers, making tandem projects and collaboration essential ("Private Security and Public Law Enforcement," n.d.). There may be some overlap between public law enforcement and private security, but generally the latter can be more highly specialized and are therefore useful in situations such as campus security.

The homeland security is a department responsible for developing various mechanisms aimed at ensuring that the country is safe. The main focus of homeland security is to shield or reduce the cases of terror attacks. The prevention and response to both manmade and natural disasters also fall under homeland security (McElreath, Jensen, and Wigginton, 10). The Department of Homeland Security, therefore, has a broad range of responsibilities. At its formation in 2003, the department was composed of twenty-two federal agencies with over 180,000 employees. Homeland security’s formation was necessitated by the September 11th attacks in United States. Today, the Department of Homeland Security

On September 11, 2001, there were 2,996 casualties and more than 6,000 others were injured in the terroristic attacks of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Some may say that these acts of terrorism changed the American homeland security for the better, others disagree. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was created and expanded into one of the largest divisions of the federal government. This paper consists of the lack of homeland security before September 11, 2001, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and the development of this department, which is leading America to be safer since the last act of terrorism.

When using force, private security personnel are high risk for criminal and civil prosecution. The use of deadly force must be limited to clear and present dangers to the life of the security officer. Even when tasked with guarding highly valuable property, the use of deadly force is not appropriate in all situations. In many cases, it will be the poorly trained or overly zealous security officer that ends up being charged with a crime (Satchell, 2017).

The United States of America experienced the greatest, and arguably the most significant, restructure of both governmental and legal proportions in its contemporary history. Following the suddenness of the attacks, the United States was desperate to ensure that an onslaught of a similar stature was subdued. Henceforth, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was established, bringing into existence the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a department specifically concerned with internal issues faced by the USA. Primarily made as a direct response to the 9/11 attacks, the role of the DHS is to protect the United States of America and its given states and territories from danger; specifically, terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters; this is commonly seen in airports in the form of Customs and Border Control which are two functions of the DHS, following its subsequent take over of the IHS (Immigration and Naturalisation Services) in 2003. In the same movement for security, the *USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was legislated in an attempt to “detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes”

The purpose of this paper is to define and give as much detail information about Homeland Security in the United States and law enforcement and how they are integrated. I hope after reading this paper you will be well informed on the duties and responsibilities of these agencies. People have always lived in fear but with the help of these agencies we will no longer have to live in fear. I will try to give as much detail information as possible to help with any problems or situation that might come up. Homeland Security in the United States and law enforcement have extensive research skills and knowledge in serving and protecting citizens and other important groups and agencies. Homeland

“We have learned as a Nation that we must maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather necessary tools in the service of our national purpose.”(Napolitano, 2010, p.iv) In the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks our nation has taken upon itself extreme vigilance to ensure the security and defense of the American people. The relationship between homeland security and homeland defense is one that is tightly knit. Each has a very distinct mission set but somewhere along the spectrum they cross over and mutually support each other in the best interest of the nation.

Security in America has evolved from the time of the first settlers to today’s well-trained forces. Factors leading to the significant growth of private security from pre-Civil War to post World War II consisted of a lack of public police and large monetary loss by private industry. Today, security is global and faces challenges and changes, with increases in terrorism and technology crimes. It must maintain a high level of professionalism and maintain technological innovation remain a respected industry.

The American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) is today’s main association of private security. The year of 1955 is considered the beginning of the modern age of security. Private security was needed everywhere, in hospitals, hotels, retail etc… as stated in (chapter 2, P.38) that ‘’ Retail establishments, hotels, restaurants, theaters, warehouses, trucking companies, industrial companies, hospitals, and other institutional and service functions were all growing and facing a serious need to protect their property and personnel’’. After the events of 9/11, private security agencies were required to play more roles in crime prevention. Private security agencies were required to review and standardize their method of training and to review the pay of employees. Lot of recommendations have been made to improve the education and training, above all the extension of training time.

The distinction between homeland security and homeland defense is pivotal in gaining a better understanding of how these agencies work and how they correlate to our nations infrastructure. We must understand the designated missions set forth for both these agencies while learning how they meet the tasks appointed to them and resources utilized to accomplish the mission. Learning the fundamentals of our nations infrastructure information must be provided to showcase how these agencies utilize the appropriate resources to guarantee the security of these critical infrastructures. Offering an opinion in the definition of homeland security and how resources are being utilized to fix vulnerabilities is vital to showcase what is being distributed and learned on a researchers and readers level. Homeland security and homeland defense play a pivotal role in ensuring our borders are protected.