The great majority of this book focuses in on public security in the form of law enforcement. However, it would be a mistake not to consider private security as an essential part of “tourism policing”. Private security in many places around the world functions as either an adjunct to law enforcement or as a close ally to these public agencies.
TopPrivate Security
When most people think about tourism security, they usually think about trained sworn police officers. There is, however, another side to the tourism security professional: the private security agent. These men and women fill vital tasks in the world of tourism security and often do jobs that police officers cannot do. Just as tourism police are essential for a safe and prosperous tourism industry so too are private security officers. Although private security officers may have many parallel duties with sworn police officers, there are also a number of differences between these two types of security officers. Among these differences are the fact that:
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Unlike some publicly elected law enforcement officials, private security is non-political.
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Private security can specifically enforce legal company policies.
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Private security can deny access to a business or a specific enterprise.
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Private security has certain flexible options that law enforcement does not have. For example, private security can search employee’s belongings with greater flexibility than can law enforcement.
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Private security is often located on a site’s premises and therefore functions immediately and in real time.
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Private security can enforce regulations so as to prevent a crime or incident rather than coming onto the scene after a crime or problem has already occurred.
Alongside law enforcement agents, private security agents are trained to protect property and persons and often fill in essential gaps in the security system.
When we translate the above principles into tourism industry needs, we can see how important a role private security officers play in the world of tourism security. For example, at a hotel, a private security officer can help to enforce dress codes, ask people who are misbehaving or inebriated to leave the premises, or deny a non-registered visitor entry.
Private security forces are especially important in the tourism industry. There are a number of reasons for this need. Among them are:
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Private security often is more cost effective than law enforcement agents.
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Private security may be able to be more flexible than public controlled law enforcement officers.
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Private security can tailor its programs to a specific tourism business’ need.
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Private security may have greater access to hiring manpower.
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Law enforcement often lacks enough manpower, and private security can often fill in the employment gaps.
The Inter State Security Corporation’s e-magazine on June 9, 2018 summarized the importance of private security by stating “Public police try their best to protect the public, but as they have restricted access and powers, a business may fall victim to crime and the police can only assist with the investigation after the fact. The main way that private security is advantageous is that by being employed and trained on your property they may protect your property, ultimately preventing crime, and therefore reducing loss.” (Interstate Security, 2017).
On the other side of the ledger, private security and law enforcement have a number of differences. The first major difference is in the type and amount of training that police officers have in comparison with private security officers. Law enforcement also has the right to make an arrest. Furthermore, we may assume that law enforcement officers have gone through both extensive background checks. Law enforcement officers have the right to carry weapons and to deprive a person who chooses not to obey the officer’s command with imprisonment.
The TSA Model vs. Private Security
We can understand these differences, advantages and disadvantages by examining some of the issues between private versus public security through the prism of the United States Transportation Administration, better known to the traveling public as TSA. The history of TSA is short and somewhat turbulent. In many ways it exemplifies many of the issues that both connect and differentiate private from public security.