This title of a Time Magazine article speaks volumes…
https://time.com/6275440/insecure-private-security-replacing-police/
Seeing this article leaves me with a strange sense of mixed emotions. While watching crime increasing in many cities across America, people are reacting by seeking protection. One on level, like most people, I am saddened to see the trail of crime victims and growing fear. Outrageous videos of people beaten in broad daylight, masses of people shoplifting, and blocks of “no go” zones festering in urban areas–leaves many with a mixture of fear and outrage.
Boldly committed in public view and often captured on video for all to see, yet they are hard to see. I cry for the victims and cringe for this country. Consider the implications of thousands of such incidents to the social fabric and on the rule of law. Slowing but surely, lawless thinking, disorderly conditions, and filthy environments are becoming shockingly common.
The title of this blog–and the Time article, however, gives me a prescient sense–and validates what I saw coming long ago. Twenty years ago, I published my first book entitled: The Privatization of Police In America. This was the most comprehensive treatment of private policing at that time, and likely still is. The genesis of the book was derived from my doctoral dissertation, which was aptly scholarly titled: Assessing the Constitutional & Functional Implications of Private Security Patrols on Public Streets. Ironically, I defended my dissertation on 9-10-2001. The next day the world blew up…and so did the notion of private policing. What was an esoteric topic one day, become relevant the next.
https://www.amazon.com/Privatization-Police-America-Analysis-Study/dp/0786415746
Decade of getting the Message Out…
This led to a decade or more of “pitching” private policing. I did presentations in 20 or more states. Often applauded by security audiences, and often met with skepticism and even resistance by police. Yet, I did not seek to “persuade.” Instead, my goal was to get the message out. This was coming–like it or not. Publications in both professional & scholarly houses forwarded this message, including:
- “Private Policing within Public Environments,” Protection of Assets (POA) Manual, (2007). Manual is considered the “bible” of the security industry published by ASIS International.
- Oxford University Press- Privatization of Policing Bibliography. Comprehensive, annotated Bibliography on Privatization of Policing. Reference guide is designed to be the most authoritative source for materials and publications on private policing.
- Security Law and Methods, Butterworth-Heinemann (2006), ISBN # 0-7506-7994-8.
- Terrorism & Public Safety Policing: Implications for the Obama Presidency, Taylor & Francis, (2009), ISBN # 978-1-4398-1580-9.
Check these out @ https://www.securelawllc.com/expertise/publications/
2020- Message Rekindled…
Seeing the urban unrest during the “summer of love” coming on the heels of the COVID lockdowns, I was struck to see the events that I wrote about–and predicted years previously were coming to pass. This inspired me to publish my latest book: You Say You Want a Revolution: A Compelling & Cautionary Tale of What Lies Ahead… https://www.amazon.com/You-Say-Want-Revolution-Compelling-ebook/dp/B0B6D936X3/
One common thread through these presentations and publications was the impact of private policing. In short, it is now a fact of life. This will be manifest in many ways, including within what I coined the “Public Safety Policing” model.
To learn more about Public Safety Policing, check out my website @ https://www.securelawllc.com/expertise/public-safety-policing/
To learn more about Private Policing, check out my website @ https://www.securelawllc.com/services/private-policing-consulting/