Around the world, a growing body of scientific research is reshaping how governments, cities, and industries should think about private security. The findings are remarkably consistent: private security is not a peripheral actor in public safety — it is a significant asset. Across diverse environments, from mass transit systems to nightlife districts, tourism hubs, and local communities, research shows that private security officers perform essential safety, deterrence, and social stabilization functions.
Integration and utilization of private security as a societal resource is incomplete, however.
Science shows that policymakers, municipal leaders, and industry stakeholders have a clear opportunity to benefit society by leveraging private security as a core component of the public safety architecture.
The studies highlighted in the International Security Ligue’s newest infographic reveal the value of private security. They show that:
- When private security and public authorities work in alignment — through structured cooperation, shared protocols, and modernized regulation — crime drops, communities feel safer, and public institutions become more resilient. Innovation increasingly originates in the private sector, where technology adoption is faster and more agile.
- Private patrols can cut community crime by half, and that even minimal security presence in public spaces produces measurable deterrence.
- In areas of social vulnerability, security officers often serve as the first source of reassurance, assistance, and human connection.
Yet, the research also exposes a persistent gap: societies rely heavily on private security but rarely value it accordingly. Training, recognition, and regulatory frameworks lag behind the sector’s real contribution.
Science shows that policymakers, municipal leaders, and industry stakeholders have a clear opportunity to benefit society by leveraging private security as a core component of the public safety architecture.
Download the Ligue’s “what science knows…” infographic here.