In fulfilling his or her duty to protect life and property in a particular place, a security guard has the green light to use legal force in life-threatening situations. Especially in a case that requires a defense or an author resists the first arrest. While police have the power to stop crimes and arrest perpetrators, it`s not the same as on-call protection at your home or business. If you are concerned about protecting your property, family or employees, a security agency is your best choice. In many ways, the role of security personnel is similar to that of police officers. This often leads to the belief that they have the same legal authority as police officers. They wear uniforms, they often carry weapons (firearms), they protect people, property and are considered figures of authority, law and order. However, a security guard is not a police officer. He or she is not a public servant, and they have no more rights or legal authority than members of the general public.

As a general rule, security guards have no more power of action than individuals, unless they are represented by local orders or vested with special powers. Private police (citizens) have powers of arrest that are generally similar in all states. For example, if a private security guard working as a private citizen seizes evidence, even if it is seized illegally, that evidence can be used for law enforcement purposes. However, if the security officer obtains legal status through the requisite state authorization or deputation procedure, the security officer would lose his or her status as a private individual and illegally obtained evidence would be inadmissible in court. However, this does not prevent a private security guard from being pursued by a suspect for illegally collecting evidence. In general, the most conservative approach is to follow the rules that apply to the public law enforcement officer. It also helps to justify the argument that the private official acted professionally (i.e. as a public law enforcement official). By complying with the constraints and requirements of the Public Prosecutor`s Office, errors that could jeopardize the case are avoided. Those who are interested in becoming security personnel and those who are interested in hiring them are often curious: “What are the legal powers of a security guard?” You may even be curious if you`re not in one of these positions. You may have recently walked past an armed security guard and thought, “What can he really do if something were to happen?” As a general rule, a security guard is not authorized to search a person without their express authorization. Even if they suspect that the person has stolen property, searching the person or property of another citizen is not allowed.

The security forces are like the private arm of the state police. This means that while the police officer is an officer legally authorized to protect life and property, the security officer, on the other hand, is a licensed person who is authorized to protect life and property. The competence of a security officer (non-police) is limited to the property for the protection of which he has been deployed. They have the power to order someone to stop committing illegal acts and leave private property. If the behaviour persists, the person may be arrested by a security guard under the arrest of a citizen. Depending on the type of civilian crime, the security guard can serve a prohibition notice on anyone. Ideally, the essence of a prohibition notice is to keep a person who is deemed trespassing or considered a threat away from a premise or environment. While the use of reasonable force is permitted, it is essential that guards act with caution rather than impulse. The use of unnecessary force, especially with weapons, can result in harm – not only physically, but also in court. If a security guard oversteps his or her legal bounds by detaining, interrogating, or using force outside of self-defense, it can cause serious problems for the security guard and the security company where he or she is employed. Professional security personnel can protect lives and property through advanced threat detection, effective decision-making, and rapid response time.

The hope is that an armed security officer will never have to fire his weapon and that security can be maintained without the use of force or the need to exercise powers of arrest. The power to search is severely limited by the protection of the rights of individuals by U.S. law. The power to search personal property is usually limited to the police or must be done with an arrest warrant or consent. As a member of the security forces, we trust you to maintain the peace and security of our community. Also familiarize yourself with the policies of the company you work for. Every company has policies and protocols for different situations that can help you decide which actions are most appropriate. They will help you choose a course of action that may or may not involve the use of the legal powers you have. When you hire our security services, you can be sure that individuals and businesses are fully covered by the law and that their security forces operate within their legal jurisdiction. Contact us today to get started. The guards give you some legal power and the legal powers you have are meant to help you do your job. Always ask yourself if you need to exercise some power to protect a person or property.

If there is an easier and less intrusive way to do it, always choose this one. This report indicates that the government agencies and the restrictions underlying a safety officer`s powers stem from the following key areas of law: However, before you begin, you need to know the scope and limits of your power and authority as a safety officer. This is to avoid cases of abuse of power. A security guard who is on the premises for which he is responsible has the legal authority to do the following if he receives the authority of his local authorities: If you are looking for professional security services, but still do not understand the differences between private security guards and public safety guards, You can read more about the differences here.