Public Vs. Private Security Private Research Paper

Public security personnel may do the same but only in the confines of the time and space they are in at present, and provided they can readily identify the perpetrator. Thus, if the perpetrator is within their reach and waiting for police officers to arrive on scene might render to the perpetrator an avenue for escape, the private security forces can affect a citizen's arrest because "almost all states give citizens power to effect arrests for felonies, and for misdemeanors committed in their presence [especially when the person arresting] has reasonable grounds to believe that an offense other than an ordinance violation is being committed (Pastor, 2010)." In this case, the private security officers may initiate the arrest based on this premise but thereafter, the arrestee will have to be turned over to the police for further legal processing.Without a doubt, the delineation between private security and police forces are clear despite certain similarities in their duties and responsibilities. Police forces are actors of government duly mandated by statutes to uphold the law and prosecute criminal elements based on laws. Private security forces do not have this mandate unless specifically provided for like with some private investigators and detectives. But by the same token any criminal investigation and prosecution handled by mandated private security personnel will have to be turned over to public security forces because this is their ultimate responsibility.

Bibliography:

Pastor, J.F. (2010). Legal issues in private policing. SecureLaw. Retrieved May 28, 2011 from http://www.securelaw.info/art_legalissuesprivatepolicing.html

U.S. Department of Justice. (2007). Private security and public law enforcement. Retrieved May 28, 2011 from http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2034.....