You will prepare and submit a term paper on The Roles and Responsibilities of Public and Private Policing. Your paper should be a minimum of 1500 words in length.

You will prepare and submit a term paper on The Roles and Responsibilities of Public and Private Policing. Your paper should be a minimum of 1500 words in length. It is in this regard that this essay is written to proffer a comparison on the roles and responsibilities of public and private policing. The discourse would initially present a brief historical background of public, and then, private policing prior to the discussion of the main purpose of the essay.

The history and evolution of the emergence of police force could be traced in the mid-19th century when major American cities began to develop police departments. These forces began to evolve out of earlier night watch systems that utilized volunteers or civilians (Christman, Hertig, Purpura & Segraves, 2003: 23).

The origins of private security in the United States, on the other hand, has transcended over time for the ultimate goal of protection. Johnson (2005) averred that “the growth of private policing can be understood as the natural product of three private functions: self-defense, the free market and economic exchange, and the enjoyment of property, including the right of owners to place conditions on people who are invited onto their property” (5).

The nature of the functions and activities that encompass private security companies and officers are critical in terms of ensuring the protection of human lives and properties under their specific accountability. According to Adam (2010, par. 3), private police are defined as “contracted services to companies, people or organizations for the protection of personnel and property. Private security includes guard services, private investigators, bodyguards and retail (in-house) detectives. All of these positions have limited police powers, and need some training and licensing, but have fewer restraints than public police.”

Since the rapid growth of enterprises, organizations and private entities call for an increasing number of private securities to safeguard their concerns, there could be wanton licensing requirements which facilitate the release of certificates to prospective private security officers without ensuring that they are fully equipped and competent in enforcing the required rules of court on erring civilians.