Private Security Companies Research Articles

“They are not even called by name”: Security guards in a South African psychiatric hospital

BackgroundSecurity guards (SGs) play a significant role in health care and are an integral part of many psychiatric institutions. While their main duty is to ensure service users' (SUs) and staff's safety and protect the premises, they are also called upon for other tasks, often ones for which they are not adequately trained. This study aimed to explore the roles, formal and informal tasks performed, training, working conditions and well-being of SGs working in psychiatric services. MethodsGuided interviews were conducted with n = 12 SGs and n = 18 mental healthcare providers (MHCPs) at a psychiatric hospital in the Western Cape of South Africa. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. ResultsIn addition to ensuring safety, SGs take on numerous informal tasks, often for which they are not adequately trained and which formally fall under the purview of other MHCPs, mostly nurses, including talking with SUs about their mental health issues, dressing, showering, feeding, and administering medication. SGs also serve informally as interpreters, raising ethical concerns regarding accuracy and confidentiality. SGs lack formal training for working in psychiatric services and handling aggressive SUs, which may lead to increased violence instead of de-escalation and, in the worst case, injuries. SGs work under precarious working conditions (i.e. low salary, outsourced employment, absence of labour rights and job insecurity) and lack professional recognition, potentially leading to lower job satisfaction and increased emotional distress. ConclusionAddressing the challenges outlined in the study requires collaborative efforts between government, psychiatric institutions, private security companies, SGs and MHCPs. The establishment of clear roles, implementation of comprehensive formal training, psychosocial support and improved working conditions, particularly in-house employment, higher pay, increased employee rights and job security, are needed.

Humanitarianism’s Thin Red Line: Armed Escorts in Theory and Practice

In armed conflicts around the world, armed escorts are increasingly used by civilian actors in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. These escorts, at times, include peacekeepers, counter-insurgents, armed forces, armed groups or even private security companies. The use of armed actors, however, remains a critically underexplored issue. This paper will assess the theory and practice of the use of armed escorts by humanitarian actors, uncovering the legitimising discourse and the impact that armed escorts have on humanitarian principles and acceptance by local communities. It accomplishes this through a critical analysis of humanitarian guidelines and policy documents and draws from the limited research on armed escorts. The article draws from fieldwork in Sudan in 2022 to empirically show these trends in Darfur, demonstrating that the use of armed escorts by one non-governmental organisation can cause a knock-on effect to others, and that once in place, there is a lock-in effect.

The Dragon's Overwatch: Chinese Private Security Expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean

This scholarly disquisition furnishes a comprehensive exploration of the burgeoning presence of Chinese private security companies (PSCs) across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), delving into the strategic repercussions for regional security architectures and national sovereignty imperatives. Employing a meticulous qualitative methodology encompassing a thorough literature review, policy document analysis, and an examination of Chinese-language sources, the research elucidates the salient drivers catalyzing this phenomenon. These precipitating factors span cultural affinities, economic motivations, geopolitical ambitions, and the exigent security challenges besetting Chinese commercial entities operating within the LAC region. The operational modes of Chinese PSCs are subjected to forensic scrutiny, illuminating their diverse service offerings, geographical permeation across the region, and the obstacles they confront. Furthermore, the inquiry contextualizes the issue within the broader geopolitical milieu, accentuating concerns regarding transparency lacunae, regulatory deficiencies, and potential avenues for Chinese intelligence and military machinations, thereby potentially destabilizing the regional equilibrium. Ultimately, the research culminates in a series of substantive policy prescriptions aimed at mitigating risks, fortifying regional stability, and safeguarding national sovereignty through capacity-building initiatives, constructive engagement with Beijing, enhanced transparency mechanisms, and robust regional cooperation frameworks.

Katonai és biztonsági magánvállalatok külföldi tevékenysége: szabályozási kérdések

The author provides a comprehensive overview of the international, national and self-regulation of the activities of private military and security companies, the ways in which the concerned approaches complement each other, the gaps related to the implementation of the relevant instruments, the issues related to responsibilities for violations of the law, as well as the related work of the UN’s Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries.

International experience of partnership of private companies and special services in the interests of national security and its significance for Ukraine

The article is devoted to topical issues of national security. Its purpose is to justify the need to review approaches to the partnership of special services of Ukraine and private companies. The current state of threats to national security from the aggressor country is characterized within the scope of scientific research. Attention was drawn to the fact that after the attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine, there were changes in the security paradigm and approaches to national security and the world system as a whole, and the need, in this connection, to find additional resources to counter the Russian Federation, to develop new effective models of organizing the activities of national special services by involving the potential and resources of non-state institutions in this activity. It was established that the effective partnership of special services and private enterprises in the interests of national security is a stable international practice, and in some cases, the only means of increasing the effectiveness of special services in conditions of shortage of personnel and resources, which meets the requirements of international and national legislation. The international experience of such a partnership is characterized using the examples of the “Griffin”, “ECSA – CERBERUS”, “ProtectUK” projects, as well as the activities of private intelligence and security companies. Prospective directions for strengthening the capabilities of Ukraine’s special services through partnership with private enterprises and their security structures are highlighted, including: creation of security platforms (educational and informational and communicative in nature); obtaining operationally significant information in the interests of ensuring state security both in the country and abroad, including its processing; assistance in the use of existing and development of new software products for the search and identification of persons who pose a threat to the state security of Ukraine, the recording of their criminal activities, etc.; carrying out analytical studies, summarizing a large array of data in the interests of national security; personnel training for work in modern conditions, including using the latest technologies. The need for clear legal regulation of the rights and obligations of the parties to such a partnership is emphasized.

Prostitutes, Mercenaries and Feminism: the Public and the Private in International Relations

Feminist approaches have become increasingly present in International Relations studies. Using these theoretical perspectives, the present article analyzes the basis on which rests the prejudice toward prostitutes and employees of Military and Private Security Companies (MPSCs). The premise is that social constructions ideally locate the role of women in the private sphere, while public spaces are reserved for regular military soldiers. Our argument is that both the prostitute, when positioning herself in the public environment, and the MPSC employee, when in the private sphere, destabilize the expected idealities for their categories, generating distrust, repulsion, and uncertainty.

Staff Welfare Programs and Performance of Security Guards in Selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City, Uganda

Purpose: The study examined the effect of staff welfare programs and performance of security guards in selected private security companies in Mbale City, Uganda. The specific objectives were: i) to establish the effect of training and performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City; ii) to identify the effect of medical benefits and performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City, and iii) to investigate the effect of wages and other allowances on the performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City. Methodology: A correlational research design was employed, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the research problem. Data was collected from 91 respondents, yielding a response rate of 77.7% which was adequate to conduct the study. Sampling techniques included simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data collection tools comprised a questionnaire and interview guide for managers/supervisors of private security companies in Mbale City. Findings: The analysis involved the use of descriptive and inferential statistics in the form of percentages, frequencies and multiple regression analysis, respectively. The findings revealed a positive and significant effect of training and performance (β=.112, t=0.993, p<0.0001); a negative but significant effect of medical benefits and performance (β= -.583, t=6.334, p<0.0001), and a negative but significant effect of wages and allowances and performance (β= -.264, t =2.417, p<0.0001). Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommends the continuous training of security guards, adhering to the procedural terms and conditions set out in the training policy of private security companies, and strategically investing more resources in training and developing the capacity of personnel. Additionally, it is crucial to provide a minimum medical insurance package and enhance basic medical care standards. Furthermore, improving wages and related allowances like transport is essential to motivate the workforce, necessitating more investment in the remuneration budget to boost performance.

The Evolution of International Legal Regulation for the Activities of Private Military and Security Companies

The Evolution of International Legal Regulation for the Activities of Private Military and Security Companies

Analysis of private security companies compliance to the private security industry’s regulatory framework in Gauteng

This article explores some of the shortcomings of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) in regulating and effecting control over the Private Security Industry (PSI) in South Africa. In South Africa, all Private Security companies must comply with PSIRA by registering as security providers, however this study revealed a non-compliance. This shortcoming is demonstrated by fly-by-night security companies that provide security services at shopping centres and shopping malls particularly in the parking areas who fail to comply with PSIRA in terms of registration. The main aim of this research was to analyse whether the PSCs comply with the regulatory framework as per the Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001 in South Africa in Gauteng Province. A qualitative research design was applied to determine whether PSIRA enforces compliance as per regulatory framework and to establish whether the current private security service providers are registered with PSIRA. The population of the study involved security managers and owners of the private security companies in South Africa. The findings revealed that there is non- compliance to PSIRA by Security providers. It is recommended that the regulator be capacitated with resources to improve its compliance.

Trade in torture tools threatens detainees and protestors everywhere - it must be banned.

With social upheaval, economic strain, and political unrest growing, peaceful demonstrations worldwide are increasingly met with brutal tactics by law enforcement and security forces. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture outlines her call for States to negotiate a new international treaty to ban the manufacture, use and trade in "torture tools" and regulate the trade in law enforcement equipment. Her proposal outlines two critical components: a prohibited list of items that she has deemed to be inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading, and a second controlled list of ordinary law enforcement equipment that has a high risk of misuse. Effective international regulation is imper-ative to curb the indiscriminate use of force by law enforcement and to uphold human dignity. Improved national regulation is also required. Research has revealed a pervasive market for these items, with more than 335 companies in 54 countries manufacturing or promoting the most egre-gious torture instruments. Major producers include China, the EU, and the USA, with emerging economies also contributing significantly. The outsourcing of public functions to private security companies further exacerbates the issue, underscoring the pressing need for robust national and international regulations.

PRIVATELY CONTRACTED ARMED SECURITY COMPANIES IN MERCHANT SHIPPING

Armed private security companies have recently become a method used by maritime companies to combat piracy, or attempted to do so if permitted by flag states. This issue has been regulated to a certain extent by the guiding regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), but there are still clarification issues such as liability, jurisdiction, sovereignty and insurance. On this page, the current situation has been identified and maintenance-related solutions have been researched.

Selling security to Africa: private military and security companies (PMSCs) and the fate of African intrastate security

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for privatised security has rekindled significant attention to private military and security companies (PMSCs) in international relations and security discourse. Focusing on the Wagner Group, the overarching purpose of this work is to explore PMSCs in Africa to examine the consequences of their operations on the fate of the continent’s security. How may PMSCs such as Wagner’s operations and competitions with the traditional powers influence Africa’s security environment? We attempt to demonstrate how Wagner’s expanding footprint in Africa may create conditions for political violence and civil conflicts in Africa. Situating this analysis in the existing literature, we argue that the growing that the growing foothold of the Group and their readiness to compete with Western powers in Africa on behalf of Russia may reinforce states-citizens tensions, widen existing gaps between governments and citizens and radicalise and militarise citizens to drive political violence and civil conflicts. We base the methodological analysis on the qualitative technique and situate the theoretical argument in the contentious politics theoretical framework.

Insecurity, Counterterrorism and the Use of Private Military and Security Companies in Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Insecurity and terrorism pose significant concerns in Nigeria. Yet, there is a paucity of research on citizens’ and private security providers’ (PSP) perceptions of Nigeria’s response to insecurity and the use of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs). The study adopts a qualitative approach, and data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 63 participants, including PSP, non-governmental organisations and lay participants from the public and private sectors in Nigeria. Thematic analysis from a social constructionist theoretical lens was used to analyse the data. The study found a lack of confidence in the Nigerian security forces, scepticism towards the perceived government’s insincere politicisation of military victory, positive reinforcement of the use of private military companies devoid of identity, ‘othering’, and perceived short-term use of private military security. It also found a perceived mistrust for government approaches in handling insecurity and a positive outlook towards involving PMSCs and mercenaries in combating terrorism regardless of the participants’ identities as Nigerians. In conclusion, the study recommends the need for policies to strengthen Nigerian security agencies to avoid a perceived trust for PMSCs instead of state security.

Wagner Group: Comparing and contextualizing the Russian monster

Though the same descriptors have been applied to Wagner Group and US/Western Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs), this article differentiates the two experiences to better appreciate Wagner Group’s unique characteristics. To make this differentiation, the article examines the distinctions between defensive and offensive violence, the access to crewed weapons, and an integrated team approach. In this way, the article presents Wagner Group as offensively minded, kitted out with crewed weapons, and operating outside of an integrated team. The article closes with resulting questions to consider regarding Russia’s stance toward weaponry and how Wagner Group’s characteristics might have contributed to the June 2023 uprising.

A Case Study of Gorkhali: Private Military and Security Companies in Global Security Assemblages

The news about Nepali citizens joining the Russo-Ukraine war has once again sparked attention among stakeholders regarding Gorkhali’s engagement with global private security companies. The engagement of Gorkhali in the Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) is not a new phenomenon; it has been seen since the end of the Cold when it came into existence. As the market of PMSCs rises exponentially, security labourers from countries like Nepal are increasingly joining the same. Gorkhali’s long history of mercenaries and constructed narrative of bravery and loyalty has also attracted PMSCs. Existing literature overlooks the emerging consequence and contradiction of PMSCs-led global security governance to Gorkhali and the complex inter-relationship among PMSCs, client state, Gorkhali, and Nepal. This paper uses the ‘Global Assemblages’ approach to capture multiple actors’ fluid relationships, changes, emerging practices, authority, and institutions. The research looks at consequences and contradictions related to Gorkhali after the 2016 Taliban attack on Nepali security guards and the situation of the same after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021 while serving for PMSCs. It uses the ‘discourse analysis’ to incorporate books, journal articles, and media interviews of security guards and their families on the research topic. Lastly, research argues that the blurred relation between PMSCs and client states in global security assemblages is not only in the security and military realm but is also seen in the case of taking responsibility for any tragic event/accident of Gorkhali in PMSCs-led global security governance. It is also influencing the local institutions and practices of Nepal.

Международное регулирование деятельности частных военных и охранных компаний: нормативная и рекомендательная модели

Международное регулирование деятельности частных военных и охранных компаний: нормативная и рекомендательная модели

Experience of Some Countries of The Commonwealth of Nations in Ensuring Criminological Protection of Justice

The article describes the experience of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in the field of criminological protection of justice. A combination of philosophical, general scientific and specific scientific research methods was used in the preparation of this article to find out which special actors are authorized to carry out such criminological activities, to analyze the powers and guarantees for their exercise to fulfill their tasks. The article reveals the peculiarities of interaction of special actors of ensuring the security of justice with other actors in the system of combating offenses and crimes against justice. The author emphasizes the role of the sheriff, police, and private security companies in ensuring security during the judicial process. The experience of these Commonwealth countries in identifying and counteracting possible threats to the security of justice is analyzed. The purpose of this work was to single out positive foreign experience that may be promising for implementation into the national legislation with the aim of improving activities of the Court Security Service, which is a special subject performing implementation of the function of criminological protection of justice in Ukraine. In particular, firstly, to find out which special entities are authorized to carry out the specified criminological function in certain countries of the British Commonwealth and what powers they have; secondly, what other law enforcement agencies are involved in the mechanism of ensuring criminological protection of justice and what are the features of their interaction with special subjects; thirdly, what measures they take to detect and counter possible threats to the security of justice.

Private Military and Security Companies as a Legacy of War: Lessons Learned From the Former Yugoslavia

AbstractThe war in the former Yugoslavia produced many highly trained and experienced combatants, some of whom engaged not only in a variety of organized criminal activities such as the illicit trade of natural resources, trafficking and corruption, but also war crimes. In the post-war environment various criminal groups took advantage of post-conflict transition conditions which enabled them to be transformed into legitimate legal entities. The failure to investigate and hold to account those involved in criminal activity meant that demobilized soldiers turned to highly profitable, legally constituted private military and security companies (PMSCs). This is coupled with poorly designed security sector reforms that often fail to enhance effective and accountable security that is respectful of human rights. In recent years, similar transformations of many former combatants and criminal groups into legitimate PMSCs around the globe have raised new concerns about their growing activities across different sectors. This article uses the former Yugoslavia as an example from which to highlight some of the increasingly common problems posed by the creation of private military and security providers globally, as a result of the current uncoordinated processes to prevent armed conflicts. The article reflects on the need to avoid smart sanctions and use other foreign policy tools, while calling for an integrated approach to security sector reform and transitional justice that is necessary for sustainable peace.

Ukraine, Wagner, and Russia's Convict-Soldiers

AbstractOne of the most pronounced features of the war in Ukraine has been the heavy reliance of the Russian forces on convict-soldiers, most notably by the private military and security company (PMSC) the Wagner Group. In this essay, I explore the ethical problems with using convict-soldiers and assess how using them compares to other military arrangements, such as conscription or an all-volunteer force. Overall, I argue that the central issue with using prisoners to fight wars is their perceived expendability. To do this, I present three arguments. First, although many prisoners have been under major duress, using convict-soldiers may be somewhat preferable to using conscripts in this regard. Second, convict-soldiers are more likely to be subject to human rights abuses than other types of soldiers and this should be seen as the main problem with their use. Third, convict-soldiers’ liability to lethal force for fighting in an unjust war does not render it permissible to treat them as expendable.

Private Security Companies in Ethiopia: An Insight from a Rights Perspective

In Ethiopia, the private security services sector has grown considerably over the previous three decades. Although the sector has a positive role in the protection of persons, property and institutions, there are concerns, inter alia, regarding the violation of rights of employees. This article examines the privatization of security services in Ethiopia from a rights perspective. Specifically, it deals with the extent of privatization and its implication on rights of its employees, the obligation of state and private operators to ensure the rights commonly violated, the drivers for the violations, and the measures that need to be taken to rectify the situation. A combination of doctrinal and non-doctrinal approaches was employed to conduct this study. The study is based on both primary and secondary data through in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, observation, and document reviews. The study indicates that the private security service sector is one of the grey areas of rights abuses including labor exploitation, poor working conditions, and workplace discrimination. These abuses emanate from the practice of employment agencies and the existing regulatory frameworks. I argue that the adoption of a comprehensive private security industry legislation and the establishment of a framework for private security services providers’ regulation and oversight will assist to address the rights violations that have been observed in the sector.