According to a recent report from research group Freedonia, the demand for private contract security is growing rapidly. In fact the global demand for security companies is expected to rise by around 7% per year and shows no signs of slowing down. This global demand which is already worth around $244 billion USD per year is being driven by several factors. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Increasing urbanisation
As the world’s population increases it coincides with an increase in urbanisation. Where there are people, there are generally opportunities, many of which aren’t entirely legal. Therefore it stands to reason that private security services are being called upon to keep a closer eye on the safety or people and the safe keeping of property with static guarding (control of exit and entry), mobile patrolling, and alarm monitoring services.
Perceived and real risk of terrorism and crime
In this day and age, there’s no getting away from the fact that terrorism is a harsh reality. In fact some reports state that there’s a five-fold increase in fatalities since 9/11 with groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram and Islamic State being responsible for over 18000 killings in 2014 alone. Although most of these killings occurred in 5 countries (Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria and Afghanistan) there still remains a perceived and increased threat of terrorism and other criminal activity much closer to home.
Growth of the super rich
There are more billionaires and millionaires than ever before, many of whom have assets that need protecting. Whether this is property, possessions, family members, or indeed themselves, many seek the services of private security companies who offer services such as asset protection, close protection and even bodyguards.
Trust
Finally in most countries including Australia there are far stricter licensing laws for anyone starting a security company than ever before and when this is added to improved and recognised training it’s fast becoming an industry that more and more people trust. As such in the eyes of the public, security companies are no longer seen as protection racketeers who extol the virtues of violence and thuggery to deliver the desired results. Instead nowadays, private companies are taking on more customer orientated roles such as concierge services, event security, and crowd control. All of which require a healthy dose of people skills along with a smattering of tact and diplomacy.
The good thing is, that you don’t have to be super rich to hire the services of a security company. At MA Services Group we have an interest in event security and as such have been in charge of security for events as grand as large scale festivals or smaller scale ‘invite only’ parties. If you have an impending event and feel you might need security then give us a call on 03 9994 4107 and speak to our friendly professional team who can assist you in your needs.
