According to reports, private security outnumbers police forces all across the globe, especially in Asia. From Russia all the way to South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka), private security is more spread out. Even in the US and the UK, more individuals are hired to protect certain individuals and assets than the number of police officers protecting the public.

This development is mostly due to the increased number of kidnappings, terrorist attacks, school shootings, cyberattacks, and more. Numerous states and governments often hire private security forces and militias to help them in places where governments don’t want to get involved or where they are strapped fiscally and financially. Examples include government hospitals, schools, municipal properties, and more.

Apart from personnel and asset security, some of the most common places where private security guards are preferred include clubs, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities, educational facilities, religious organizations, financial institutions, and more.

While a private army or a militia isn’t particularly legal in the US, a private military company or large-scale security firms are completely legal, allowing them to procure extensive equipment from time to time. As mentioned above, demand for security companies and their services is booming, and with this increased demand, they have managed to get more power as well. Unfortunately, this power leads to corruption.

There have already been instances where private security forces have been linked to corruption in Mexico. Although there isn’t much proof of it, there is bound to be a degree of corruption in US private security firms as well. As more and more critical duties get assigned to private security guards, it is only a matter of time before the newer duties become “just another Tuesday” and may lead to corrupt and illegal activities.