Current and prior examples of private security & policing....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constable#United_Kingdom"The system of policing by unpaid parish constables continued in England until the 19th century; in the London metropolitan area it was ended by the creation of the Metropolitan Police by the Metropolitan Police Act 1829,[15] and outside London by the County Police Act 1839, which allowed counties to establish full-time professional police forces. However, the lowest rank of the new police forces was still called "constable", and most outside London were headed by a chief constable.[16][17] This system is still used today."
Kentucky, where I live...
"In Kentucky, constables are elected from each magistrate district in the state. There are between three and eight magistrate districts in each county. Under Section 101 of the Kentucky Constitution, constables have the same countywide jurisdiction as the county sheriff.[46]
Prior to the 1970s, the main function of the constables was to provide court service and security to the Justice of the Peace courts. However, since these have been eliminated by judicial reform, the office of constable now has few real functions. Constables still have the power of arrest and to execute warrants, subpoenas, summonses and other court documents, and are required to execute any court process given to them. On the approval of the Fiscal Court (the legislature of the county) they may equip their vehicles with oscillating blue lights and sirens.[46]
Most constables in Kentucky are not paid a salary, but are paid fees for services rendered."Think about regular sherriffs, getting off-duty part-time work at banks and private events, as if the constable's office were a temp office for cops, and you would have the right idea. Incidentally, this is actually where we get the term 'cop' from. It orginally meant "constable on patrol".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_police"Security police protect their agency's facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and operations from harm and may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations. Most security police have at least some arrest authority. The law enforcement powers of security police vary widely, in some cases limited to those of private persons yet in others amounting to full police powers equivalent to state, provincial, or local law enforcement.
As distinct from general law enforcement, the primary focus of security police is on the protection of specific properties and persons. "
http://www.michigan.gov/mcoles/0,1607,7-229-41626_42413---,00.htmlBruce Schneier is af fine person and an excellent resource, but not a fan..
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/private_police.htmlAnd from the DOJ's website...
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2034"The private security field, in fact, is much more diverse than what many may imagine. Annually, it spends more than $100 billion on security products and services. In contrast, federal, state, and local law enforcement spend less than half that amount. Additionally, many private security employees are experts in technology, fraud, and forensics investigation and often hold professional certifications and advanced degrees.
Private security and public law enforcement share many of the same goals: preventing crime and disorder, identifying criminals, and ensuring the security of people and property.
As there are two private security practitioners for every one sworn law enforcement officer, effective partnerships can act as a much needed force multiplier."
And then takent to it's logical conclusion...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_military_companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marqueIncidentally, the US Constitution explicityly grants the Congress the power to establish private armies via a letter of marque...
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec8.html"The Congress shall have Power To .... declare War,
grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies,
but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years"Take note of that last one, and think about what the framers though of standing armies, and how quickly their objections were simply ignored. They had a far greater trust in private armies, because they existed only for a particular contract and term, and then they went home to their families. They considered a 'warrior class' type culture within a standing army to be antiethical to a free population. Seems to me that they got it exactly right.