 |
COSTA RICA |
| |
Private
Security Guards Outnumber Police Officers In
Costa Rica
Private security guards in Costa Rica almost
double the number of police officers in
Costa Rica. According to the Dirección del
Servicio de Seguridad Privada del Ministerio
de Seguridad, there are 20.000 registered
security guards to 13.000 members of the
Fuerza Pública (police).
A total of 803 licensed private companies
offer private security services in all areas
of the country, an increase of 202 over last
two years. In 2007 there were 601 registered
private security companies, growing to 722
in 2008.
Those numbers do not include the multitude
of unlincensed and unorganized security
companies and individuals who offer private
protection to a few homes on a street.
Fernando Camacho, vicepresidente de la
Asociación Costarricense de Empresas de
Seguridad (ACES), estimates that there are
at least 700 companies not registered with
the Dirección, operating without any kind of
permit.
Camacho added that the private security
force could grow by another 6.000 in the
coming year with the growth of insecurity.
And private security does not come cheap.
Camacho said that a private, armed security
service on a 24 hour bases could cost as
much as ¢1.6 million colones (us$2.700) a
month.
A local, unarmed and unregistered private
security service can cost a homeowner an
average of ¢25.000 colones (us$43) a month.
This type of service is quite common but
comes with inherent risks as the officials
are generally not trained and at best can
only stand by to watch criminals do their
thing.
Private security, according to Camacho, is a
us$70 million dollar a year business and
growing.
According to the latest poll by Unimer for
the La Nación, 25% of Costa Ricans admit to
insecurity being their main concern, a
figure that was only 2% five years ago.
Juan Luis Sánchez, director del Servicio de
Seguridad Privada del Ministerio de
Seguridad, feels that private security
guards perform an indispensible function in
providing vigilance that, for the lack of
funding, the Fuerza Pública cannot perform.
Sánchez admits that the police cannot be
keeping an eye on parking lots or
supermarkets or empty office buildings at
night.
For Erick Lacayo, the director of the Fuerza
Pública, private security is a complement to
the police function with a specific
objective of securing the needs of a
particular client.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
