Having been associated in some way or other with the growth and development of industrial security services in India for over 35 years, often times I wonder whether industrial security as a profession could have made better progress and earned the recognition it seeks. The reasons for not having done so could be manifold. Though private industrial security agencies are playing quite a complementary role to government’s law enforcement authorities, both directly and indirectly, a degree of inbuilt reservation is at times noticed amongst the authorities to accord any formal or professional recognition to their services. This is against the trend in developed countries where authorities have already started handing over certain kinds of regulatory duties to private security agencies and quite rightly so. On an introspection, however, it will also be correct to say that some among the private security practitioners do not really deserve any accolade as they would like to secure this recognition at no cost. Fortunately, some forward looking agencies are on the anvil in this field. Many fresh graduates are now taking up security as a profession, leaving behind those who are in the private security profession only by virtue of their past as defence or police functionary.

While this should augur a bright future for private security agencies in India, there is perhaps need to accept this with certain caveats. Too often, bright and directly-recruited security officers are engrossed only in managing or supervising guard services, almost mechanically, i.e., without seeming to bring to bear upon their thoughts and ideas on the work and services they are rendering. If, however, the profession of private industrial security is to achieve the desired goal of being recognized as a true profession, it will be imperative that the young breed trying to make career out of security apply themselves to gather some basic knowledge of the subject of industrial security as a science. Industrial security as a profession is more than only supervision or management of a few guards. It involves in-depth study and understanding of the entire business procedure in order that the Security Division could decisively prove to be a mainline function engaged in preventing loss and securing profit instead being an expenditure wing of the management.

From a professional angle, the defenders of industrial security must also associate themselves in the advancement achieved in technological aids to security. Modernization of private security services is no longer an option but an imperative. Computer illiterates and those not adapting to technological advancement will be left out and lose the race. The young professionals, it is hoped, will lead the way in this direction also.

Best regards,

(D.C.Nath) IPS (Retd.)
Former Special Director, IB (Govt. of India)
Executive President & CEO, IISSM