Perceived Neighborhood Crime and the Impact of Private Security

Citizens and businesses have generally rejected the expectation that criminal justice authorities can successfully achieve their delegated responsibility of protecting life and property. These people have employed alternative measures in securing desired safety from criminal victimization. This article focuses upon the following concerns: (1) the growth and impact of private security, (2) the significance of private policing as reflected in citizen attitudes toward crime prevention measures, (3) the model implementation of private security in an urban community, and (4) alternatives as reflected by the impact of the Guardian Angels and other citizen patrol efforts in anticrime programs versus the employment of private security firms.