4 ms·

It's also not like this is new in the US, it's just becoming more affordable and easier to arrange. Private railroad police have been here since the time of Lin

by jmccree 13y ago

It's also not like this is new in the US, it's just becoming more affordable and easier to arrange. Private railroad police have been here since the time of Lincoln. Office buildings, hotels, and apartment/condo buildings have had door men and security since forever. High end gated neighborhoods have had private security patrols, "armed response" services, even hiring their own dedicated sheriff/police patrols for a long time. More recently there are plenty of middle class "gated" neighborhoods with their own security. For over a hundred years ranchers in Texas have had an industry association with it's own private deputized investigators for cow theft. Look how many downtown areas now have "Ambassadors" that are just private security patrolling. In many states there are some form of "Improvement Districts" that allows a neighborhood to self-tax and pay for private security or extra police patrols. Where I live, in Atlanta, almost every neighborhood you'd want to live in employs off-duty police to patrol. And of course, every government agency from federal to local you can think of has their own police force to protect their property. FBI Police, CIA Police, National Zoo Police, Mint Police, Federal Reserve Police, (insert state here) Capitol Police, University Police, School District Police, Park Police, Hospital Police, Convention Center Police... It goes on. The US is a huge country without a nationalized police force. Since the beginning those that could afford (or legislate) more security/policing have done so. The more directly a security force works for their clients, the more responsive they can be. This is why many cities were and are incorporated, to provide a higher level of police than counties/states were providing. It's why the FBI has it's own police vs relying on local PD. As the standard of living for everyone in the US rises, so will the amount of people hiring private security and police, it's no longer the domain of just the rich and powerful.

pasbesoin 13y ago
A fair number of years ago, the company I was with swapped in new senior management in conjunction with / for the purpose of executing a severe downsizing. Suddenly, I'm walking past armed guards in the lobby. This was not a "security" related company. Just an old-line business suffering under the changes brought by technology and too long under reactionary management. But this new management was paranoid that someone was going to come in and shoot them up. I'll differ with jmccree in that I don't see this as the result of rising prosperity. Rather, I see it as the result of rising inequality. The rich are all the more able to pay for this and to force it through, when the masses -- including those from whom they hire their security -- are worse off. They can more easily afford the wages, and they more easily -- through their influence -- control the political implications. As for the trend in the U.S., which also is occurring in e.g. fire fighting support and other areas. Many would argue it's another sign that, beneath the GDP totals, the U.S. is no longer a first world country. Piece by piece, link by link in an increasingly severed social contract.

by jmccree 13y ago

pasbesoin 13y ago

A fair number of years ago, the company I was with swapped in new senior management in conjunction with / for the purpose of executing a severe downsizing. Suddenly, I'm walking past armed guards in the lobby. This was not a "security" related company. Just an old-line business suffering under the changes brought by technology and too long under reactionary management. But this new management was paranoid that someone was going to come in and shoot them up. I'll differ with jmccree in that I don't see this as the result of rising prosperity. Rather, I see it as the result of rising inequality. The rich are all the more able to pay for this and to force it through, when the masses -- including those from whom they hire their security -- are worse off. They can more easily afford the wages, and they more easily -- through their influence -- control the political implications. As for the trend in the U.S., which also is occurring in e.g. fire fighting support and other areas. Many would argue it's another sign that, beneath the GDP totals, the U.S. is no longer a first world country. Piece by piece, link by link in an increasingly severed social contract.