Recent violent crimes and staffing shortages are prompting demand for private security officers. Johnathan Long, chief of operations at Home State Security, located in the Tri-State says it’s not just the latest shootings in Buffalo and Texas that are driving demand for businesses like this, it’s also the lack of police officers. “Because of the increase in that, and in the criminal activity, we have seen an increase in business,” Long said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has allocated $70 million to help with first responder and officer recruitment and retention. While those efforts are underway, Long says companies like his are filling the void. “There’s just not enough police officers here, and that’s when we can come in and assist them,” he said.
Nationally, $49.9 billion is spent with private security companies, reflecting an increase of 3 percent since 2017, according to a report from research giant IBISWorld.com. The team members at Home State Security, many with a law-enforcement or military background, work in a variety of settings, responding to a variety of issues, to de escalate them before they get out of control.
While they aren’t law enforcement, they can help in catching would-be criminals by keeping records and documents about incidents to which they respond. The company says it can’t arrest but can detain and take reports that can later be used in evidence. “We’re not just sitting somewhere and observing and reporting, we are actually hands-on out here,” Long said.
