Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security

PRIVATE GUARDS OUTNUMBER POLICE, BUT REMAIN OUTGUNNED

Security firms most heavily armed in Latin America, conflict zones

The private security industry has expanded to employ some 20 million
documented personnel worldwide—almost twice the number of police officers,
reveals the Small Arms Survey 2011. In some countries, the figure represents
a doubling or even a tripling of the number of private security workers over
the past 10–20 years. Government outsourcing of many security functions
appears to be driving the boom, among other factors.

Despite the rapid growth of the sector, private security personnel hold far
fewer firearms than do state security forces. A review of data for 70
countries reveals that they hold no more than 4 million, compared to some 26
million held by law enforcement and 200 million held by armed forces.
Findings also show that private security arms are not evenly distributed.
Outside of conflict-affected zones, Latin America is the region with the
highest ratio of arms per employee—about ten times higher than in Western
Europe.

Regulation and accountability mechanisms have not kept up with the growth of
the private security industry. Despite evidence that some private security
companies have engaged in the illegal acquisition of firearms, have lost
weapons through theft, or have misused their arsenals, there is no
systematic reporting of such misconduct.

'In prisons, at airports, along borders, and on the street, security
provision is increasingly in the hands of private actors,' said Small Arms
Survey Programme Director Keith Krause. 'The key question—to which we don't
know the answer—is whether these evolving arrangements are enhancing or
impairing security.'

The Survey also reviews legislation governing civilian possession of
firearms in 42 jurisdictions around the world. It finds that almost all of
them prohibit access to certain firearms they consider ill-suited to
civilian use; the vast majority have a system of owner licensing in place to
prevent certain types of civilians, such as criminals, from owning firearms;
and many register firearms or maintain records of firearms owned. Of the
jurisdictions reviewed , the vast majority (40) regard civilian gun
possession as a privilege, while only two treat it as a basic right.

The Survey also includes case studies examining the dynamics of both public
and private security provision in Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti, and Madagascar.

Three full chapters—on authorized light weapons transfers, on private
security and small arms, and on regulation of civilian firearm
possession—are available for download, along with chapter summaries of all
chapters in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian,
and Spanish. For all previous editions of the Small Arms Survey (2001-2010),
all chapters are now available to download in full.

A video podcast has been produced giving a short overview of some the key
findings of the Small Arms Survey 2011.

* Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security:
www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2011
.html
* Previous editions:
www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook.html
* Small Arms Survey 2011 podcast:
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/about-us/multimedia/podcast-small-arms-survey
-2011.html

For further information : sas@smallarmssurvey.org

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