Conclusion

This conclusion reflects upon comparative insights raised by the studies in this book. The history of private security is intricate and complex, demonstrating that the past does not simply provide a settled backdrop for recent trends to securitization and the pluralization of policing. The role of private initiative in security provision has varied widely across time and place, influenced by patterns of state formation, prevailing cultural and ideological environments, and the legacies of prior historical developments. In particular, the studies in this book suggest major differences between security regimes and experiences of private security in Europe and the United States, with diverse forms of private initiative especially well integrated into the American landscape of security provision. Furthermore, the book also highlights the significance of security cultures in shaping institutions and practices of policing and protection, and how private security providers and entrepreneurs have sought to justify and legitimate their activities sensitively to the specificities of cultural context. Finally, it stresses the importance of comparative perspective and attention to complexity in future research on private security, past and present.