CONTRACT SECURITY AGENCIES

QUALIFYING AND CONTRACTING

A contract service under consideration should provide proof of licensing as a security guard agency in states requiring licensing.  It is also a good idea to check with the licensing authority to determine whether any complaints have been lodged against the service, and if so, whether such complaints were valid.  Additionally, some of these licensing officers have been known to be quite candid in providing personal opinions in regard to security agencies' reputations.

It also makes good sense to obtain a copy of the licensing statute and any sets of rules and regulations that apply to the licensing of agencies and employees of agencies.  A general knowledge of compliance regulations can prove quite valuable in many cases, particularly when unethical contract service representatives provide incorrect or distorted information about stringent, but fictitious regulations.

It is also recommended that the contract service be additionally licensed or have an association with a professional investigative firm.  This is recommended since temporary occasions may arise where plainclothes officers would be more appropriate than uniformed personnel.  In many states, licensed security agencies cannot, under any circumstances, provide plainclothes protection unless they also hold this second license.  In other states, if the security function is plainclothes and the sole objective is the protection of persons, not property, no license whatsoever is required.

Contract services which are incorporated should be able to provide a certificate of good standing from states which provide these certificates for corporations.