Evaluating the adequacy of private security industry regulation in Finland

Tasks that were traditionally carried out by public security authorities are increasingly being transferred to private security companies. Regulations have not kept up with the pace of change in the industry, and therefore private security companies are forced to operate without clear legislation and with uncertain judicial status. In this study we empirically analyze private security officers’ views on current legislation that regulates ‘guarding services’, ‘security check services’ and ‘maintenance of public order’ in Finland. We find that existing Finnish regulation does not adequately address the requirements of the private security industry. Moreover, there is a need to clarify and expand the private security officers’ powers, improve criminal liability and criminal law protection issues, as well as enhance supervision and co-operation between the private security industry and public authorities.