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Northern Essex Community College

Module 13 Prep Activity

Review the activity overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

Private security has grown significantly over the past several decades. Gated communities, corporate campuses, hospitals, colleges, transportation systems, and critical infrastructure increasingly rely on private security personnel to protect people, property, and information. In some locations, private security personnel now outnumber public law enforcement officers.

Supporters argue that private policing supplements public law enforcement, provides specialized services, and improves security. Critics argue that policing functions should remain primarily the responsibility of publicly accountable law enforcement agencies. This activity asks you to evaluate the expanding role of private policing and consider what its future may look like.

Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the prep activity and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Explain the role of private security and private policing within contemporary society. (SLO6)
  • LO2: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of expanding private policing services. (SLO6)
Prep Topic
  • The growth of gated communities, private security companies, and specialized security services has led many experts to question how much responsibility for public safety should be delegated to private organizations.
  • Create a bullet list of arguments supporting both positions below.
  • Position A: Private policing should continue expanding because it provides specialized services, reduces demands on public law enforcement, and improves security for businesses, communities, and critical infrastructure.
  • Position B: Policing responsibilities should remain primarily within public law enforcement agencies because public police are accountable to citizens, government oversight, and constitutional protections.
  • Prepare at least five talking points supporting each position.
  • Consider issues such as:
    • Gated communities
    • Corporate security
    • Hospital security
    • Campus police and security
    • Critical infrastructure protection
    • Accountability and oversight
    • Training standards
    • Cost effectiveness
    • Public trust
    • Constitutional rights
    • Technology and surveillance
    • Public-private partnerships
  • Research two private security positions and consider what qualifications, responsibilities, and compensation are associated with those careers.
  • After preparing arguments for both positions, identify one policing function that should always remain the responsibility of public law enforcement and explain why.
  • Be prepared to defend either position during the in-class debate regardless of your personal opinion.
Acceptable & Ethical Use of AI
  • You may use AI tools to help identify private security careers, training requirements, and emerging security trends; however, you should independently verify any information before including it in your prep activity.
  • If you use AI to assist with brainstorming or research, your final prep must reflect your own analysis, conclusions, and understanding of the course material.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your prep activity.

  • Your prep should be no longer than 1 page.
  • This NOT a paper but rather talking points in bullets for our in-class meeting.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Sources are NOT needed.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
  • Stop over-thinking this activity. It should be a simple list of talking points.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your prep activity through the designated submission area.
  • Accepted formats include Word or PDF unless otherwise specified.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
  • Submissions are checked using both a plagiarism checker and AI detection software.
  • Direct quotations should not exceed 15% of the total submission.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. AI may be used only in the limited and ethical ways described above. Using AI to write your submission is considered academic dishonesty. This activity is intended to prepare you for class discussion, so focus on creating your own talking points and analysis.