ABSTRACT

While the role of the public police in the law enforcement-public health (LEPH) nexus has received increased attention in recent years, much less is known about the involvement of private security actors in this field. However, understanding the new and shifting roles of private security companies in LEPH is vitally important. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the security industry witnessed increased demands for health-care related services worldwide. This article explores the effects of the crisis on the provision of private security, by investigating the intersections between private policing and public health throughout the pandemic. With specific attention to the emergence of private security in the field of LEPH, the impact on the operations (e.g. disruptions in resources, temporary unemployment), and services (e.g. use of technological innovations such as fever screening, policing COVID-19, monitoring public health) are considered in greater detail. The findings contribute to the understanding of private security provision where public health, safety and security intersect. Important new insights are offered on the impact of the public health crisis on (the concept of) private security, and consideration is made relating to the longer-term role of the industry in the context of the crisis’ transforming potential of the policing landscape.

摘要

尽管近年来公共警察在执法-公共卫生 (LEPH) 关系中的作用受到越来越多的关注，但人们对私人安全参与者在该领域的参与却知之甚少。然而，了解私营安保公司在 LEPH 中的新角色和转变角色至关重要。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，安全行业见证了全球对医疗保健相关服务的需求增加。本文通过调查整个大流行期间私人警务与公共卫生之间的交叉点，探讨了危机对提供私人安保的影响。特别关注 LEPH 领域私人保安的出现、对运营的影响（例如资源中断、临时失业）和服务（例如 更详细地考虑了技术创新的使用，例如发烧筛查、监管 COVID-19、监测公共卫生）。这些发现有助于理解公共健康、安全和安保相交的私人安保条款。就公共卫生危机对私人安全（概念）的影响提供了重要的新见解，并考虑了该行业在危机改变警务格局潜力的背景下的长期作用。