Who's Watching Over the Burgeoning Number of Bodyguards in Mexico? El Daily Post
go to original February 26, 2016

The private security industry in Mexico is under-regulated and state and federal laws are mostly contradictory. In addition, bodyguards are often not required to pass certified training tests, nor undergo background checks or drug tests. (Cuartoscuro)

Thousands of bodyguards and private security personnel operate in Mexico without a reliable registry that tracks who they are and how many there are.

In addition, there is no unified system of recruitment or training nor is there a national code or regulations delimiting their functions. There are some rules and regulations that are rarely enforced nor are records maintained regarding criminal records. Despite all this, the industry is growing rapidly.

In the past 10 years, the number of private security guards registered with the Interior Secretariat has soared 17,000 percent while security experts indicate that the number of unregistered bodyguards has likely increased by triple that rate.

Estimates compiled by the National Confederation of Private Security Agents suggest that the total number of security personnel is twice the number of state and federal police officers in the country.

Although there is a Federal Private Security Law and similar state laws, many of the regulations and codes considered indispensable today (such as confidence tests) and those in effect are viewed as contradictory and insufficient.

A study conducted in 2012 for the Chamber of Deputies revealed that there were at least 114 contradictory regulations extant.

Read the rest at El Daily Post

Related: Insecurity Driving Mexico Elites' Demand for Bulletproof Vehicles (Insight Crime)

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