UNLIREC – DCAF
Overview: The growth of the armed private security industry is simultaneously a symptom, response, partial solution and a potential aggravator of the armed violence experienced in many developing countries, including the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Although each context is different and generalizations should be treated with caution, it is apparent that – over the course of the last decade – the private security sector generally has grown across the LAC region. The illustrative example presented above is based on a real case that took place in the LAC region in 2015 and is an example of how the growth of the private security sector (PSS) can challenge governments in their efforts to control and regulate private security companies (PSCs), and how gaps in national oversight can lead directly or indirectly to (criminal) armed activities.
