This content was originally published in Alaska Business Magazine, by writer Vanessa Orr.
Guarding the lobby of an office building. Watching the entrance gates at a conference venue. Patrolling a fairground, head on a swivel. Responding in the dark of night to a burglar alarm. Monitoring camera feeds from a remote panopticon. Private security takes many forms, and providers have many tools to protect clients’ assets. According to Gitnux Market Data, more than 1 million security guards were employed nationwide in 2020, and revenues from contract security services totaled around $41 billion.
Demand for these services is projected to reach nearly $46.2 billion in North America by 2024. In Alaska, demand is growing as well.
“What’s happening in the country in general—with active shootings, defunding police activism, and more—has increased interest in the demand for private security as a result,” says Denali Universal Services (DUS) President and CEO Maria Bourne. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in activity due to larger social changes.”
