How Pittsburgh’s Private Security Companies Enhance Law Enforcement Capabilities

Private Security Companies in Pittsburgh Can Help Facilitate Comprehensive Relationships Between Law Enforcement and Community Members

Local Security Experts and the Modified Whole-of-Government Approach for Houses of Worship, Schools, and Local Corporations

Private security companies in Pittsburgh are uniquely positioned to act as a coordinating nexus between the organizations they work with – houses of worship, schools, and corporations – and law enforcement.  Security companies are oftentimes owned by, or employ, current and former members of local law enforcement agencies, and those personal and professional networks are easily leveraged to support their clients’ needs as well as law enforcement community engagement initiatives.  When Pittsburgh-based organizations work with private security companies, the consultants can serve as the collaborative glue to (1) bind the client’s and law enforcement agencies’ vision and objectives, (2) communicate and share information, and (3) coordinate between law enforcement and the broader community.  Moreover, private security companies are typically involved in security, emergency management, and intelligence forums, which means they can serve as nodes in a broader security and intelligence network to support law enforcement objectives.

Embedded Private Armed and Unarmed Guards Serve as an Emergency Liaison Between Local Law Enforcement and the Organization

When clients contract out their armed or unarmed guarding to private security companies, those guards often serve as the first point of contact for responding law enforcement officers during emergencies.  The armed or unarmed guards that support individual sites are intimately familiar with the location and client’s specific needs, they are trained in emergency response and reporting, and they view emergencies through a lens similar to that of responding law enforcement officers – these help facilitate communication and overall emergency response procedures.  If the guards are former military or law enforcement, the seamlessness with which they facilitate emergency response is made even more efficacious.

Pittsburgh-Based Private Security Companies Can Provide Training Expertise for Law Enforcement

The greater Pittsburgh region has a rich history of military service.  For a number of the region’s veterans, that desire to serve did not dissipate upon retirement or separation from the military – many veterans continue to serve in the private sector, and they bring with them the hard-earned skills and knowledge they acquired in the military.  For those with special operations experience, in particular, their time working across the Title 10, Title 22, and Title 50 environments provides them with a broad perspective regarding how to best apply security-based skills in operationally distinct contexts.  For example, security experts with special operations experience understand how the principles of surveillance apply to confidential informant meetings, as well as how those principles enable Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) operations. 

Here are a few examples of the different types of training high-end private security companies, such as Convoy Group, can provide to support the law enforcement community:

• Executive Protection or Dignitary Protection Training
• Confidential Informant Handling Training
• Intelligence Analysis Training
• Surveillance and Surveillance Detection Training
• Open-Source Investigation (OSINT) Training
• Advanced Situational Awareness Training
• Close Quarters Battle Training

Private Security Companies in Pittsburgh Can Provide Protective Intelligence and Investigation Support For Law Enforcement Agencies

Pittsburgh possesses a remarkable talent pool of intelligence practitioners and investigators.  To provide just one example, the lead investigator for a Pittsburgh-based private security company recently took first place in a global “capture the flag” OSINT investigation challenge.

Monitoring for Threats to Elected Officials and Other High-Risk Individuals

Private security companies utilize intelligence monitoring tools to monitor social media, online forums, and other digital channels for threatening language or content directed at elected officials or other high-risk individuals.  Alerts are set up by specifying keywords, phrases, or patterns that may indicate potential threats.  These tools aid in tracking and analyzing trends in threatening or abusive messages over time.

Monitoring for Potential and Likely Threats to the Public

Global threat intelligence monitoring tools utilize multiple sources of information from news outlets, social media feeds, government alerts, weather services, and local social media reports to identify potential and likely threats to the public.  These alerts are set up based off specific locations and a designated geographic radius around that location.  These tools use a combination of human and artificial intelligence to validate and process these alerts.  Private security companies leverage these tools in order to maintain situational awareness and send out near real-time alerts to their clients and/or security guards.

OSINT Investigations

There is a litany of online tools available to aid private security companies in open-source intelligence investigations.  These tools allow investigators to gather intelligence from a wide range of publicly available information sources such as social media platforms, chat rooms, online forums, and dark web sites.  Private security firms can utilize advanced, customizable link analysis tools to enable their investigators to uncover hidden connections between data points, visualize relationships through interactive graphs, and pivot through datasets to reveal new insights. 

Physical Surveillance on Sophisticated Criminal Actors and Organizations

Private security companies with experience conducting real-world physical surveillance use a variety of methods to conduct physical surveillance on sophisticated criminal actors and organizations.  These methods include covert observation, mobile surveillance, and technical surveillance.  Along with these methods, experienced surveillance members use operational strategies such as a multi-layered approach, combining human intelligence with technical means for comprehensive coverage, counter-surveillance detection to ensure team members can identify and evade potential measures employed by sophisticated targets, and information sharing, such as collaboration with law enforcement and other agencies to enhance intelligence gathering and aid in the investigation.

Pittsburgh-Based Private Security Can Facilitate Community Relationships, Provide Training, and Intelligence and Investigation Support for Law Enforcement

Pittsburgh’s private security companies play a crucial role in enhancing the capabilities of local law enforcement agencies.  By leveraging their unique position, specialized expertise, and advanced OSINT and intelligence tools, these firms bridge the gap between community organizations in Pittsburgh and law enforcement.  Their contributions in facilitating relationships, providing specialized training, and offering intelligence support significantly bolster the overall security landscape of the Pittsburgh region.  This collaborative approach between private and public entities is not just important to recognize, it is an essential part of the greater Pittsburgh region’s security.