Skip to main content
Log in

The private security industry in Turkey: Officer characteristics and their perception of training sufficiency

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Security Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The literature on private security in a cross-national context has expanded over the last two decades. However, research on the Turkish private security industry has been limited. The current study explores various aspects of the Turkish private security industry, including growth trends, the latest regulations, officer demographics, and their perception of instructional sufficiency using Turkish National Police (TNP) statistics and a survey of Turkish private security officers. The findings suggest that Turkish private security is a rapidly growing industry relative to other countries in the world. Although the majority of Turkish private security officers felt that the level of training they received was sufficient to perform their duties, little connection was found among their demographic characteristics and their perception of training sufficiency.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. US Dollar equals 1.24 TL (Turkish Central Bank, 2008).

  2. The minimum monthly wage was determined by the Turkish Government as 481.55 TL ($388) in 2008 (Istanbul Revenue Office, 2008).

References

  • Aksiyon. (2006) Özel güvenlik krizde [Private security in crisis]. Turkish Weekly News Magazine, 6 January, http://www.aksiyon.com.tr/aksiyon/haber-12873-34-ozel-guvenlik-krizde.html, accessed 15 September 2008.

  • Aydin, A.H. (1996) Private and voluntary policing service in Turkey. Security Journal 7 (2): 129–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Button, M. (2007) Security Officers and Policing: Powers, Culture and Control in the Governance of Private Space. Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Button, M. and George, B. (2006) Regulation of private security: Models for analysis. In: M. Gill (ed.) The Handbook of Security. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 563–585.

    Google Scholar 

  • Button, M., Park, H. and Lee, J. (2006) The private security industry in South Korea: A familiar tale of growth, gaps and the need for better regulation. Security Journal 19 (3): 167–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, W.C., Strauchs, J.J. and Vanmeter, C.W. (1990) Private Security Trends, 1970 to 2000: The Hallcrest Report II. Boston, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Waard, J. (1999) The private security industry in international perspective. European Journal on Criminal Policy & Research 7 (2): 143–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eryilmaz, B.M. (2007) Private security. In: U. Cizre (ed.) Democratic Oversight and Reform of the Security Sector in Turkey. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, pp. 181–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerden, R.J. (1998) Private Security: A Canadian Perspective. Ontario, Canada: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gimenez-Salinas, A. (2004) New approaches regarding private/public security. Policing and Society 14 (2): 158–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, T. (1999) Private security in China: A note on recent developments. Security Journal 12 (4): 43–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hemmens, C., Maahs, J., Scarborough, K.E. and Collins, P.A. (2001) Watching the watchmen: State regulation of private security 1982–1998. Security Journal 14 (4): 17–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ilgaz, P. (2007) Turkish safety and security equipment and services market, http://security.ispozelguvenlik.com.tr/private-security-services-in-turkey, accessed 5 September 2008.

  • Istanbul Revenue Office. (2008) Minumum wages, http://www.ist-def.gov.tr, accessed 5 September 2008.

  • Jones, T. and Newburn, T. (1995) How big is the private security sector? Policing and Society 5 (5): 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kakalik, S.J. and Wildhorn, S. (1977) The Private Police: Security and Danger. New York, NY: Crane, Russak & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjellström, S.B. (1990) Privatization in Turkey. World Bank Working Papers. Washington, DC.

  • McManus, M. (1995) From Fate to Choice: Private Bobbies, Public Beats. Aldershot, UK: Avebury.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, R.H. (1988) Civil liability for negligent and inadequate training: A private security problem. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 4 (2): 106–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noaks, L. (2000) Private cops on the block: A review of the role of private security in residential communities. Policing and Society 10 (2): 143–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Private Forces. (2007) Crime and private security services growing rapidly in Turkey, http://n.privateforces.com/index.php/Page-119.html, accessed 5 September 2008.

  • Ricci, J. (2007) Contract security community faces common challenges. Security: Solutions for Enterprise Security Leaders 44 (2): 58–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rigakos, S.G. (2002) The New Parapolice. Toronto, CA: University of Toronto Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sahin, S.B. (2010) Privatization as a hegemonic process in Turkey. Journal of Contemporary European Studies 18 (4): 483–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarre, R. (1994) The legal powers of private police and security providers. In: P. Moyle (ed.) Private Prisons and Police: Recent Australian Trends. Leichhardt, NSW: Pluto Press Australia, pp. 259–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenning, C.P. and Shearing, D.C. (1979) Search and Seizure: Powers of Private Security Personnel: A Study Paper Prepared for the Law Reform Commission of Canada. Ottawa, CA: University of Ottawa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swol, K. (1998) Private security and public policing in Canada. Juristat 18 (13): 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Implementation of the Law of Private Security Services (2011) Code. Ankara: Turkey.

  • Turkish Central Bank. (2008) Exchange rates, http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/kurlar/kurlar.html, accessed 25 September 2008.

  • Turkish National Police (TNP). (2012) Turkish police performance in 2012, http://www.egm.gov.tr/indirilendosyalar/performans2012.pdf, accessed 10 March 2012.

  • Turkish National Police Public Order Bureau (TNPPOB). (2012) Organization statistics, http://ozelguvenlik.pol.tr/teskilatistatistik.asp, accessed 25 January 2012.

  • Turkish Private Security Law. (1981) Code 2495. Ankara: Turkey.

  • Turkish Private Security Law. (2004) Code 5188. Ankara: Turkey.

  • Turkish Statistics Institute. (2008) Demographic statistics in Turkey, http://www.tuik.gov.tr/AltKategori.do?ust_id=11, accessed 5 September 2008.

  • Wakefield, A. (2003) Selling Security: The Private Policing of Public Space. Devon, UK: Willan Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2012) Turkey, data and statistics, http://www.worldbank.org.tr/wbsite/external/countries/ecaext/ turkeyextn/0,,menupk:361718~pagepk:141159~pipk :141110~thesitepk:361712,00.html, accessed 10 January 2012.

  • Yoshida, N. (1999) The taming of the Japanese private security industry. Policing and Society 9 (3): 241–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge Yasemin Cihan Ipek, Att. Fatih Nadi Dogan and Ahmet Tarhan for their help in collecting data; the editor and the anonymous reviewers who have offered helpful comments, as well as Dr Jonathan Sorensen and Joyce Newman from the ECU Office for Faculty Excellence for editing and improving this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cihan, A. The private security industry in Turkey: Officer characteristics and their perception of training sufficiency. Secur J 29, 169–184 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2013.4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2013.4

Keywords

Navigation