Private security boom worries Swiss police

Fear of terrorism has reportedly created a thriving market for private security firms in Switzerland, but a lack of uniform standards has Swiss police concerned. According to a Sunday report in newspaper SonntagsBlick, figures from economic information service Bisnode D&B show that 689 new private security firms have sprung up in Switzerland in the last five years. That’s an average of 11 new businesses per month – although in that time period, only 99 reported solvency. The companies provide various services including alarm systems, and security for public buildings and spaces, large events and village streets. The German-language paper speculated that the firms are capitalising on fears of a terrorist attack in Switzerland. “Private security services are taking over more and more tasks in the public sphere, where the police are actually responsible," Johanna Bundi Ryser, president of the Swiss Police Officer’s Association, told SonntagsBlick. She added that ...