INDUSTRY-GROWTH

A CAREER IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFERS GROWTH, OPPORTUNITY AND REWARD

Employment in the private sector of law enforcement is anything but ordinary! Professional training can take you life in exciting new directions, and it may be easier than you thought possible.
Yellow tape with the words "Crime Scene Do Not Cross" written on it surrounded by red and blue flashing police sirens.
A male and female in business suits sitting on two chairs on opposite sides of the table. The room is white and it appears that the female in interviewing the male participant.

EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER DETAILS

Canada’s private investigators and security personnel are governed provincially while in the US each state has its own set of guidelines.

In Ontario, private law enforcement experienced a ten-fold industry growth rate from 1967 to 2000. Today, the industry is regulated through the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005, which governs issues such as licensing, uniforms where applicable, minimum training and other regulations.

Presently, Ontario’s private law enforcement industry employs about 70,000 personnel. According to Statistics Canada, there are currently about 69,500 public police officers across Canada. Of those, roughly 26,000 currently work in Ontario.

Private law enforcement careers are rated among “the 30 best-paying fast-track careers”
Private Investigator careers grew by 33.6% in Ontario in the same five year period police careers shrank by 6.8% **

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average income of a private investigator — with training — at $60,390. Security directors, in the same report, average $77,000 to $80,000 and security investigators about $40,000.

*Canada’s Best Careers Guide, 2010
**Statscan Juristat Catalogue no. 85-002-XIE, Vol 18, N0. 13, 1991 to 1996.

Private Law Enforcement — For Trained Professionals– is Among the Most Exciting and Rewarding Career Choices Available. ​

A survey of Canadian security professionals published in the November 2015 edition of Canadian Security Magazine (www.canadiansecuritymag.com) shows the following:

INCOME

35% of survey respondents report their annual income at between $20,000 to $60,000, while 37% say they earn between $60,000 to $100,000 annually. looking closer, while just under three and-a-half per cent say they earn less than $20,000 per year, a whopping 24% of of respondents say they earn over $100,000 annually.

CAREER STABILITY

When asked how long they’ve been with their current employer, 51% of respondents said between 1 and 10 years, while 24% said they’ve been with the same employer for between 10 and 20 years. Overall, 15% have remained with their current employer for over 20 years.

WORKPLACE RATING

Asked to rate their current employer, 53% said their present employer is a “very good” or “excellent” place to work, while 27% said “average” and 20% said “needs improvement”.