The Privatization of Global Security and the Economic Impact of Organized Crime

This week, we looked into private security corporations and their interaction effect on the international environment. Nations as different as the United States and Sierra Leone rely on private security corporations for much of their national security, yet the difference in how they are utilized is remarkable. In the United States, private security corporations are a billion-dollar industry offering their research, innovation, and labor in the field of national security and defense. In Sierra Leone, they are hired to protect the nation’s valuable natural resources and the corporations involved from criminals. In both instances, private security companies are filling a void that state security cannot, whether it be due to lack of investment, infrastructure, or the inherent government structure. However, the role of these modern-day mercenaries has been challenged, arguing that they interfere with state power by operating by their own set of rules.

        States are facing challenges in another direction as well, with organized crime becoming more sophisticated than ever with our more permeable international boundaries. While organized crime is nothing new, the ease of conducting illicit activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking gets easier every year. Corruption and organized crime have been shown to have a measurable negative impact on a nation’s economy, yet many nations tacitly accept organized crime when government officials can benefit from it, particularly in weaker states. As international initiatives to fight organized crime begin to take root, it will be interesting to how states come together to tackle this challenge.