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Private security and the police in Houston: who does what
A private guard works for a property owner. A police officer works for the public. Knowing the difference tells you who to call and what to expect.
In an emergency call 911. For a non-emergency police matter in Houston, the city lists a police non-emergency number of (713) 884-3131 in its phone directory.
Why people mix them up
Guards wear uniforms, carry radios and stand in places where you expect an authority figure, so visitors reasonably assume they are police. Company names do not always help, and some include words such as patrol, division or state. The difference is in who employs the officer and what the law lets that person do.
State Patrol Services is a private company, not a government agency, a police department or part of the Texas Department of Public Safety, and it does not dispatch officers.
A guard works for the property owner
Texas law defines a security officer by the employer. Under Section 1702.222, an individual acts as a security officer when employed by a security services contractor or by the security department of a private business, in a role such as security guard, security watchman or security patrolman. The employer is a company or a business, not a government body.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) regulates the profession. DPS licenses companies and officers and investigates complaints, but a license is not a government job. The commission some officers hold covers carrying a firearm on duty under Section 1702.161, and it does not turn a guard into a police officer.
What the guard's authority is and is not
A guard acts under the contract with the owner, which means enforcing the property rules, checking visitors, observing and reporting. For a crime, Article 14.01 of the Code of Criminal Procedure lets a peace officer or any other person arrest an offender without a warrant when a felony or an offense against the public peace is committed in the person's presence or within his view. Guards are told to observe and call, and a good company trains its officers to avoid physical confrontation.
Police respond to crimes anywhere in their jurisdiction, investigate, make arrests and testify. A guard company's reports often help that process, which is why a clear log and a quick call to the police both matter.
When to call 911 and when to call the guard company
Call 911 for a crime in progress, an injury, a fire or any threat to life, whether or not a guard is present. Call the guard company's number for a lockout, a door left open, a trespass that has ended, a suspicious vehicle or a question about the post. Call the police non-emergency line for matters that are not urgent, such as reporting a past theft.
A good guard company will say the same: when in doubt, 911 comes first, and the company's lead officer is told straight after.
How to tell a licensed company from an impostor
Check the company in the DPS Texas Online Private Security portal. DPS publishes the text of Section 1702.3875, which makes it an offense to impersonate a commissioned or noncommissioned security officer with the intent to induce another to submit to the person's pretended authority, or to knowingly purport to exercise a function that requires a license or commission. Section 1702.130 also bars licensed companies and their staff from using a title, uniform, insignia, identification card or statement meant to suggest a government connection, and from using the designation police on a title, insignia, identification card or uniform.
Ask a company for its license name and look it up. If something looks wrong, DPS accepts complaints through its Private Security Bureau contact page.
Questions Houston buyers ask
Is a security guard a police officer?
No. A security guard is employed by a security company or a private business, and DPS licenses the individual and the company. Police officers are employed by government agencies.
Can a guard arrest someone?
Texas Article 14.01 allows any person, not only a peace officer, to arrest an offender without a warrant when a felony or an offense against the public peace is committed in his presence or within his view. Companies usually train officers to observe and call the police instead.
Who do I call after a break-in at my business?
Call 911 if the crime is in progress or someone is hurt. Otherwise use the police non-emergency line and tell your guard company so it can add the event to its log.
How do I check that someone is a licensed guard?
Look up the company in the DPS TOPS portal, ask for the officer's license or commission, and contact DPS through its Private Security Bureau contact page if something does not fit.
Why do some companies have names that sound like agencies?
Names are chosen by the company. Texas law bars licensed companies from using titles, uniforms or statements meant to suggest a government connection, and from using the designation police.