On August 1, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a terrorism alert forcritical financial institutions in New York, Washington, DC and Newark, NJ. Press reports indicatedthat these institutions employed security guards, and that surveillance by terrorists included thelocation, armament, and activity of those guards. (1) Widely deployed among transportation hubs, power plants, andother nationally important facilities, such security guards are viewed by many as both a vital elementof terror deterrence and the first line of response to terrorist attacks. The Bush Administration sharesthis view. In the National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and KeyAssets the administration identifies security guards as "an important source of protection for criticalfacilities." (2) The nation'sdependence on security guards for critical infrastructure protection gives rise to questions as to thestatus and capability of these guards, and federal efforts to help them combat terrorism. In 2003, there were approximately one million security guards (including airport screeners)employed in the United States -- compared to 650,000 U.S. police officers. (3) Nearly half of these guardswere employed directly by the institutions they served; the rest, approximately 53% of all guards,worked for contract guard companies providing outsourced guard services. This report provides background information concerning security guards in the United Statesand their role in critical infrastructure protection. It analyzes trends in the number and deploymentof security guards, including effects of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11). It discussesthe wages paid to security guards compared to similar workers, and the relationship between pay andworkforce effectiveness. The report reviews the qualifications and training of security guards, including background checks, highlighting recent changes related to counter terrorism andstate-to-state differences in qualification requirements. Finally the report discusses policyconsiderations of potential interest to Congress. The role of the federal government in protecting the nation's critical infrastructure has beena fundamental concern of Congress since 9/11. Part of this concern involves the potential impositionof federal security requirements, including guard requirements, on infrastructure which lies largelyin the private sector. Among nuclear power plants, for example, the federal government has requiredmore training and staffing of private guards since 9/11. Airport screeners have been federalizedoutright. As U.S. homeland security policy evolves, direct federal intervention in the protection ofother critical infrastructure, including chemical plants, banks, and communications networks, isbecoming an increasingly important issue. Critical infrastructure is found in many congressional districts. By definition, a terroristattack on such infrastructure would affect not only local communities, but the nation as a whole. Faced with the widely perceived need for greater critical infrastructure protection, some in Congressare examining the adequacy of current U.S. counter-terrorism activities, including the role andcapabilities of security guards. If Congress concludes that the effectiveness of security guards couldbe enhanced, Congress may consider additional guard-related legislation (such as H.R. 4830 of the 108th Congress), or may exercise its oversight authority in other ways to influencesecurity guard capabilities and deployment. What U.S. policy makers consider to be "critical infrastructure" has been evolving and isoften ambiguous. Twenty years ago, "infrastructure" was defined primarily with respect to theadequacy of the nation's public works. In the mid-1990's, however, the growing threat ofinternational terrorism led policy makers to reconsider the definition of "infrastructure" in the contextof homeland security. Successive federal government reports, laws, and executive orders haverefined, and generally expanded, the number of infrastructure sectors and the types of assetsconsidered to be "critical" for purposes of homeland security. Currently, the USA PATRIOT Actof 2001( P.L. 107-56 ) defines "critical infrastructure" as: systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vitalto the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have adebilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or anycombination of those matters (Sec. 1016e). This definition was adopted, by reference, in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( P.L. 107-296 , Sec.2.4) establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The National Strategy also adoptsthe definition of "critical infrastructure" in P.L. 107-56 , and provides the following list of specificinfrastructure sectors (and assets) falling under that definition: The critical infrastructure sectors in the National Strategy contain many physical assets, butonly a fraction of these could be viewed as critical according to the DHS definition. For example,out of 33,000 individual assets cataloged in DHS's "national asset database," the agency considersonly 1,700, or 5%, to be nationally critical. (4) The 33,000 assets in the DHS database themselves constitute onlya subset of all assets in the critical infrastructure sectors. (5) Because federal agencies, state agencies and the private sector oftenhave different views of what constitutes criticality, compiling a consensus list of nationally criticalassets has been an ongoing challenge for DHS. The implications of this challenge as it relates tosecurity guards is discussed later in this report. Protecting people and property from accidents and crime is the principal role of securityguards. They monitor, patrol, and inspect property to protect against fire, theft, vandalism, and otherillegal activity. They may enforce laws on their employer's grounds, conduct incident interviews,prepare incident reports, and provide legal testimony. Guards may work at one location, or maypatrol among multiple locations to conduct security checks. Security guards typically use radios andtelephones to call for assistance from police, fire, or other emergency services as required. They maybe armed, as required by specific duty assignments, consistent with state and federal laws governingprivate ownership and use of firearms. Although security guards, in general, share many common responsibilities, they may alsoface unique duties at particular institutions. In banks, for example, guards protect customers, money,safety deposit boxes, and records. They may work with bank detectives to prevent theft andapprehend criminal suspects before police arrive. By comparison, transportation terminal guards(e.g., airport screeners) protect travelers, freight, luggage, and equipment. They may screenpassengers for weapons and explosives, ensure no property is stolen while being loaded or unloaded,and watch for fires and criminal activity. (6) Security Guard Police Powers. Although securityguards have long supplemented public law enforcement, they typically have more limited authoritiesthan police and other law officers. Specific powers vary by jurisdiction, but they generallycorrespond to the police authorities of private citizens. In most states, citizens may make arrests only when acrime is committed in their presence; suspicion that a crime has taken place is not enough. And insome states, citizens may only make arrests for felonies, and then must immediately turn the suspectover to a police officer. Even those guards who do see felonies in progress are advised to arrest withcaution. Unlike police officers, civilians who accidentally take innocent suspects into custody areliable for false arrest. (7) Security guards may have other authorities or may face further limitations to their policepower according to state licensing or other regulation, where it exists. For example, the followingauthorities are listed in California's security guard training manual: As an agent of the employer, a security guard can question an individual on theemployer's property and may prevent entry to the property by standing in the individual'sway. Although a security guard has the power of citizen's arrest, a guard is notobligated by law to make arrests. A security guard should never touch a criminal suspect except for self defense,or when necessary to use reasonable force in an arrest. If a security guard believes an arrested person is armed, the guard may searchfor weapons only. A suspect may not be legally searched for weapons unless he is actuallyarrested. A security guard cannot legally carry a firearm or baton without a state permitand a valid security guard license. (8) Critical Infrastructure Protection Responsibilities. Since the terror attacks of 9/11, protecting against terrorism has been an additional responsibility formany security guards -- especially for guards associated with critical infrastructure. Security guardsare viewed by many as a necessary supplement to the counter terrorism activities of public lawenforcement agencies, which have limited resources and broad responsibilities. According tocongressional testimony by one guard company executive, Law enforcement agencies [have] been called upon tofulfill two fundamentally different and competing missions -- to deter domestic crime while alsobeing engaged in the fight against potentially new and devastating terrorist attacks orchestrated fromabroad. Unfortunately, there are simply neither the public resources nor the personnel to do the job....Consequently ... security officers are being asked to fill the gap. (9) The increased counter terrorism role for security guards has become apparent in many privateand public sector security plans. In the refinery industry, for example, security guidelines during aDHS "orange" alert call for engaging a "trained and knowledgeable" security workforce, increasingpatrols, inspecting vehicles, and other security activities that may rely on security guards. (10) Counter terrorismactivities of security guards in other key sectors are discussed later in this report. Guards Deployed at Critical Infrastructure. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) there were approximately 1,022,000 securityguards working in the United States in 2003 ( Table 1 ). For the purposes of policy analysis, theseguards may be separated into two categories of employment and three categories of service. "Contract" guards work directly for private guard companies and are deployed under contract to otherinstitutions. "Staff" guards are employed directly by institutions as regular line employees. Bothcontract and staff guards may work either at private facilities, government facilities, or airports.