CHAPTER 1:

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD “SECURITY”

The word “secure” entered English language in the 16th century. It is derived from Latin
word “securus”, meaning freedom from anxiety: se (without) + cura (care, anxiety). The term
also derived from the Latin “securitas”, feeling no care or apprehension, the safeguarding of (the
interests of a state, organization, or person; safe.
From this point, there are four interlinking factors that evolves to make individuals,
enterprises, institutions, and society as a whole secure: 1) Physical Security Measures; 2) Public
Protection Forces; 3) Private Security Personnel; and 4) Individual Efforts for Protections and
Order Maintenance.
HISTORY BACKGROUND
Physical Security Measures
Due to the dynamic relationship between human population and resources, security
became necessary for human survival.
As population increased in early societies, pressures for self-sustenance often led to
exploration, domination of vulnerable populations, and exploitation.
The rise of the first states in Egypt Mesopotamia, and Peru caused conflicts between
neighboring villages. Neighboring communities battled with each other as a consequence of
limited resources.
The conflicts added to the creation of hierarchical structures in early societies. Farming
societies gradually created chiefdoms, reinforced kinship, partially to create order. And then
codes were established to assure peaceful coexistence, to stimulate commerce, to encourage
development of specialized work, and to provide a structure for dealing with threats from
external forces. The successful leader was likely to be one who could be most effective in
inspiring the clan, band, tribe, or community to fight ferociously and successfully against
aggressor, or to lead people in attacks against others to increase their own resources.
As societies became larger, they form group classifications with kings, or their
equivalents, serving as a leadership elite with subordinate categories of social, political, and
economic distinctions. Often these positions became hereditary and self-reinforcing. Ascendency
started to evolved by a complex existence with competition for limited resources which
threatened the security and safety of the community.
The development of early communities, the accumulation of wealth, and the
improvement of agricultural lands caused unwarranted outside attacks by those coveted such
assets and resources.
 The fear of attacks led to the evolution of defensive means to protect the community. A
fundamental strategy was to use physical security measures. And often, geographic location
could be significant for protection such as being situated on high locations or surrounded by
alongside bodies of water.
Wall or physical barriers for protection often surrounded the community. Posts, thick
enclosures heavy doors with stout closures, animals, and traps all served to protect communities
from attack from outside forces. The wall in terms of simplicity of concept, construction
requirements, the extent of operating and constructions cost, and the resultant shaping of the
protected community into a distinctive political entity.
Over the years, the wall as an organizing structure, protected nations, provinces, cities,
villages, military fortifications, castles, and individual living units. The wall was a critical aid to
civility and security at least from the later part of the Stone Age until 19th century, and continues
in modern times on a more restricted basis. From the Roman tradition on, the medieval town or
city wall contained three elements: the wall itself, towers, and gates. The wall could be one to
three meters wide with heights sometimes over twenty meters. Towers would be situated at
periodic distances along the extent of the wall in which soldiers to lookouts could be stationed.
Gates controlled access to the interior. Beyond controlling entrance and egress, gates could be
points where visitors sometimes may be charged a gate fee to enter, or visitors were obliged to
provide evidence of their reliability. This physical structure significantly controlled internal and
external features to life on both sides of the wall.
Today, walls expressed the power and promise of urban life. The walled community
evoked psychological economic, military, and political impediment for attackers.
Animals probably preceded defensive structures to protect people. Dogs are particularly
suitable for security purposes. Dogs were valuable also as a canine alarm, to attack intruders, for
hunting, and for companionship.
In modern times canine patrols serve law enforcement around the world. They are used to
detect illegal contraband, the smuggling of people, and the presence of prohibited foods, plants,
narcotics, and explosives.
Other animals besides dogs have plated roles in protecting people and property. Birds
capable of making loud noise when disturbed have been put to use to protect prisons from
escapees and military facilities from unauthorized presence of people. Similarly, the warhouse
was important for military use since early civilizations.
Security is needed within as well as without a walled community or structure. To protect
precious objects, including vital documents; hidden places within walls or furniture or under
floors were frequently created.
Safes and strong boxes have served as protected containers since ancient Egypt. Locks
are among the oldest mechanisms invented. Through the centuries the need to protect precious
metals and stones and important documents created a market that advanced safe and vault
construction skills. Mechanical locks were developed earlier that combination mechanisms.
Locks with keys were widely available for purchases from artisans from the Middle Ages.
Public Protection Forces
Considering that the first duty of the community is to protect itself through government
and personal initiative, hierarchical stratification in early society occurred partially to provide
leadership for defensive purposes.
Human society evolved from bands, to tribes relying on kinship, then to chiefdoms,
consisting of a leader who would direct the activities of those within his sphere of control.
Beyond this, kingdoms, and occasionally queendoms, arose to advance mutual defense and
economic vitality. The empires emerged which combined multiple countries with various forms
of governance. The formation of forces of men for defense was inevitable. Military forces were
convened over the centuries.
The emergence of law enforcement is inextricably linked to the emergence of the city.
The word derives from the Greek polis, referring to the city-state, that is, organized government,
the perfect community. While the word polis may still be used to define civil administration,
since the 18th century the derivative term police has been associated internationally with a civil
force entrusted with maintenance of public order, enforcing regulations, punishing breached of
the law, and detecting crime.
Early law enforcement in Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic empires carries the
discourse through policing in Britain and the United States until the mid 20th century. The term
law enforcement significantly reflects the supremacy of law. It also implies that law enforcement
involves more that police, incorporating specialized units generally possessing police powers.
The military is primarily responsible for macro risks generally occurring outside of the
nation, the police are responsible for internal micro risks within the community. To manage the
peace, sworn police officers always have possessed a special power: to deprive people
temporarily of their liberty for reasonable cause. But at time when policing is inadequate for
whatever reason, the private sector provides protection for itself. Eventually this will foster the
rise of private security services and systems.
Private Security Personnel
The security industry had its origin as a commercial enterprise in the United States. Allan
Pinkerton has contributed much to the origin of modern, profit-making security services. As the
business grows, he started emplying security personnel as detectives. Kate Warne was hired and
became the first woman detective in 1856.
Eventually, Pinkerton provided armed guards. Guarding became a new source of revenue.
And with the start of the American Civil War, Pinkerton personally provided protection services
briefly for the president, Abraham Lincoln.
Later in the war, Pinkerton’s organization created an intelligence gathering operation for
the army. He quickly devised means whereby he could collect intelligence from undercover
agents. With the end of the war, industrialization in the Northern states surged and Pinkerton’s
security business grew along with it. Pinkerton’s firm had made seminal contributions to:
commercial investigation, guarding, executive protection, intelligence collection, and consulting
services.
Today, private security personnel offer their clients flexibility specialized skills, insurance
covering job-related liabilities, and cost-effective services making the choices attractive for
clients. Private security firms sometimes operate for-profit correctional facilities and provide
services in government offices, educational and research institutions, and within military
compounds.
Individuals Efforts for Protection and Order Maintenance
From the earliest evidence of human experience, individuals have taken responsibility for
their own security. This involves physical measures as well as protective procedures taken both
individually and collectively.
While the military, civilian police, private security, and indeed numerous other
organizations provided by the state offer protection, individual efforts are the oldest, most
prevalent, and most difficult activity to assess quantitatively and qualitatively. Programs
provided by the state and not-for-profit organizations have been developed to mitigate risks in
modern times.
Recently, innovative ways have helped communities reduce crime and increase the
perception of safety. These include public/private programs like community policing. In addition
to private security services are volunteer programs. Numerous non-police-oriented, private sector
directed organizations have developed anti-crime programs to support security of individual
homes, neighborhoods, and commercial enterprise.