Almost overnight the security industry has mushroomed, forcing its way 'into a significant place in modern sociey'. Has the law, though, kept pace with the development of this highly profitable business? And what are the dangers inherent in the existence of a private police which is numerically equal to the police proper?

Hilary Draper takes a close look at the industry - both security and investigative - tracing its history since the early days of Pinkertons. She examines also the methods, legal and illegal, used in the task of loss prevention and detection, and reveals some disturbing features, particularly in the areas of 'special squads', debt collectors, credit investigators and anti-terrorist organizations.