As police forces shrink, private security takes over

ANDRE BOYER ENTERS THE GAS STATION LIKE A SOLDIER— back straight, boots shined, AR-15 pointed toward the floor

- ALANA SEMUELS, NORTH PHILADELPHIA

He seems unaware of the flutter of anxiety spreading through the store, but if anyone asked, which they don’t, he’d assure them that he’s there for their own good.

“We’re not here to beat people up,” says Boyer, who heads S.I.T.E, a private protection agency that is patrolling gas stations and hotels in Philadelphia at the behest of store owners. “We’re here to let the public know that they can feel safe.”

Boyer’s armed-guard service has boomed over the past year as Philadelphia police staffing issues led to longer response times. Neil Patel, who owns the gas station, hired Boyer in December after thieves stole an ATM and the police didn’t respond for six hours.

Across the country, police departments that already were struggling to recruit new applicants saw a spike in retirements and a drop-off in new recruits after the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent backlash against police, says Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. The number of sworn officers dropped 7% from 2019 to 2021 nationwide, according to FBI data.

Meanwhile, crime was rising in many parts of America. Murders, assaults, and car thefts rose nationally in 2020, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, and first responders found themselves busy confronting crises such as homelessness and opioids. These factors bolstered a private security industry that had already been growing steadily since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since 2020, it’s soared.