With their ability to respond quickly and cost effectively, understanding the future role(s) private security companies (blackwater, armourgroup, etc.) will play in emergency situations is something thats worth looking into. On one hand you could get a lightning quick response to restore order in a stricken area should the local/state law enforcement be overwhelmed. On the other hand, determining their authority and who they'd be accountable to would give rise to some difficult questions.
A very worrisome possibility. It appears some such private security forces were afoot in the NOLA area after H. Katrina, but it seems to have been kept pretty quiet. None, AFAIK, were employed by government entities. Rather, they were employed by private businesses concerned over the breakdon in law and order and the need to protect their own personnel and assets.
It would be difficult to invision exactly how such firms could be employed to "restore order" in some legally meaningful way, though. Certain government functions are rather difficult to contract out, especially during emergencies. It's much quicker and eisier to just borrow cops from neighboring jurisdictions, states and NG MP units, and let the feds reimburse you for it.
They could be used, though, to relieve local LEOs and Guardsman for more important actual policing tasks, i.e., "restoring order," by taking over "security guard" type duties typically performed by law enforcement officers, such as maintaining (vs. "restoring") order and physical security at shelters, depots, government offices, etc.
In other roles, such as supply, shelter operations, transportation, logistics, etc., such private firms lack the resources, equipment and expertise required, or there are far better sources to get the job done already available.
Jeff
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