Protection of persons and property in Poland – historical reflections

This article presents the basics of the security system in Poland after the political transformation in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The development of personal and property security gained momentum in the 90’s. After the political change, the lack of adequate regulations for the operation of security companies required the introduction of legal regulations that systematized the creation and operation of security companies as well as the requirements for people working in organizations. In Poland, the private security services sector emerged at the end of the 1980s. The first concessions for performing services in this area were issued after 1 January 1989 on the basis of the law on economic activity. Until the entry into force of the law on the protection of persons and property, the private security sector operated, inter alia, on the basis of the provisions of the aforementioned law on economic activity and the criminal code.1 Due to the changes occurring both in the law and in terms of changing hazards, the regulations did not correspond to the new socio-economic reality of the 1990s. As a result, on 22 August 1997, the lower house of parliament of the Republic of Poland passed an act on the protection of persons and property. The ‘privatisation of security’ is, one of the means for improving public safety. The private security sector contributes significantly to improving security, but only if appropriate legislative solutions are in place and proper control is exercised over the activities of this sector.