Small businesses require expertise in security and safety issues both for dealing with the public and for their own internal operations. Police officers can draw on their experience in law enforcement to create a business that answers those needs. Officers can also utilize the people skills they have learned on the job to help them deal with customers and manage employees successfully. A number of business ideas fit into a police officer's areas of expertise.
Small businesses are vulnerable to burglary or vandalism, but full-time security is expensive. A police officer who is off duty can offer security during the hours when crimes are most likely to occur. This can be a one-person operation, or the officer can contract with friends on the force to provide security at multiple businesses. As the owner of the security service, the officer can keep a percentage of the fees the businesses pay for each security person provided.
An officer can become a consultant for corporations to identify areas of their businesses where they may have lost inventory, money and equipment to theft. As an expert in security, the officer can conduct an evaluation, beef up security in trouble areas and conduct investigations if a theft occurs. This business can provide a similar service for retail stores, concentrating on shoplifting and money handling. Construction sites may hire a loss prevention specialist to help evaluate security needs in areas where doors and locks have not yet been added.
A police officer who contracts as a bodyguard gets to associate with with celebrities and/or important business people. Bodyguards must protect the person that hires them from any physical threats and ward off paparazzi and reporters. The position requires a license, and each state has its own licensing requirements. Officers can find out those requirements through an interactive map provided by the International Association of Security and Investigative Regulators at iasir.org/licensing.
Homeowners can find comfort in knowing that a police officer is house-sitting for them while they are away. According to ShoestringProfits.com, the biggest hurdle in starting a house-sitting business is gaining the trust of clients. A police officer has an advantage over the competition in this regard. An officer can charge additional fees for providing maintenance services such as lawn mowing, snow shoveling and even paying bills. Officers need to specify whether the service includes a live-in arrangement or merely involves security checks at vital times of the day and night.
