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Private Security in Specific Contexts

Code: 103954
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Criminology OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Helena Mulero Alcaraz
Email :
helena.mulero@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It is highly recommended to have passed the subject of "Police and Security"

The teaching of the subject will be taught taking into account the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals.


Objectives

General:

1. Acquisition of management skills in the field of private security

2. Awareness of security protocols in private areas.

3. Ability to plan private security operations.

4. Promote gender equality in research and in management of private security.

5. Promote multidisciplinary work teams without gender discrimination.

Specific:

1. Management of private security tasks in different situations.

2. Perform protocols of private security

3. Evaluation and preparation of private safety plans.

4. Work with respect to the principle of gender equality

5.Design private security projects adapted to clients' specific requirements and needs.

Learning outcomes

  1. Working autonomously.
  2. Working in teams and networking.
  3. Ability to analyse and summarise.
  4. Drawing up an academic text.
  5. Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
  6. Correctly describing in the criminological field the legal-penal framework and crime control agents.
  7. Applying a prevention program for crime control agents.
  8. Properly using the criminological prevention and intervention programs.
  9. Appropriately applying social resources to criminality.
  10. Drawing up a delinquency prevention program.
  11. Effectively developing a delinquency prevention program in the community area.
  12. Effectively and individually implementing a criminological intervention.
  13. Intervening in the criminological field for pacifying, conciliatory and crime-prevention purposes.
  14. Acting in a professional way in the criminological field for pacifying, social integration and delinquency-prevention purposes.
  15. Interpreting crime-related police reports.
  16. Using the police analysis methodologies of crime investigation.
  17. Understanding and summarising the basic ideas of the technical-police inspection reports.
  18. Knowing the structural prevention strategy of delinquency.
  19. Demonstrating they know the means and scientific procedures of crime prevention.
  20. Students must be capable of carrying out a security audit in the public field.
  21. Students must be capable of carrying out a security audit in the private field.
  22. Developing a security plan in the private field.
  23. Appropriately managing a security or prevention team.
  24. Using risk analysis methods in the field of safety.

Contents

Contents


A) Management Module

  1. Private Security Management and Leadership
  2. Operation of Security Departments, Human Team Leadership, and Material Resource Management
  3. Personal Data Protection and Professional Ethics
  4. Occupational Risk Prevention
  5. Methodology for the Analysis of Public and Private Spaces in Relation to Security

B) Operational Module

  1. Fire Safety and Civil Protection
  2. Security in Financial Institutions and Asset Protection
  3. Report on the Implementation of Activities in Public Spaces (Suitability Assessment) in Relation to Security
  4. Development of Comprehensive Security Projects
  5. Practical Areas of Work for Criminologists within the Private Security Sector



Note: Before the start of the course, students will have a schedule of activities and a syllabus available in the classroom.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Seminars 19.5 0.78 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 22, 23, 24
Theory (review of cases) 19.5 0.78 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19
Readings, preparation of dssiers and group work 106 4.24 1, 2, 4, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20

Note: Before the start of the course, students will have a schedule of activities and subject syllabus available in the virtual classroom.

1.-Teaching system

Cooperative learning and the case method. Classes

2.-Theoretical classes and seminars:

  The theoretical classes will be accompanied by audiovisual means.

  The seminars will be based on the presentation of real cases and discussion of their ways of prevention. In order for students to be able to carry out the required exercises, a practical guide will be provided.

In addition, in the seminars, students make presentations of group work.

 3.-Presence hours

The course will have 13 weeks, 39 hours of teaching in lectures and seminars  (19.5 hours of theory and 19.5 hours of seminar) The rest of the hours (111), up to 150, will be distributed between hours of evaluation and hours of homework.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Practical Group project ( supervised) 30% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11
Test 20% 0 0 1, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Individual projects 20% 2.5 0.1 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19
Assistence and participation 10% 0 0 5
Dossier ( Directed ) 20% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Evaluation model:


Attendance

Attendance is mandatory. The lecturer will record both justified and unjustified absences at each session. Absences may only be justified for reasons of illness, force majeure, or academic reasons previously authorized by the lecturer.

Students who do not attend at least 80% of the teaching activities will not be able to pass the course.

Students will be considered eligible for assessment only if they have completed activities representing at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total course grade. If the value of completed activities does not reach this threshold, the lecturer may classify the student as "Not Assessable" (NA).

Justified absences cannot negatively affect the student's evaluation. The lecturer must provide opportunities for students to make up work missed due to justified absences. To be considered justified, an absence must be documented. Only absences resulting from unforeseen force majeure circumstances, such as illness or similar situations preventing attendance, will be accepted.


Participation in other academic activities related to the degree program may be considered a justified absence if previously approved by the course lecturer.

Classes begin and end punctually. Except in cases of force majeure, students may neither enter after the class has started nor leave before it has ended.


Assessment Model

A) Continuous Assessment System

Attendance at both lectures and seminars is mandatory. Students must attend at least 80% of classes; otherwise, they will not be able to pass the course.

General criteria such as the student's level of participation and ability to relate conceptual content to practical procedures will be assessed, always within the ethical framework of the profession.


Absences

Absences may only be justified due to illness, force majeure, or academic reasons previously authorized by the lecturer.

Students have the opportunity to retake both continuous assessment activities and, where applicable, the final examination. Under no circumstances may a review process result in a lower grade.


There are five assessment activities. All must be passed with a minimum grade of 5/10 in order to pass the course.


Assessment Components

  • Online Portfolio (Dossier): Compilation of all course content, including lectures, visual materials, readings, group work conclusions, and other activities. 20% of final grade. References and citations to the recommended bibliography are mandatory.
  • Individual Assignment (PAC 1): 20% of final grade
  • Group Project and Presentation (PAC 2): 30% of final grade
  • Final Individual Assessment Test: 20% of final grade
  • Attendance and Class Participation: 10% of final grade


Additional Requirements

  • Active participation in classes.
  • Completion of both individual and group assignments.


B) Single Assessment Model

Students choosing the single assessment option will be evaluated through a final examination designed to demonstrate acquisition of all course competencies.

Description of the Final Examination

The final examination consists of:

  • Multiple-choice test
  • Two written exercises
  • Reading and understanding of course materials required to complete the exercises and answer the examination questions

Duration: 2 hours

Examination Structure

15 multiple-choice questionsEach correct answer: 0.4 points

Maximum score: 6 points

One correct answer will be deducted for every two incorrect answers. Unanswered questions are not penalized

Exercise 1: Practical Case StudyWorth 2 points

Mandatory; failure to complete it will result in failing the examination

Exercise 2: Bibliographic Text CommentaryWorth 2 points

Mandatory; failure to complete it will result in failing the examination

The maximum grade obtainable through the resit examination is 5/10.


Assessment Criteria

Students obtaining a score below 5/10 in the examination must take the resit assessment.

The resit examination will follow a similar format to the original examination but will contain different questions and topics.


Resit Opportunities

Students who fail any assessment activity will have one opportunity to retake it.

The lecturer will specify the requirements and conditions for recovering failed components, whether within continuous assessment or the final examination.


Cheating and Plagiarism

Any student who copies or attempts to copy during an examination will receive a grade of 0 for the course and will lose the right to reassessment.

Any student submitting coursework containing evidence of plagiarism, or who cannot justify the arguments presented in their work, will receive a grade of 0 and a formal warning.

In the event of repeated misconduct, the student will fail the course (0) and lose the right to resit assessments.


Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Restricted Use:

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks such as:

  • Bibliographic or information searches
  • Text correction and proofreading
  • Translation

Students must clearly identify any content generated using AI technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection explaining how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity.

Failure to disclose the use of AI in assessable activities will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in partial or total grade penalties, or more severe disciplinary sanctions in serious cases.

Bibliography

Note: The following references should be used in individual and group essays.

Basic bibliography

Domínguez León, J. (2018). Problemas emergentes en seguridad. Cisde

Martinez Quirante, R. (2002). Armas: ¿Libertad americana o prevencióneuropea?. Ariel Derecho

Schopenhauer, A. (2002). El arte de tener razón en 38 estratagemas. Nueva Biblioteca Edaf

Anitua, A. (2006). Manual de protección civil. Dirección de Atención de Emergencias. Gobierno Vasco.

Mata Martín, R. M. (2007). Estafa convencional, estafa informática y robo en el ámbito de los medios electrónicos de pago el uso fraudulento de tarjetas y otros instrumentos de pago. Aranzadi.

Menéndez, D. (2008).  Formación superior en prevención de riesgos laboralesParte obligatoria y común. Lex Nova.

Rebollo, D. (2004). Derechos fundamentales y protección de datos. Dykinson.

Romeo, C. (2006). El cibercrimen, nuevos retos jurídico-penales, nuevas respuestas político-criminales. Comares.

Ruiz, A. (2005). Manual práctico de protección de datosBosch.

Complementary references

Punset, E. (2012). Excusas para no pensar. Destino

Ferro, J. M. (2014). Manual operativo del director y jefe de seguridad. Fragua.

Poeda, M. A. & Torrente. B. (2015). Dirección y gestión de la seguridad privada. Fragua.

Medina-Reyes, J. L. (2018). Protección de personalidades e instalaciones físicas. Fragua.

References with gender perspective

Alonso-Olea, A. y Casas, M. E. (2010). Derecho del Trabajo. Cívitas.

Vara, M. J. (2006).  Estudios sobre género y economía (Vol. 15). Akal.

Torrente, D. (2015). Análisis de la seguridad privada. UOC.

Mandatory readings

Sánchez, O. (2016). Protocolo de comunicación y seguridad en eventos: posibles amenazas.  Editorial Icono 14, pp. 11-36, 135-159 i 161-187.

Software

The course does not use any specific computer software

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) 11 Catalan first semester afternoon