History

In 1832, Eugene Francois Vidocq laid the foundation for the private security industry in Paris. Eleven years later, Robert Pinkerton established “Pinkerton & Co.” in Chicago, from which “Pinkerton´s National Detective Agency” emerged in 1850. The latter was jointly managed and organized by the brothers Robert and Allan Pinkerton. This detective agency not only represents the foundation of the globally operating Securitas company, it is also the role model for the private security industry in Europe. In 1901, the first Wach- und Schließinstitut (security company) was established in Hanover and, a year later, the Munich Wach- und Schließgesellschaft – the oldest member of the German SECURITAS group – was founded.