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What the Research on Private Security Teaches Us About Negligent Security in North Carolina

By Adam J. Langino, Esq.

What the Research on Private Security Teaches Us About Negligent Security in North Carolina

Property owners across North Carolina are increasingly confronted with a reality the law has long recognized: crime is foreseeable, and prevention is achievable. A recent peer‑reviewed criminology study examining the role of private security firms in urban crime prevention—while conducted in Nigeria—offers findings that closely align with negligent security principles applied every day in North Carolina. 

The study reinforces a core truth behind negligent security law: when capable guardians are present, crime is less likely to occur. When they are absent, predictable harm follows. 

Why This Research Matters—Even Outside Nigeria 

The study examined how private security firms function as crime‑prevention tools in urban commercial districts, focusing on visible patrols, monitoring, rapid response, and deterrence. Although the research site was Osogbo, Nigeria, the framework used—Routine Activity Theory—is not country‑specific. It is the same criminological theory that underpins negligent security analysis in the United States.

Routine Activity Theory explains that crime occurs when three elements converge:

  1. A motivated offender

  2. A suitable target

  3. The absence of a capable guardian

This mirrors how negligent security claims are evaluated in North Carolina: Was crime foreseeable, and did the property owner take reasonable steps to prevent it?

What the Study Found About Private Security and Crime Prevention 

The study concluded that private security services played a highly relevant role in preventing crime in commercial areas, with most respondents reporting strong reliance on security guards and patrols to deter criminal activity. Businesses with active security measures experienced fewer security breaches than comparable properties without them.

Importantly, the study identified common crimes that private security was actively preventing, including:

  • Robberies (with and without violence)

  • Break‑ins and burglaries

  • Muggings and assaults

  • Car‑related crimes

  • Theft and vandalism

These are the same categories of violent and property crime that frequently give rise to negligent security lawsuits in North Carolina—especially at apartment complexes, shopping centers, hotels, parking decks, and bars.

The Parallel to North Carolina Property Owners 

North Carolina law does not require property owners to guarantee safety. But it does require reasonable security measures when crime is foreseeable. The Nigerian study confirms what courts and juries already understand intuitively: when property owners deploy trained security, monitoring, and visible deterrence, crime decreases. When they do not, crime concentrates.

The study also emphasized that private security works best when it is:

  • Visible

  • Properly trained

  • Integrated with local law enforcement

  • Designed around known crime patterns

These principles directly align with negligent security standards applied in North Carolina cases involving shootings, assaults, robberies, and sexual assaults on commercial property.

Security Is Preventive, Not Reactive

One of the most important takeaways from the research is that effective security is proactive, not reactive. Guards and surveillance are not merely there to respond after violence occurs—they are intended to prevent the crime from happening at all.

This is especially relevant to North Carolina negligent security claims, where defendants often argue that “crime can happen anywhere.” The research directly undermines that defense. Crime follows opportunity, and opportunity increases when security is ignored.

When Failure to Provide Security Becomes Negligence 

The study’s findings support a central negligent security argument: property owners who fail to act despite known risks are not passive victims of crime—they are contributors to it. [7 (1) | PDF]

In North Carolina, liability often turns on whether a property owner:

  • Ignored prior criminal activity

  • Failed to provide security despite known risks

  • Chose cost savings over safety

  • Removed or understaffed security measures

  • Failed to monitor or control dangerous areas like parking lots and common spaces

The research reinforces that these failures are not abstract—they directly affect crime rates and victimization.

What This Means for Victims of Violent Crime

For victims, this research supports what many already know: your injuries were not inevitable. When reasonable security measures are absent, violence becomes foreseeable—and preventable. [7 (1) | PDF]

Negligent security claims exist to hold property owners accountable when they fail to provide the basic protections that modern criminology, common sense, and the law all recognize as effective.

Final Thoughts

While conducted abroad, this study adds to a growing body of evidence supporting negligent security litigation: security works, deterrence matters, and failure to act has consequences.

In North Carolina, property owners who profit from public access also assume responsibility for public safety. When they fail to meet that responsibility, the law provides a remedy for those harmed as a result.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to inadequate security, understanding these principles is the first step toward accountability.

Speak With a North Carolina Negligent Security Lawyer

If you were injured because a property owner failed to provide reasonable security, you may have a valid negligent security claim under North Carolina law. These cases often depend on whether prior crime made the danger foreseeable and whether the owner failed to take reasonable preventive steps.    Langino Law PLLC represents victims of shootings, assaults, robberies, and other violent crimes caused by inadequate security at apartment complexes, shopping centers, parking lots, hotels, and other commercial properties across North Carolina.    To learn whether negligent security may have contributed to your injuries, contact Langino Law PLLC for a free consultation. We will review the facts, explain your options, and help you decide the best path forward. 

You can reach us at 888-254-3521 or through our website: https://www.langinolaw.com/contact

  1. Oyebambi, Ololade Margaret. Role of Private Security Firms in Enhancing Urban Safety and Crime Prevention. FUOYE International Journal of Criminology and Security Studies, Vol. 3, Issue 2, November 2024. 

  2. Langino Law PLLC. Crime in North Carolina: Challenges and Solutions. https://www.langinolaw.com/articles/crime-in-north-carolina-challenges-and-solutions 

  3. Langino Law PLLC. Do Security Cameras Reduce Crime? https://www.langinolaw.com/articles/security-cameras-reduce-crime 

  4. Langino Law PLLC. Do Security Guards in Parking Lots Reduce Crime? https://www.langinolaw.com/articles/securty-guards-in-parking-lots-reduce-crime 

  5. Langino Law PLLC. Negligent Security: A Guide for Victims. https://www.langinolaw.com/articles/negligent-security-a-guide-for-victims