VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL. THIS PAPER IS AN EFFORT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEMATIC DATA BASE REGARDING PRIVATE SECURITY. THIS STUDY HYPOTHESIZED THAT, IN GENERAL, THE PUBLIC POLICE DRAWS UPON A DIFFERENT LABOR POOL THAN DO PRIVATE SECURITY FORCES. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT PUBLIC POLICE FORCES ARE OF HIGHER QUALITY THAN PRIVATE SECURITY FORCES. THE PUBLIC POLICE ARE PERCEIVED AS BETTER TRAINED, YOUNGER, MORE EDUCATED, AND GENERALLY EXHIBITING MORE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES. THE CENSUS REPORTS USED IN THIS STUDY WERE FROM THE YEARS 1950, 1960, AND 1970. THE VARIABLES SEX, RACE, AGE, INCOME, AND EDUCATION WERE PROVIDED BY THE CENSUS REPORTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A TENDENCY FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECURITY SECTORS TO DRAW UPON DIFFERENT LABOR POOLS FOR THEIR PERSONNEL. IT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED THAT THE RELATIONSHIPS FOUND WERE ONLY TENDENCIES AND THAT THE HYPOTHESIS WAS NOT NECESSARILY SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS FOUND MORE LIKELY TO EMPLOY FEMALES, MINORITY GROUP MEMBERS, OLDER, AND LESS EDUCATED PERSONNEL. IN ADDITION THE PRIVATE SECURITY SECTOR WAS MORE LIKELY TO PAY LOWER WAGES. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT IN MANY INSTANCES PRIVATE POLICEMEN AND DETECTIVES BORE A CLOSER RESEMBLANCE TO PUBLIC SECTOR PERSONNEL THAN THEY DO TO GUARDS AND WATCHMEN IN THEIR OWN PRIVATE SECTOR. ON THE BASIS OF THIS STUDY, IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAKE CATEGORIC STATEMENTS ABOUT THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PERSONNEL. THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE CONTROLLED, INDEPTH, COMPARISON OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PERSONNEL. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- MLC)