RESPONDENTS WERE SPECIFICALLY QUESTIONED ABOUT TYPES OF SECURITY PROGRAMS NOW BEING USED; USE OF CONTRACT GUARD SERVICES; FACTORS IMPORTANT IN THEIR SELECTION; COMPANY PERSONNEL IN CONTACT WITH GUARD SERVICES; AND ATTITUDES ABOUT COSTS OF SECURITY PROGRAMS, THE INDUSTRY, AND THEIR CURRENT SERVICE. DURING MAY 1979, A TOTAL OF 2,300 QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MAILED AND OVER 500 WERE RETURNED, YIELDING A TOTAL USABLE SAMPLE OF 452, OR A 20-PERCENT REPRESENTATION. STUDY FINDINGS ARE LIMITED BECAUSE THE RESPONDENTS DID NOT REPRESENT A TRUE SAMPLE OF ALL GUARD SERVICES OR A TRUE CROSS SECTION OF ALL COMPANIES USING SUCH SERVICES. STUDY FINDINGS SHOW THAT A COMBINATION OF GUARDS AND ELECTRONIC SECURITY PROGRAMS ARE THE DOMINANT TYPES OF SECURITY EFFORTS BEING USED BY THOSE RESPONDING TO THE SURVEY AND THAT THE MAJORITY OF GUARD STAFFING IS WITH PERSONNEL SUPPLIED BY CONTRACT SECURITY SERVICES. THE AVERAGE CLIENT HAS ABOUT 18 GUARDS WORKING APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS PER WEEK AT 6 POSTS IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTS. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF A CONTRACT BY A GUARD SERVICE TO ITS CLIENTS LASTS ABOUT 3 YEARS. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL SECURITY BUDGET STATED BY RESPONDENTS WAS $175,000, WITH ALMOST ALL ANTICIPATING INCREASED 1980 BUDGETS. HOWEVER, THE MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE CONTRACT SECURITY GUARD INDUSTRY SEEMS TO BE THE LOW ESTEEM IN WHICH IT IS HELD BY THOSE WHO CONTRACT FOR ITS SERVICES. AT BEST, IT IS CONSIDERED AN AVERAGE PROFESSION. AREAS OF NEGATIVE RESPONSE INCLUDED SCREENING OF NEW GUARDS, THE EDUCATION AND MOTIVATION OF THE GUARDS THEMSELVES, GUARD TRAINING, AND THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SERVICE TO CLIENTS BY THE GUARD SERVICES. EXTENSIVE TABLES ARE PROVIDED, AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT IS APPENDED. (PRG)