THIS STUDY FOUND THAT IN 1971 THERE WERE 50,210 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN PRIVATE SECURITY IN CANADA; 3,290 AS PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS AND 46,905 AS GUARDS AND WATCHMEN. OF THESE, 11,525 WERE EMPLOYED BY CONTRACT SECURITY AGENCIES AND 38,685 WERE EMPLOYED AS INHOUSE PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL. THIS COMPARES TO 43,726 PERSONS EMPLOYED BY ALL PUBLIC POLICE FORCES IN CANADA. TABLES AND A NARRATIVE SUMMARY EXAMINE THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL BY INDUSTRY, PROVINCE, TYPE OF WORK DONE, AND TYPE OF FORCE TO WHICH ASSIGNED. A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE IS DEVELOPED FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL. THE STUDY FINDS THAT THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC SECURITY POLICE INCREASED 64.3 PERCENT DURING 1961 TO 1971, WHILE INHOUSE SECURITY PERSONNEL INCREASED 700 PERCENT. IN 1971 ESTIMATED POLICE PAYROLL WAS 646.9 MILLION WHILE PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL PAYROLL WAS 254.9 MILLION. THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN COLLECTING DATA ON PRIVATE SECURITY FORCES ARE RECOUNTED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PRIVATE SECURITY IS BECOMING A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE CANADIAN ECONOMY AND THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE GATHERED BY STATISTICS CANADA AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTIVE SERVICE OCCUPATIONS; DATA ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIVATE SECURITY PERSONNEL BY INDUSTRIAL DIVISION, BY PROVINCE, AND BY TYPE OF FORCE, NOTES, AND REFERENCES. (GLR)