Security Guard Services in El Salvador

Security Considerations in El Salvador

The country’s retail and corporate activity is concentrated in a compact metropolitan area covering San Salvador, Antiguo Cuscatlán and Santa Tecla, which allows a single supervisor to cover several sites in one shift. A security program applies the same Post Orders, the same supervision and the same reporting format at every store or office, and coordinates each post with shopping center or building security. Spanish is the working language, and English is required at corporate reception desks and tourist sites.

The August festivities (Fiestas Agostinas), Holy Week and the year-end season increase traffic in shopping centers and beach areas, and international events in San Salvador create short-term peaks in demand. Coverage plans should include relief officers, seasonal reinforcement, opening and closing procedures, and communication protocols with the management of each property.

• Colonia Escalón
• Colonia San Benito
• Zona Rosa
• Multiplaza
• La Gran Vía
• Galerías Escalón
• Santa Elena
• Surf City, La Libertad

How Coverage Works in El Salvador

McCray designs the program, and officers follow McCray Post Orders.

Private Security Regulation in El Salvador

• Private security services are governed by the Private Security Services Law (Ley de los Servicios Privados de Seguridad), Legislative Decree No. 227, published in the Diario Oficial in January 2001. Source
• The Private Security Services Registration and Control Division of the National Civil Police (División de Registro y Control de Servicios Privados de Seguridad, Policía Nacional Civil) supervises providers, and authorizations are granted by the Director General of the National Civil Police. Source
• Officers must enroll at the National Public Security Academy (Academia Nacional de Seguridad Pública) and pass the corresponding training course, which covers private security procedures and human rights. Source

Cities in El Salvador

• San Salvador
• Antiguo Cuscatlán
• Santa Tecla
• Santa Ana
• San Miguel
• La Libertad

Coverage in other cities, such as Soyapango, Sonsonate and La Unión, is arranged on request.

Departments of El Salvador

• Ahuachapán
• Cabañas
• Chalatenango
• Cuscatlán
• La Libertad
• La Paz
• La Unión
• Morazán
• San Miguel
• San Salvador
• San Vicente
• Santa Ana
• Sonsonate
• Usulután

Frequently Asked Questions

What Languages Do the Officers Speak?

All officers speak Spanish. Officers with working English are assigned to corporate reception desks, stores with international customers and tourist sites, and the required level is defined in the Post Orders for each site.

See the Latin America overview for other countries.