32 security guard and private security companies in Berkeley, California. Ranked by license status, profile views and recommendations.
Part of the directory of security companies in California. New to California? See how California security licensing works.
32 companies
ACTUAL FACTS-INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION FIRM
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PACIFIC RACING ASSOCIATION-GOLDEN GATE FIELDS
REGIONAL DEFENSE
SIGNAL SECURITY BERKELEY-OAKLAND-HAYWARD
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Berkeley is an East Bay city defined by the University of California, Berkeley, a dense retail and restaurant core, and a steady calendar of events, protests, and demonstrations. The university, commercial districts, and event activity drive demand for campus-adjacent security, retail and storefront coverage, event and crowd management, and mobile patrol.
The providers below are ranked on merit, but the final check is yours. Work through these four steps before you sign anything in Berkeley:
Private security in California is licensed at the state level by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), Department of Consumer Affairs. A legitimate company operating in Berkeley holds a Private Patrol Operator (PPO) license, which means it has cleared California BSIS's ownership, background-check and insurance requirements. Ask for that license number in writing and verify it yourself — a certificate on the wall tells you nothing about current standing, since a license can be suspended or revoked.
Hiring an unlicensed company is a risk you carry. In California, operating without a license is misdemeanor (Cal. Business & Professions Code §7582.3). Operating as an unlicensed private patrol operator (or knowingly engaging a non-exempt unlicensed one) is a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both; falsely holding oneself out as licensed (badge, ID/business card, letterhead, or advertising) is a separate misdemeanor with a fine up to $10,000, and a conviction bars BSIS licensure for one year (five years on a second offense).
Berkeley scores 37/100 on our Crime Index (grade E), which makes it safer than 7% of the 759 US cities we track. The index is built from FBI Crime Data Explorer reports for a population of 121,235.
Crime Index
Crime rates describe a city, not a specific address — the right level of coverage depends on your block, your hours and what you're protecting. Use the neighborhood breakdown to see how Berkeley varies internally before you scope a contract.
See the full Berkeley Crime Index and neighborhood breakdown