Montana Security Guard Licensure Practice Exam

In Montana, the role of a security guard primarily includes the authority to observe and report incidents, enforce policies of the property they are guarding, and detain individuals in certain situations until law enforcement arrives. However, security guards do not have the same level of authority as law enforcement officers and cannot make arrests in the traditional sense.

They can detain individuals who are suspected of committing a crime on the property they are hired to protect, but this detention is limited and should be conducted in a reasonable manner and for a short duration. Their ability to detain stems from the principle of citizen’s arrest, but it is important to note that this is not equivalent to making an official arrest. Their power ends once law enforcement takes over, which is why the statement regarding their ability to only detain individuals is accurate within the legal framework governing security operations in Montana.