In this guide
To choose a security company in San Alberto, start by asking for its National Police licence, which Law 5424 requires (Hoy (opens in a new tab)). Then decide what you need to protect (a house in town, a farm, a shed with machinery or a shop) and get written quotes with the same scope so you can compare like with like.
How do you know a company is licensed?
A specialised department of the National Police licenses security companies and issues guards' ID cards (Hoy (opens in a new tab)). The licence is granted by resolution of the Police command and requires, among other things, a registered company, its own premises, psychological and firearms tests for staff, life insurance for guards, and marked vehicles and uniforms (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- Ask for the resolution and check it matches the company name on the invoice.
- Ask for the ID cards of the guards and of the technicians who will install equipment.
- In 2023 only 135 companies were licensed nationwide after about 200 were cancelled or suspended (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)), and a deputy minister warned that many failed the minimum requirements (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- A guard you hire directly, without a licensed company, is not a security guard in the eyes of the Police (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
What does the break-in at a councillor's home teach?
In September 2025, at around 3:00 a.m., four armed men broke down the door of a house in San Alberto's Barrio Centro, overpowered the couple and took cash in dollars, reais and guaraníes, jewellery and an SUV. The SUV turned up hours later abandoned beside Route PY07, heading towards Hernandarias (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)).
Three lessons for San Alberto:
- The front door is a weak point. Door sensors and an alarm that sounds and alerts a monitoring centre before intruders are fully inside are worth more than an extra camera.
- Do not keep much cash at home. In an area where money moves in several currencies, that is what robbers are after.
- The highway is the escape route. San Alberto sits on the PY07 to Ciudad del Este (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Ask the company what its centre does when an alarm goes off before dawn: alert the Police, send a patrol or call you, and how fast.
House, farm or shed: what fits
San Alberto lives off farming (soy, wheat and maize) (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)) and is the economic centre of northern Alto Paraná, with most of the area's banks and agribusiness firms (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)). That creates different needs:
- House in town: a monitored alarm for night-time and trips, lights front and back, and cameras on the gate and garage.
- Shed with machinery or supplies: sensors on the gates, night-vision cameras on the entrance and a contact who can get there. Ask how many hours the system runs without power.
- Farm away from town: ask for the real time a patrol needs to reach your gate. If it is long, phone alerts and a neighbour or caretaker as contact are your first response.
- Shop: an alarm for closed hours, cameras on the till and entrance, and daily cash pickup.
Cameras and installers: what the law says
Article 33 of Law 5424/15 says security systems are supplied exclusively by security companies and licensed independent installers (DNCP (opens in a new tab)). With an unlicensed technician, the Police warn there is no guarantee the alarm will work against a forced entry, and that person may keep access to your cameras (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
- Ask for the camera passwords and change them once installation is done.
- Ask where footage is stored and for how many days.
A contract in Spanish or Portuguese
Portuguese is spoken in any shop in San Alberto (Brasil de Fato, 2018 (opens in a new tab)), and the first settlers came from the Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Ask for the contract in the language you understand best, and make sure it includes:
- The company's licence resolution.
- Covered zones: doors, gates, shed, back yard.
- What the centre does when the alarm goes off, and how fast.
- Term, how to cancel and who owns the equipment.
- Total price in guaraníes and an invoice for every payment: Sedeco, the consumer agency, reminds businesses that every sale of goods and services requires one (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)).
In an emergency, call 911 (ITU (opens in a new tab)); a private company does not replace the Police.
FAQ
Who oversees security companies in San Alberto?
The National Police, through a specialised department that licenses them under Law 5424 and issues guards' ID cards. The rule is the same nationwide.
How do I know a security company is licensed?
Ask for the licence resolution from the Police command and the ID cards of its guards or technicians. If it cannot show them, look elsewhere.
What works for a shed or a farm?
Gate sensors, night-vision cameras on the entrance and a monitored alarm with a nearby contact. Ask how long a patrol takes to reach your gate.
Can any technician install alarms and cameras?
No. Article 33 of Law 5424/15 reserves the supply of security systems to licensed companies and independent installers.
