In this guide
In Presidente Franco, ask any security company for its National Police licence before you talk price: Law 5424 on private security requires it (Hoy (opens in a new tab)). Then pick the service that fits what you are protecting (a house, a shop or a storage shed) and get at least two written quotes covering the same scope.
How do you check that a security company is licensed?
Law 5424 is enforced by a specialised department of the National Police, which licenses companies and issues guards' ID cards (Hoy (opens in a new tab)). The licence is granted by a 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 licence resolution and check it is in the same company name that will invoice you.
- Ask to see the ID card of every guard or technician who comes to your home or shop.
- Be wary of anyone without papers. 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 freelance "guard" is not an option: according to the Police, someone who does not work for a licensed company is not a security guard (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
What do recent break-ins in Presidente Franco show?
Two cases reported by Última Hora show how intruders get in:
- Barrio Santa Inés, November 2025: five armed, hooded men arrived by car, broke a glass window and overpowered the couple living there. They took phones, documents and about G. 30 million. The home's cameras recorded it all (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)).
- Barrio San Isidro, July 2026: at about 1:45 a.m., three armed men first tried to open a vehicle parked inside the property, then headed for the back of the house. They fled once the owner noticed (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)).
The takeaway: cameras help identify people afterwards, but they do not stop entry. To keep intruders out you need sensors on windows and back doors, good lighting in the yard, and a monitoring centre that reacts when the alarm goes off.
Cameras, monitored alarm or a guard?
- Cameras: useful for a police report. Ask where footage is stored, for how many days and who can access it.
- Monitored alarm: sensors on doors and windows linked to a control centre. Get in writing what the centre does when it triggers (calls you, alerts the Police or sends a patrol) and how long it takes to reach your barrio.
- Guard: makes sense for shops with valuable stock or a lot of cash, and only through a licensed company.
The law also covers electronic security: Article 33 of Law 5424/15 reserves the supply of security systems to licensed companies and installers (DNCP (opens in a new tab)). An unlicensed technician may end up with access to your cameras and the footage of your home (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
What changes depending on where the property is?
Presidente Franco has 34 barrios, 20 urban and 14 rural, and its urban area runs into Ciudad del Este with no visible boundary (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). The Monday River splits the district: most people live north of it, while the south is mostly rural (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)).
- House in an urban barrio north of the Monday: an alarm for night-time and when you are out, sensors on back windows, and lights in the yard.
- Farm or house in the rural south: ask how long a patrol takes to get there, because distance changes the response. Phone alerts and a neighbour as contact help a lot.
- Shop or storage: a monitored alarm for closed hours, cameras on the entrances, and daily cash pickup.
Dew and fog are constant in winter (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), so ask for cameras with good night vision and have the company test them after dark, not just at noon.
What to get in writing before you sign
- The company's licence resolution and the technicians' names.
- The list of covered zones: doors, windows, back yard, outbuildings and garage.
- What happens when the alarm goes off, with response times.
- Backup battery: how many hours the system runs during a power cut.
- Contract length, how to cancel and who owns the installed equipment.
- Total price in guaraníes and an invoice for every payment: Sedeco, the consumer agency, reminds businesses that every sale of goods and services needs one (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)).
Private security does not replace the Police. In an emergency, call 911 (ITU (opens in a new tab)).
FAQ
Who licenses security companies in Presidente Franco?
The National Police, through its specialised department, licenses them under Law 5424 and issues guards' ID cards. The rule is the same across Paraguay.
How do I check that 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, choose another company.
Are cameras enough to protect my house?
No. In a 2025 break-in in Barrio Santa Inés the cameras recorded everything, but the intruders still got in by breaking a window. Add door and window sensors and a monitored alarm.
Can a security company change my locks?
Locks are a locksmith's job; alarms and cameras belong to a licensed security company. If you move in or have a break-in, change the locks and ask the company to change the alarm codes.
