In this guide
To hire a security company in Filadelfia, first ask for its National Police licence resolution, then ask something people in Asunción take for granted: where the patrol or technician comes from when the alarm goes off or a camera fails. For a house or a shop in the centre, a monitored alarm and well-aimed cameras are usually enough; guards make sense for warehouses, ranches or large sites. Always get two written quotes for the same scope.
How to check that the company is licensed
Private security is overseen by the National Police through its department for supervising private security firms (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)). Each firm needs a resolution from police headquarters; requirements include being a registered company, psychological tests, firearms rules, its own premises, life insurance for guards, patrol vehicles and identifiable uniforms (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
- Ask for the resolution number and date, and check that the company name matches the contract and invoice.
- Ask to see each guard's ID card, issued by the police (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
- Do not hire a freelance "guard": police say anyone not employed by a licensed firm is not a security guard (La Nación, 2023 (opens in a new tab)).
What changes in the Chaco
Filadelfia is about 470 km from Asunción on the Transchaco highway (La Nación, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). A company based in the capital can sell you equipment, but it will not send a patrol in minutes.
- Response: ask in writing who responds when the alarm sounds, from which town and how fast. If the answer is "we call you", the price should reflect that.
- Maintenance: ask whether the technician lives locally or travels, what a call-out costs and whether spare parts are on hand.
- Heat: Chaco summers exceed 40 °C (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Ask for outdoor-rated cameras and batteries, and where the recorder will sit: somewhere ventilated, not a tin shed.
- Remote sites: in October 2021 a light aircraft was stolen from a private hangar about 15 km from central Loma Plata, some 25 km from Filadelfia; the prosecutor noted the site had no caretaker and no CCTV (ABC Color, 2021 (opens in a new tab)). For ranches, hangars and warehouses outside town, a guard, or at least cameras with phone alerts, is worth it.
What cameras do in Filadelfia
In February 2024 a student was stabbed on his way to school in Filadelfia, and footage from the cameras of at least 15 businesses helped police identify and arrest the suspect that night (Última Hora, 2024 (opens in a new tab)). A camera covering the pavement and gate protects your property and the street.
Before paying for installation:
- Get the administrator passwords for the cameras and the app.
- Ask where recordings are stored and for how many days: police and prosecutors will ask for them.
- Test the siren and phone alert in front of the technician, and ask what happens if power or internet drops.
Who may install alarms and cameras
Article 33 of Law 5424/15 says security systems "shall be supplied exclusively by security companies and independent installers (where permitted), licensed and recognised as such in the specialty" (quoted in a DNCP procurement file (opens in a new tab)). With an unchecked installer, police warn, there is no guarantee the alarm will respond to a forced entry or that recordings will be preserved (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
What the quote must state
Law 1334/98 (opens in a new tab) requires suppliers to state the service description, equipment, price with taxes, payment terms, the quote's validity and the warranty's scope (art. 15), and any warranty must be in writing (art. 11). Ask them to separate:
- Equipment and installation from the monthly fee, including the technician's travel costs if they come from elsewhere.
- What the control centre does when the alarm goes off: calls you, sends a patrol or alerts the police.
- Whether the equipment is yours or on loan, the minimum term and the cancellation cost.
- For guards: under current law shifts are 12 hours (opens in a new tab); ask how many people cover the post, who replaces them and whether they have IPS social security and life insurance.
Always ask for an invoice (Sedeco via ABC Color (opens in a new tab)).
What about an emergency?
For a robbery or attack, call 911: a private firm does not replace the police. For a medical emergency, know in advance where to go: in August 2024 no public service in Filadelfia was open 24 hours, and emergencies went to the Hospital Materno Infantil de Villa Choferes del Chaco, about 15 km away (ABC Color, 2024 (opens in a new tab)). In the 2024 case, a volunteer firefighter said they waited 40 minutes for an ambulance that never came (Última Hora, 2024 (opens in a new tab)). Write down who drives and which way, next to the emergency numbers.
FAQ
Who licenses security companies in Filadelfia?
The National Police, nationwide: each company needs a resolution from police headquarters and each guard a police-issued ID card.
Can an Asunción company cover Filadelfia?
It can sell and install equipment, but you are about 470 km away. Get in writing who responds to an alarm, from where and how fast, and who handles maintenance.
Alarm or guard?
For a house or a shop in the centre, a monitored alarm with cameras covering gate and pavement usually works best. Guards make sense for warehouses, ranches or remote hangars.
Can any technician install monitored cameras?
Law 5424 says security systems are supplied by security companies and licensed independent installers. Ask to see that licence.
