In this guide
To hire a security company in Mariano Roque Alonso, ask first for its National Police licence resolution and only then talk price. Then match the service to what you are protecting: a house in a residential barrio usually needs a monitored alarm and cameras, while a warehouse or a shop on Route PY03 (the old Transchaco) may need a guard. Get two written quotes for the same scope.
How do I know a company is licensed?
Private security in Paraguay is supervised by the National Police through its department for private security companies (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)). Each company needs a resolution from the Police Command. Requirements the police listed to La Nación (2023) (opens in a new tab) include being a registered company, psychological tests for staff, weapons rules, its own premises, life insurance for guards, patrol vehicles and an identifiable uniform. That year 135 companies held a licence nationwide, after about 200 were cancelled or suspended.
What to ask for:
- The resolution number and date, and a company name that matches the contract and the invoice.
- The ID card of every guard they send; the police issue it (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
- No freelance "guards": for the police, someone not working for a licensed company is not a security guard (La Nación (opens in a new tab)).
What you need depends on where you are in Mariano
Mariano Roque Alonso mixes residential barrios, industry and heavy retail along PY03, its main avenue (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). It has factories, food processors, slaughterhouses and cattle fairs, and borders Asunción to the south, Limpio to the north, the Paraguay River to the west and Silvio Pettirossi airport to the southeast (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). That means very different needs:
- A house in barrios such as San Blas, Villa Margarita or Defensores del Chaco: monitored alarm with phone alerts, plus cameras covering the gate, walls and back yard, with good night recording.
- A shop on PY03: busy by day, closed at night. Ask for monitoring with response, and consider a guard only at opening and closing, when cash moves.
- A warehouse, shed or plant: this is where a fixed guard pays off, together with perimeter cameras. Under current law shifts are 12 hours (opens in a new tab), so ask how many people cover the post round the clock and who fills in.
- Near the river (Remanso, Bañado): areas below the +62 level flood (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Ask for the alarm panel and recorder to be mounted high, not on the floor.
How long will the patrol take to arrive?
This is the key question in Mariano. When there are crashes or heavy rain, the Transchaco towards Asunción grinds to a halt (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)), and the July Expo brings huge crowds: around 800,000 visitors were expected in 2024 (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). Ask each company:
- Where its patrol car is based and how many it has for the area.
- What response time it guarantees in writing, and whether that changes at rush hour or in July.
- What the control room does if you do not answer: send the patrol, call a contact or alert the police.
Cameras and alarms: who may install them?
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 public procurement file (opens in a new tab)). With an unvetted installer, the police warn, there is no guarantee the alarm will respond to a forced entry or that your recordings are kept safe (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
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 if something happens.
- Test the siren and phone alert in front of the technician, and ask what happens during a power or internet cut.
What should the quote say?
Law 1334/98 (opens in a new tab) requires sellers to tell you the service description, equipment, price including taxes, payment terms, how long the quote is valid and the scope of the warranty (art. 15); any warranty must be in writing (art. 11). Ask for separate lines for:
- Equipment and installation versus the monthly fee.
- Whether you own the equipment or it is on loan, the minimum term and the cost of cancelling.
- Whether guards are registered with IPS (social security) and have life insurance.
Always ask for an invoice (Sedeco via ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). In an emergency, call 911: a private company does not replace the police.
FAQ
Who licenses security companies in Mariano Roque Alonso?
The National Police, nationwide: each company needs a Police Command resolution and each guard a police-issued ID card.
Alarm or guard in Mariano Roque Alonso?
For a house, a monitored alarm with cameras on the gate, walls and back yard usually works best. A fixed guard makes sense for warehouses, plants or cash-handling shops on PY03.
What response time should I ask for?
Get it in writing and ask whether it changes at rush hour or during the July Expo, when the Transchaco is jammed. Ask where the patrol car is based.
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.
