In this guide
To compare security services in Caaguazú, start with the non-negotiables: the company must be licensed by Paraguay's National Police and its guards must carry a guard ID card. Then get written quotes from two or three companies for the same list (entrances, cameras, alarm, monitoring or guard) and compare what each does when the alarm goes off, not just the equipment price.
How do I know a security company is licensed?
Private security is overseen by the National Police through its department that inspects security companies (ABC Color, 2023 (opens in a new tab)), under Law 5424/15 (opens in a new tab). Each company needs a resolution from Police command to operate; requirements the Police listed to La Nación (2023) (opens in a new tab) include being a registered company, psychological and firearms tests for staff, own premises, life insurance for guards, patrol vehicles and an identifiable uniform.
- Ask for the licence resolution number and date, and the company's tax ID (RUC).
- To check before hiring, the Police set up the number (021) 443-126, extension 123 (Hoy, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Guards must hold the licence card for private guard work (Hoy (opens in a new tab)). The Police say anyone not working for a licensed company is not a security guard (La Nación (opens in a new tab)).
Is the shop selling cameras a security company?
Search "seguridad" on a phone map in Caaguazú and you get security firms mixed with electronics, phone and electrical shops. Selling a camera is not the same as providing the service: article 33 of Law 5424/15 says security systems are to be supplied exclusively by security companies and, where allowed, independent installers, licensed and recognised in that specialty (DNCP procurement file (opens in a new tab)).
- If you buy equipment in a shop, ask who installs it and whether that installer is licensed.
- If you want monitoring (someone who sees the alarm and reacts), hire a company that provides it and put it in the contract.
Guard, monitoring or cameras?
Caaguazú is a commerce and services town on Route PY02, 180 km from Asunción and 144 km from Ciudad del Este, with neighbourhoods such as Centro, San Roque, Santa Isabel and 1ero de Mayo (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), and a lot of farmland around it.
- Shop in the centre or on the PY02: cameras on the door, till and storeroom, plus a monitored alarm with phone alerts. In 2018 four downtown shops were burgled within 48 hours, and in one case CCTV footage was what identified the culprits, who broke in before dawn (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)).
- House in town: monitored alarm and one or two cameras on the gate and where you park, with night lighting.
- Farm, shed or dairy: distance changes everything. Ask how they respond outside town and whether phone or internet signal is good enough for monitoring. Smallholders in the department have complained about cattle theft, reported to police and passed to the anti-rustling prosecutor's unit (Última Hora, 2018 (opens in a new tab)); for livestock, cameras don't replace rounds and pens near the house.
What the quote should say
Ask every company to price the same list: number and position of cameras and sensors, equipment price separate from the monthly fee, and what monitoring includes. Before signing, clarify:
- What the control room does when the alarm sounds: calls you, sends a patrol, or alerts the police.
- Whether recordings stay on a box on site or also go to the cloud.
- What happens in a power or internet cut: backup battery and phone alert.
- Whether the equipment is yours or on loan, the minimum term and the cancellation cost.
- That the equipment warranty is in writing, saying what it covers and for how long (Law 1334, art. 11 (opens in a new tab)).
For guard contracts, get the number of guards, shifts, who covers days off and what insurance they carry.
What to avoid
- Hiring a freelance "guard" or a company that won't show its licence: the Police say an unlicensed firm gives no guarantee of training or of protecting your data (Hoy (opens in a new tab)).
- Sharing alarm or recorder passwords in chats you don't control. Change them after installation.
- Forgetting the police: private security doesn't replace them. In an emergency, call 911 and give the exact address; the line gets thousands of calls a day, many of them pranks (Última Hora (opens in a new tab)). Keep any footage and hand it over when you file a report.
Next step: list every entry point of your home or business (gate, doors, windows, back yard, parking), send it to two companies and ask for their licence resolution with the quote.
FAQ
How do I check that a security company in Caaguazú is licensed?
Ask for its National Police licence resolution number and its RUC. The Police set up (021) 443-126, extension 123, for checks before hiring.
Can an electronics shop install monitored cameras?
Law 5424/15 reserves the supply of security systems to licensed security companies and, where allowed, licensed independent installers. Ask who installs, who monitors, and see the licence.
Can I hire a freelance guard?
According to the Police, a guard must belong to a licensed company and carry its card; someone working on their own is not considered a security guard.
What works for a farm outside Caaguazú?
Ask how the company responds outside town and whether signal is good enough for monitoring. For large properties, compare guards or rounds with cameras.
