The Belgian legal framework for private security
Private security in Belgium is regulated primarily by the Law of 2 October 2017 on private security and its implementing royal decrees, supervised by the Federal Public Service Interior and the Directorate for Private Security. Understand the licensed activities (guarding, mobile surveillance, cash-in-transit, security consultancy, alarm systems, event security, shop guarding, private investigation, training) and the principle of prior authorisation: an undertaking must hold a licence, and each guard must hold an identity card issued after screening. Guards must meet conditions on age (18), nationality/right to work, good conduct (criminal record extract), and training. The exclusion list matters: convicted persons for certain serious offences are barred.
A central trap is the prohibition on exercising public authority. A guard is a private citizen with special contractual powers on private premises; he is not police, cannot arrest in the criminal-procedure sense, cannot order people to identify themselves, and cannot conduct searches. Distinguish the private security officer from the police and from the special security officer (agents of a public transport operator or similar, who have limited statutory powers). Another trap: the guard's powers on private property derive from the owner's authorisation, not from a public mandate.
Worked example / rule of thumb: A shop guard sees a customer conceal goods. He may observe, approach, and ask the person to accompany him with consent, and may apply civil arrest only within the strict conditions of the Criminal Procedure Code (flagrant offence, and immediate handover to police). He cannot search the bag; he can ask, and if refused, call police. Rule: observe, ask, document, hand over - never search, never use force to obtain identification.
Also know the rules on uniforms (distinct from police), equipment, use of cameras (Camera Act of 21 March 2007), and reporting duties.