The number of security guards in China had hit 4.21 million as of December 2010, reported the People’s Daily Sunday, quoting a source from The Ministry of Public Security.

As of December 2010, 2,966 companies provided security services in China, with their fixed assets totaling 9.49 billion yuan ($1.46 billion). In 2010, the total turnover of these security firms reached 27.7 billion yuan, and generated tax of 2.04 billion yuan.

Last year, security guards across the country provided more than 160,000 clues used in solving cases, helped catch 142,100 suspects, prevented 61,900 calamitous accidents from happening and retrieved economic losses worth 5.77 billion yuan.

China had the first company providing security service in December, 1984 in Shekou, Shenzhen city.