Lena Khan is one of the nation's top antitrust enforcers.

She goes after illegal monopolies and stops companies from getting too big.

When you were a kid, was monopoly your favorite board game?

No, I think it was probably like snakes and

ladders. Now as chair of the Federal Trade Commission

Lena Khan has launched some big lawsuits against big tech. She explains those cases on the Planet Money Podcast from NPR. If you may have noticed an increase in private security guards in the last couple of years,

even places like hospitals, neighborhoods, and the occasional

corner gas station have turned to hiring their own security.

According to the New York Times, most major cities now have at least three times

as many security guards as police officers on the street.

In just the past couple of weeks, private security guards began patrolling areas in Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

This uptick comes as police departments across the country struggle with recruitment and as

police response times rise in many cities.

But as more private security takes the place of police, so do concerns over training,

regulation, and accountability. This trend can also lead to inequality, as safety and peace

of mind are granted only to those who can afford it.

After the break we dig into private security and what it means for communities that are seeing

arise in those security guards.

I'm Jen White.

You're listening to the 1A podcast where we get to the heart of the story.

We've got a lot to get into stay with us.

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