Spy and detective Allan Pinkerton founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in Chicago in 1850. Nowadays, Pinkerton Government Services “offers a full range of cleared protective services designed to meet the specific requirements of the U. S. government. ” It provides regular security services such as guards, fire fighting and emergency medical technicians, as well as specialized resources like sniffer dogs. In 2003 Pinkerton was acquired by Swedish security giant Securitas AB, and it is in the process of switching its name to Securitas Critical Infrastructure.