In England, with its gun bans, crime is so bad that supermarkets need security guards!
As much as I agree about the problems in England, you really need to read the story again and understand the difference between common usage in England vs. the US.
It is pretty clear that the "security van" was what we would call an "armored car". Even in the US armored cars have security guards, and no one remarks on how lawless we are because of it.
The real issue is that in the US the guards are armed, and if they shoot an armed robber that is very seldom a cause for a trial (although you never know in places like Chicago, NY, and Kali).