Understanding Close Protection
March 13, 2019The world of Close Protection or bodyguarding as it is more commonly referred to, is something that most people only know through the media. They have seen the role glamorised by way of the movies, or by reading magazine articles or fictional accounts in books.
Although a fraction of this imagined information is close to the truth, the vast majority of what is shown is far detached from the actual reality of the profession.
The perceptions that many hold are quite extreme when it comes to their idea of what type of individual they see working in security.
It ranges from one end of the scale where they believe that all bodyguards or close protection officers, as they shall be referred to from now on, are large aggressive people with very little in the way of a fully functioning intellect. This then jumps to the complete opposite end of the spectrum.
Where we find our tremendously adept super intelligent representative, who is able to take on and defeat, any terrorist group or major felon. Both these ideals are far from being accurate.
There may be a number of individuals who fall into the former definition, but they are not and never will be capable of working at a professional level within the security industry.
Also the media view of the work of Close Protection Teams, which shows them constantly defending their client against regular attack, is also pure imagination.
There are official teams who provide protection for certain individuals on whom there is a definite and ongoing threat, such as the team protecting Salman Rushdie. Intelligence and avoidance however, are the defences used with these teams not mass shootouts.
So what exactly do we mean by the term close protection and what is the role of the close protection operative?
The term close protection has multiple definitions; but the one that describes the role most concisely is the following:
It is to reduce the possibility of kidnap, assassination or unlawful act by the application of certain principles and measures to normal daily life.
So this then is the fundamental role of those working in Close Protection. Their responsibility is to protect their employer, their Principal, by way of applied standard operating procedures and security precautions. What measures are required and at what level have to be accurately assessed and determined by the team.
Posted by Dave Williams. Posted In : Close Protection