Ethics in the Executive Protection Industry

The Issue of Ethics

 

By Elijah Shaw

 

Recently on the North American Bodyguard Association’s  discussion board (found at either www.AmericanBodyguards.org) I brought up the subject of moral dilemmas and how they affect the security professional, particularly those involved heavily with close protection.  Because we wanted honest answers to the “What would you do if…” question, we even allowed participants to post their answers anonymously.  While the discussion was lively and a lot of good points were made, I had the sneaky suspicion in the back of my brain that while most answered overwhelmingly on the side of “I won’t cross the line for a client that breaks anything other than a minor law or two” I wondered if those that felt otherwise just choose to keep it to themselves? Anonymous feature or not.

There is an unavoidable reality to the situation that clients are hard to find and once you have them we traditionally do everything in our power to hold on to them and keep them happy.   A bird in the hand so to speak.  But when faced with a situation that might be at odds with our individual ethics, do we turn a blind eye to the activity, or do we hold our ground regardless of the employment consequences?  Of course by and large we all consider ourselves honorable people but the reality of life is that each of us has our own internal compass.  Additionally there’s an age old saying “it’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove.”  Does that mean that allowing a client to “get away” with something is ok as long as there is very minimal chance that it would come back to bite you?

Notice that I have not given any examples of the moral dilemmas that are the topic of this column.  That is intentional because up into this point, I wanted you, the reader, to come up with your own set of circumstances in your minds eye.  What may be a black and white to one protection agent may be a shade of grey to another.  However, for the purposes of this discussion, allow me to pose a few questions.  Answer truthfully, and since this article is not required reading for an Executive Protection oral exam (yet) the only person you have to be honest with is yourself.

 

Situation #1

 

Your client is a wealthy businessman who has always treated you fairly.  At a country club dinner you sit the next table over and hear the client and his associate engage in conversation that includes a lengthy discussion filled with degrading hate speech about a particular minority group.  Once back in the car he asks how you feel about that particular group.  What do you say?

 

Expanding on that: Would your response change if hypothetically your son were now married to a woman in that particular racial group?

 

Situation #2

 

You receive instructions from your Principal that you’re to accompany him on a two day out of town business trip.  Once there you quickly notice that your married client is actually engaged in an affair and that this trip is just a cover story.  Weeks later the Principal’s wife pulls you to the side, and with tears in her eyes tells you what she suspects and begs to know the truth.  What do you do?

 

Would you answer change if she confided that he has physically abused her and that your affirmation of the affair would be grounds for divorce so that she could finally leave him?

 

Situation #3

 

Your client is a celebrated actress and philanthropist who just donated a large sum of money to a reputable charity in a much publicized manner.  You later discover documents showing that someone in the charity has funneled the money back to the client, effectively making it a PR stunt.  Do you do anything with this information?

 

Make the charity into one working on an autism cure.  Now imagine you had a younger sibling with severe autism.  Change anything?

 

Read the full story in The Circuit – The Magazine for Bodyguards by ordering HERE.    You can also receive 1 year’s subscription to The Circuit, by  joining the North American Bodyguard Association.  Click HERE for more info.

ICON CEO Elijah Shaw Interviewed on America’s Frontlines

This Friday at 1:00 pm CST i’ll have the pleasure of being interviewed on the radio show “On America’s Frontlines of Crime & War” found on Voice America which broadcast to over 130+ countries.  The show, hosted by JJ Sutton & William Vinelli has had some pretty interesting and engaging guest in the past, such as Security Driving Expert Joe Autera and the controversial Joe Arpaio, better known as  ”America’s Toughest Sheriff”.  Both tough acts to follow, so i’ll try not to put anyone to sleep.

Here’s the episode blurb:

The protection industry has been around for centuries. Words that spring to mind are Honor, Integrity, Warriors, and so on. Today the industry is much different than what it once was. Some of the driving factors are the fact that private wealth has changed our society dramatically. We now think of Celebrity Protection as the top most level of private industry work. It has many appealing factors that draw new faces to our industry. Traveling on private planes, staying in luxury hotels, and attending the best parties – but behind the scenes real professionals are quietly handling some of the most detailed choreography that defines them as the true professionals they are. These hardworking men and women are the real deal in Celebrity Protection work and they do follow the age old adage of handling things with Honor &, Integrity. In this episode we speak with a Celebrity Protection Expert, Elijah Shaw who discusses how hard the work really is.

To catch the show click HERE.

The Alpha Male Trait in Executive Protection

Playing Well With Others

by Elijah Shaw

The 2011 Grammy Awards is a very prestigious event.  Every A-List celebrity you can think of in the entertainment industry; musicians, actors, models, but more importantly decision makers, shot callers and handlers are in attendance.  For the Security Professional operating in the celebrity arena, it’s the equivalent of your team going to the super bowl – It likely took hard work to get there, it raises your profile, but the stakes are dramatically higher.  In addition there’s the added pressure that, as opposed to working one on one, with your Principal you are now moving your client in an environment where he or she may not be the most famous person in the room.  Things may take a little longer to happen, there are additional security procedures that apply to everyone and the undivided attention and assistance you once got from support staff is now splintered.  In short your VIP is now one Very Important Person amongst many.

The problem I see too many in our industry make when faced with this situation is that instead of adapting, we try and throw their weight around.   We become belligerent to the PA’s (personal assistants) who are in charge with navigating us around the event.  We become acrimonious with law enforcement that has been given strict orders that in a place where “everybody is somebody “ all need to submit to security screening. Most telling of all, we sometimes treat our counterparts working close protection as adversaries as opposed to allies.

It’s that last point that I’ve found so fascinating in my many years in the industry.  While I fully acknowledge that a contributing factor to success as a bodyguard is the “Alpha Male” Personality, I’ve never understood why when you put more than 3 of us in a room who are not on a detail together you can see territorial lines being drawn almost as clearly as if they were written with crayon.

Now don’t get me wrong there are definite exceptions to this rule (I try hard to consider myself one of them).  There are some great guys and gals in the industry that every time I see them it’s an opportunity to combine intel and share resources.  When on an event similar in scope to the Grammy’s we provide introductions to key staff and alert each other to any security or logistical problems.  But more often than not, I see agents eyeing each other with suspicion and barley veiled contempt.  You can almost hear their thoughts out loud:

“How did this guy get that client? I’m so much better than he is.”

“That’s not how you escort the Principal, diamond formations always work better than box.”

“This guy is standing too close to my client’s door, is he trying to steal my client”?

I know this situation is not unique to the Celebrity Protection market.  My associates that operate in some of the more hostile areas of the world tell me about protection teams sizing each other up all the time.  Of course the stakes are different when you’re in Iraq or Papa New Guinea.  The point I’m trying to make is: Think how much could be accomplished if  simply we adjusted our mindset that other EP Agents and event staff were all working for the same goal – The safeguarding of the individuals inside that collective circle of protection.    Sometimes those rings will overlap and when they do, I’ll look at others providing services not as nuisances but as brothers (or sisters) at arms dealing with their own set of challenges.  I believe that an attitude like this will pay back in dividends in the long run.

Read the full story in The Circuit – The Magazine for Bodyguards by ordering HERE.

The Executive Protection Magazine

While Blogs & Newsgroups might be the wave of the future in terms of delivering up to the minute news reporting, there is still a place for the printed page.  In the world of Executive Protection, The Circuit Magazine fills that niche offering news, tips, interviews, equipment reviews and more with all things related to the Bodyguard & Close Protection Industry.

Now on issue #10, the fine folks at the North American Bodyguard Guard Association (NABA) also with the long-standing British Bodyguard Association (BBA) produce a full-color magazine that covers the A-Z of security industry.

A subscription to the magazine comes free with membership to either of the above organizations, or you can order individually HERE.

If past issues are what you are looking for, I’d also suggest checking out BodyguardMagazines.com, where you can order, and also find a preview of the articles.

Tom Taylor’s Armored Men Hits Bookstores

So a new book that dives into the world of Executive Protection is hitting the market soon.  Tom Taylor’s “Armored Men”, is a fictional story centered on Lieutenant David Armstrong and his team from the Governor’s Security Division as they return to find themselves and their protectee — Missouri Governor William Ulysses Stovall — in harm’s way.

So how do you know it will be any good?  Here’s a quote from Industry Guru Tony Scotti from his Security Driver News Blog:  “I received an advance copy of Tom’s new book “Armored Men”, and it has exceeded my expectations. Although a fictional account of a Governors Protection Detail Tom has found a way to bridge the gap between fiction and reality, to the point where the book is hard to put down. The realism of the team’s motorcade operations could be used in a classroom environment. The book could and should be used as a textbook.”

Sounds like an excellent endorsement for a good read to me.

This is what some of the leaders in the industry have to say about Tom’s book -

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, bestselling author of On Killing and On Combat:

“As the world may generate those who would slay and destroy, so too does our world raise up protectors, heroes who can and do stop the assassin. Tom Taylor’s book puts us inside the minds and the lives of these Armored Men, this elite order of a modern knighthood who forms the bodyguard of democracy.”

John Farnam, author of The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning:

“Taylor’s writing style is engaging and suspenseful, and the knowledge-base is impressive. I couldn’t put it down.”

John Rose, Holston International Training & Consulting:

“Taylor has done it again! Strap in for a wild heart-pounding story that will have you cheering for the good guys and wishing you could join the fight against the villains.  You ask where all the heroes have gone. They are here in Armored Men!”

Bob Duggan, President of Executive Security International (ESI), Ltd:

“Seldom do close protection professionals ever get their story told by someone who knows the business better than most who are in it.  Tom Taylor knows this story well because he has spent a long career protecting others and he is exceedingly good at it.  The fictional elements of Armored Men are riveting and describe a fear and foreboding that we will live with for a generation. It is a story of our times.  At ESI, we gift new students this book and urge them to read it and pass it to friends. ”

Dr. James P. McGee, Director of Psychology and Forensic Services Sheppard Pratt Hospital (1983 – 2002):

“Taylor is a legendary figure in the world of executive protection and Armored Men tells what that world is really like. His novel is so authentic it should be classified TOP SECRET!”

Hans van Beuge, CEO of Savior Protective Services:

“Armored Men is total High-Speed, Low-Drag infotainment. For anyone in protective operations or wishing to be thoroughly entertained, Rule No. 1 is read everything written by Tom Taylor. The book is sensational.”

Robin Barratt – author, journalist, and founder of British Bodyguard Association:

“Tom never fails to deliver! Armored Men is yet another fast-paced, action-packed dive into the uncompromising world of executive protection from one of the most professional and respected protectors in the world today.”

You can click HERE for more info or to purchase.

Latest issue of The Circuit Bodyguard Magazine On Sale Now

The latest issue of The Circuit – The Magazine for Bodyguards & Security Professionals is on sale now.

Order yours by clicking HERE.

The latest issue features engaging articles including the effectiveness of the surge in Afghanistan, prepping your “Go Bag’ and a great interview conducted by Harlan Austin of Bodyguard Careers with the one & only Tony Scotti.  These three alone are well worth the $8.00 usd cover price.

To preview or order previous issues of the full-color quarterly mag, click HERE.

Is There a Magazine for Bodyguards?

The short answer is yes.

The Circuit Magazine is THE official magazine for Bodyguards & Security Professionals (*and I’m not just saying that because i’m the US Managing Editor).

*Well maybe I am staying that because i’m the US Managing Editor, but also because it’s true!

Every quarter we (meaning the fine folks at the North American & British Bodyguard Associations) produce a full-color magazine that covers the A-Z of the industry, everything from tips on finding corporate clients to firearm reviews to lessons learned from high risk operators — The Circuit has it all.

We’ve also made it a bit easier to order current and past issues by teaming up with BodyguardMagazines.com, so If you’ve missed any, stop by the site today and complete your collection.

Female Bodyguards Featured on Today Show

Amy Robach of the the Today show does a segment on the rise of females in the Executive Protection industry.  The show spotlights Executive Protection Agent Joanna Torrens and an all female class undergoing training in the profession.   While obviously greatly condensed and edited for their morning demographic, I thought the piece was a good representation of the training, challenges and mindset women would need to undergo to succeed in the male dominated bodyguard industry.

Click HERE to view the segment.

To learn more about some of the training Joanna went through follow THIS link.

ICON Featured on the Today Show

Just got off a (LONG) 22 hr flight from South Africa.  Touched down and  received word that the Today Show piece we did in conjunction with Harlan Austin at Bodyguard Careers aired.  I’ll get a proper post up later, but in the meantime, catch the segment.

And if your interested in learning more about the training (for males or females) click HERE.

Video of the program behind the jump.

The Circuit Magazine Preview Page

The Circuit is a Magazine co-produced by the British Bodyguard Association (BBA) and the North American Bodyguard Association (NABA) who’s goal is to spotlight the role of Executive Protection & related fields to our community and the outside world.  A full-color glossy with high production values, the publication is truly international, with contributors and readers from New Zealand to New Hampshire.   In addition to being the Managing US Editor, I currently write an ongoing column entitled, “Keeping Your Edge”, which gives my opinions on a variety of topics that affect our industry.  Take a look at some of the past columns from me as well as other valued contributors.

Currently in the library:

Keeping Your Edge

by Elijah Shaw (yours truly)

The Role of Firearms in Executive Protection

by Justin Johnson

To check out the Books & Magazine Page, click HERE.