Understanding The Role Of A Bodyguard

The world of the Close Protection Officer or bodyguard as it is more commonly known is something that most people know only by way of the media. They have seen the role glamorised by way of the movies, or by reading magazine articles or fictional novels.

Although a portion of this imagined information is near the truth, the vast bulk of what is published and viewed is far removed from the genuine reality of the business.

The perceptions that many hold are quite extreme when it comes to their idea of what type of individual they see working in Close Protection.

It covers one end of the scale to the other; they can presume that all bodyguards or close protection officers, as they shall be referred to from now on, are hulking combative morons with very little in the way of a fully functioning IQ. This then shifts completely in the opposite direction.

This is where we have our super skilled super intelligent people, quite capable of taking on and defeating single handily, any major criminal or terrorist organisation. Both these perceptions are far from the truth.

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 world of Close Protection.

Also the media vision of the work of Close Protection Teams, which shows them incessantly protecting their client against repeated acts of violence, is also a work of pure fiction.

Yes, there are officially sanctioned teams out there who do afford protection for certain clients on whom there is an absolute and continuing threat. But it is intelligence and aversion that are the employed tools of their trade and not handguns.

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 many definitions; one that describes the role in simple and accurate terms 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.

Our company, Go Executive Protection Ltd, can provide you with experienced and professional Close Protection Officers and Witness Protection Officers at a competitive cost to yourself.