Executive Protection
Determination of the right security detail
When putting together a security strategy to protect a Principal, one of the main decisions that needs to be made by the Security Director is whether to adopt a low-profile posture or a high-profile posture. In order to be able to make an accurate decision, there are several aspects that need to be taken into account.
The first element the Security Director will need to analyze is the Principal’s profile. Is he a publicly recognized person? Does he have specific political or religious opinions that can draw animosity towards his person? Is he a high net-worth individual? These types of questions need to be answered in order to begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Next in the list would be what type of trip the Principal is going to take. Will he be travelling for pleasure or will he be travelling for business? Will he be travelling by himself or will there be an entourage which also needs to be taken care of? What will be the duration of the trip? Once we answer this new set of questions, we will be able to determine the extent of the advance work that needs to be done.
The location or locations to be visited would follow in the order. Is the city of country that is going to be visited a high-risk destination? If so, what are the security challenges that make this destination a dangerous one? In order to be prepared a complete assessment must be made to cover aspects that range from politics and crime to quality of health care and availability of suitable lodging.
Once the previous aspects have been defined, the security director will have a very good idea of what type of a detail it is he needs to put together. With this information he can begin to source a trusted local partner to provide the actual service. And, we’d like to stress the importance of having a local partner. The local partner will be familiar with the culture and the geography. He will be able to help the client navigate through the local regulatory framework, which can cover aspects like licenses for armored vehicles, weapons permit, FBO operations and local transit regulations.
With all of the above properly established, the security professional will be in position to determine the right type of detail to put together which should include:
- The type of vehicle or vehicles to be used
- Quantity of men required.
- Need of weapons for the task
- Overall budget for the operation
Being able to decide the type of detail to provide, will guarantee that the Principal feels safe and comfortable in an environment that will generally be unknown to him with the feeling of uncertainty that new destinations can bring.