Ensuring Safety: Exploring the valuable role of Personal Protection Officers

Close Protection Officer

Two of the questions Discretion Staffing receives most frequently from our clients when they are seeking to hire security are, 'What is the role of a personal protection officer?' and 'What should a person looking to hire executive protection or close protection services expect from the service?'

Discretion Staffing is recognised as a leading provider of personal protection officers, executive protection and close protection services across the globe. Our team will find and introduce you to the finest personnel working in the executive protection and close protection space. In this article, we help clients looking for executive protection and personal protection services with a few pointers on what to consider when hiring a personal protection officer.

We also hope to go some way to describe 'what is the role of a personal protection officer'.

What can a close protection officer do?

In simple terms, a personal protection officer, often referred to as a 'close protection officer' or Executive Protection, describes a highly skilled individual who is adept at foreseeing and neutralising threats to their client's well-being and safety, be that an individual or a group. The terms personal protection officer and close protection officer are more common in the United Kingdom than in the USA. In the USA the term Executive Protection is used more frequently than close protection, however, the duties and expectations of service a client may have of either are similar and the role of the personnel protection officer varies only with their client's demands and needs.

A personal protection officer's duties can't simply be reduced to a checklist. Modern threats and an increase in lawlessness mean that its practitioners have to be strategic thinkers and tactically aware in the world of personal protection officers, close protection and executive protection. The days when brute strength and size were prime requisites for the role have long passed. Let's review what quintessentially close protection means in the modern age;

Strategic thinking.

Wherever the client goes the personal protection officer leads. Planning routes, reviewing topography and assessing risk are key components of what a close protection officer can do.

The close protection officer will often screen any itinerary to understand the risk elements and ensure that they have factors in place to reduce or neutralise any danger that may be presented to their client while away from their safety zone.

Protection v House Arrest.

Both the personal protection officer, the close protection specialist and the executive protection officer will strive to deliver a safe environment for their client and meet their client's needs. This means the service delivered must be flexible. For example, if the client wishes to visit a place of interest the personal protection officer may not have much time to fully understand all the threats that may be involved.

Essentially, the client should not be made to feel as if they have lost their freedom. The close protection officer is there to find a balance between the client's safety and normalising the client's world.

Logistics.

The personal protection officer, the executive protection officer and the close protection officer will often have to arrange all logistics around their client's movements. They will usually be involved with speaking to venues, their security teams, and hotels to work with them to understand and reinforce any security protocols they may have in place. On occasion, they may also need to coordinate with government organisations such as law enforcement depending on the nature of the client's needs. Therefore, the close protection officer must be organised and meticulous in their approach and attention to detail.

Physical Protection.

The role of the personal protection officer and their counterparts, the executive protection and close protection officers, is to reduce and neutralise threats to their clients' physical well-being.

It is always hoped that through the personal protection officer's due diligence and utilising their experience the protection officer's client will never be in a situation where they face a clear and present danger. If a threat is unavoidable, the personal protection officer and executive protection officer work in the same way and this is most easily described in two key stages;

1. Secure the client's safety

Where possible, this is likely to mean moving the client away from any danger immediately. Most of us are aware of scenes where celebrities and people of ultra-high net worth or political importance are herded into a waiting vehicle and then sped away. The core principle of moving away from danger as fast as possible will always be the priority.

2. Neutralise the threat.

If a getaway is not possible, the close protection officer and/or the close protection team will work to neutralise the threat as quickly as possible. In some countries, this may mean employing lethal force.

Some key areas of focus if you are seeking to hire a close protection officer or executive protection.

What track record can your agency show concerning its client base?

Knowing that you are not hiring a nightclub security guard to protect you and your family is important. The individual you need will have extensive experience in the areas we set out earlier in this article.

Consider checks and any relevant qualifications.

Are you hiring trustworthy people? Is your agency meticulously screening each individual and confirming that they are who they say they are and can exceed the role's expectations?

Positions like executive protection and close protection officers give access to everything you hold dear: your family, your belongings and yourself. Checking credentials should be a standard for any agency that provides close protection and executive protection services.

Experience and references.

At Discretion Staffing we check every personal protection officer, close protection specialist and executive protection practitioner. We take nothing for granted regarding our client's safety and well-being.

We obtain references and ensure that when you hire a personal protection officer through Discretion Staffing you can feel secure that they have been screened and checked as being capable and competent.

We hope that, whatever your reason for reading this article, you will make the right choices regarding your safety and personal security.

At Discretion Staffing. We are dedicated to your peace of mind.

Contact us today, we are ready to help.

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