Gone are the days when only pop princesses and Scientologist super-stars need to employ the services of bodyguards. Warren Buffet was recently a target in his own home, where a masked man with a “fake” gun came right to the Buffet’s front door (which Buffet opened, without looking out the peephole) and attempted to rob him.
Buffet isn’t “famous” in the usual entertainment mega-media way, but he is ranked as one of the top billionaires in the world.
As with Buffet, the exceedingly wealthy need well-trained protection. It doesn’t matter if they’re not a household name or recognizable face to the average person on the street. One can become the subject of kidnapping, robbery or assault for simply holding certain political views. Business executives with ties to environmental issues are taking precautions, and of course with random acts of terrorism occurring the world over, our top political leaders as well as other political movers and shakers need to be concerned.
In the bodyguard business, there are what we call “hard targets,” meaning someone the bad guys will have a difficult time getting to. There are also “soft targets,” those individuals who are more easily accessible, and therefore more vulnerable to stalking, assaults, kidnapping and even attempted murder. A perfect example of this is when Arthur Bremer (the man who wanted to become famous by shooting someone famous) chose to shoot George Wallace. His first choice was Richard Nixon–who proved to be a hard target. So he shot Wallace instead, since he was a soft target.
The truth is, many of these people are not careful about security, because as John Lennon said, “What’s the point of hiring bodyguards if we all end up dead?” He was referring to the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. All five of his bodyguards were killed. The problem is, Lennon missed something vitally important–his choice to go without a bodyguard made him (and his family) soft targets, and a determined assassin will figure that out. Sadly, Lennon didn’t think about what his death might mean to his widow or his young children.
The perception is that having a bodyguard around will be either inconsequential or somehow disruptive to the protectee’s lifestyle. The truth is, there are several different ways in which someone who is vulnerable to attack (due to wealth, political affiliations, or popularity as an entertainer) can manage personal protection and security. The point is, if someone is in a vulnerable position, why wouldn’t they protect themselves? It’s a worthwhile investment.
The days of gargantuan men in black suits and sunglasses are going the way of the dinosaur. The trend is for guards who are skilled, firearm licensed, outstanding tactically, with well above average communication skills. Most importantly, they know how to keep a distance and are able to “blend” into the crowd, so as not to draw undue attention to themselves and clients. A bodyguard doesn’t have to be perma-glued to the client’s side.
If you are someone who has considered hiring protection for yourself, your loved ones, or your home please contact me to discuss protection options. After a calamity is not the time to say “if only.” I imagine those thoughts run endlessly through the minds of the survivors who must bear witness to preventable tragedies. Surveillance guards in plainclothes might be a better fit for you. Perhaps you only need a protective escort to and from your work or social events. Whatever the need, if having someone nearby to keep an eye open for potentially harmful situations gives you peace of mind, there is a protection plan that can be tailored to fit your specific needs and budget.
The price of an individual bodyguard can vary significantly based on the specific needs and desires of the client. There is no average cost as every client has different demands and requirements that they want to see fulfilled when hiring a specialist like a bodyguard, security guard, or private investigator. What you need will dictate what it costs which means prices for people who work in this field will vary significantly.
The cost of a bodyguard typically depends on their specialty service, how many hours of service are needed each day and in what location(s), how much uncertainty there might be in regards to living arrangements during service such as housing accommodations, whether there’s need for language fluency services such as translators or interpreters; all these components factor in the price
how much are bodyguards ?
Huck, This is one of the best articles I have ever read. There are quite a lot of professionals that I have had the pleasure of working with, and they all agree that there has to be a different mindset. Some high profile principals seem to feel that they are immune to threats and/or great bodily harm. But the truth is, times have changed as well as criminal thinking has changed as well. I am glad to see that articles such as those you often times present, are being read by those in this field of work. Now all we have to do is convince the high profile people we protect to get on the same page.
I recently saw an ABC News Special on Mr. Buffett. I was amazed that he chooses not to employment any body guards or drivers.
Hucky,
Excellent article! I recall the evening Lennon was murdered, I was at Travis Air Force Base en route to a one year tour of duty in the Republic of Korea. At the time, I had limited protection experience, but I wondered why someone as famous as the ex-
Beatle was unprotected. There was I recall a doorman; however, what would have prevented the killing would have been one advance agent at the Dakota apartment building, and an agent in the vehicle with Lennon and his wife. The advance and protective agent would have been in communication and the agent in the limo would have been warned that there was an “odd” individual hanging around outside (there were no other fans outside the building that night other than Mark David Chapman). At that point, the advance agent could have attempted to field interview Chapman, and if he was not satisfied with his contact, he could have notified the NYPD to dispatch a marked unit. The point is that Lennon would have lived that night, and if he kept protection on he and his family we may have had a Beatles reunification tour at some point during the last 27 years.
The world has changed a great deal since Lennon’s death, Wallace’s attempted murder, and even more so since the JFK assassination. What is obvious is that anyone that is in the public eye should have, as you wisely stated, have someone just to keep an eye open for anything unusual. Not a person who is going to disrupt the principal’s activities, but rather blend in with the environment and be prepared to handle any embarrassing, emergency medical, or threatening situations that could arise, and unfortunately, often do.
Jim
well said Huck,people over here in Nigeria never understand what security is all about.i will have this printed in the local newspapers,so they can read.
Excellent article! Time for people to get out of the mindset of “It won’t happen to me” or “It’s never been a problem before”
Well said Huck. The phrase “target hardening” needs to be repeated over and over again until people finally get it. I have been stressing this exact point in my online blog these past days. Whether you are a billionaire or a well known quarter-back, there are those out there who will want to cause you harm for various reasons. Thankfully, these types are only the small minority, but that is not much comfort to the families of John Lennon or Sean Taylor.
Great article Huck!