The St. Paul Pioneer Press recently conducted a profile piece on me in their Business Section entitled The Other Corporate Securities. The focus of the story was to illustrate the complexities (and hurdles) of operating in both the Celebrity Bodyguard and Corporate Protection markets:
“Elijah Shaw has been preparing for the Republican National Convention for about a year. The big event is a vehicle for connecting his small business to some of the largest Fortune 500 companies — meaning more business for him.
The security and investigations company owner’s pitch: Companies need to start thinking about security now, because if they wait before locking something in, the prices at other companies will go up and the quality of services down.
Shaw persuaded seven of these companies to use his St. Paul-based firm to secure their dinner parties, cocktail parties and individual events during the convention and to vet the support staff hired for the events to avoid unpleasant discoveries at a point when there’s no turning back.
“If you’re hosting a Republican who is big on border patrol,” he said. “You don’t want to find out that half of your cook staff are illegal immigrants.”
Bodyguard Careers recently did a great article entitled The Myths of Celebrity Protection , which shows that along with what the reality often is:
“You may be called upon to play chauffeur. You will be driving the client and his friends all over town, to and from the airport, and will probably be expected to maintain the car, which means taking it to the car wash, keeping the tank filled and the car in perfect running order.
You may be expected to protect property, which can mean looking after your client’s purchases from a high-end department store while they continue to shop.
Your protection may extend to the client’s children, which means you may have a child making demands on you, which you are required to meet. This protection may also extend to looking after the family’s dog…and picking up after it!”
Frequent readers may have noticed that the site has been undergoing some changes lately. Please bear with us as it’s all part of a bigger plan to coincide with the launch of our revamped corporate website. In the meantime the webmaster and the tech guys are working to iron out all the bugs so that once it’s up, it’s up. My only excuse is i’m a security agency not Yahoo, Google or Micosoft (but those guys know i’m only a phone call away =)
Icon Services Corporation is looking for a few good men & women to assist with our Executive Protection & Event Security staffing requirements for the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Interested parties can click here.
Industry Vet Harlan Austin of Bodyguard Careers wrote an interesting commentary regarding the “gray area” clients can find themselves in and what happens to the Executive Protection Agent when he’s asked to do (or conceal something) that could be illegal. Harlan uses some current examples in the news and brings up some interesting points.
“I can imagine how a young person, who is being paid a hefty salary could be convinced by an employer to conduct themselves in ways that serve their employer, but harm themselves. Which is why it is vital that bodyguards not become “star-struck” with the celebrity they are paid to protect. It is important to remember that these individuals–no matter how famous, rich, or influential–are people who are subject to the same laws and will suffer consequences for illegal actions.”
You can read the whole artice here and see if you agree.
From CNN: LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — The nine-week trial of Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano often had seamy plot lines and suspense worthy of a movie: death threats, offers of murder and extramarital affairs…On Thursday, the 64-year-old private investigator was convicted on racketeering and wiretapping charges…The racketeering counts each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, while most of the other counts have five-year maximum sentences. Sentencing was set for September 24, and U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer ordered Pellicano to remain in custody. For the full story click here.
A direct link to the interview series with Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine on the World of Security and the differences associated with Executive Protection, Celebrity Security and High Risk Overseas Details.
And if you hadn’t seen it before, you can check out the companion article here.
Just wanted to take a moment to thank the staff and students that participated in the May Celebrity Protection Course by Icon Services Corporation, in conjunction with Trojan Securities International. The 5 day course was a diverse and interesting mix of established operators and newcomers alike that covered a wide variety of topics from how to identify — and market to, potential clients, to the proper actions (and reactions) for dealing with stalkers and other threats.
I was impressed by the level on participation that all parties brought to the training. Despite the fatigue, changing weather and injuries (there were a couple) plus the many curve balls the instructors threw at the students, it looks like everyone took away something useful that will help them in their careers in Executive Protection.
For more information on the Icon Trojan Celebrity Protection Course click here.
p.s., the photo is from the last day when the students get the opportunity to shoot a variety of weapons that are used in the more high risk details.
