Types of Protection Details                                                          

 

Protection details vary in size and complexity, from the

gigantic operations that protect the US President, to one

person operations that last a few hours.

           

Most people, however, are not aware that there are

two types of protection details.  The first kind is the most

well known, what we at SpyTrainer call Reactive Protection:

           

Often a show of force, such as highly visible security and bodyguards works very effectively at keeping attacks on your Principal (the person being protected) minimal.  The Protection Team closely surrounds their principal, making it extremely difficult to approach and harm the individual.  The Close Protection Officers (CPO) keep a lookout in all directions, each responsible for and covering a certain Arc, or section.  Any threat that is identified approaching is announced; the CPO seeing the threat shouts “Contact!” and immediately engages the threat while the other members of the team whisk the Principle away. 

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If you think of a protection operation like the face of a clock, the Principle is the center of the clock and the CPOs are immediately around him, usually in a four person square.  Each of them are responsible for ¼ of the clock, meaning the front-left CPO covers 9:00 to 12:00, the front-right CPO covers 12:00 to 3:00 and so on.  Any threat that focuses on the center, the Principle, is engaged as it approaches.

 

Perhaps an attacker is seen 10 feet away pulling a knife and rushing up.  The nearest CPO shouts “contact” and turns to fight and disarm the assailant while the other members drag the Principle into a shop, out of harm’s way.

            This type of protection is a very defensive posture and is very effective.  However, all threats must be reacted to as they are coming, they can not be anticipated in advance.  Most small to medium size Protection Details operate in this manner.

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The second type of protection is the type that we at SpyTrainer specialize in, what we call Discreet Proactive Protection:

 

Sometimes a Principle may not want obvious protection and requires something more discreet and less intrusive on their life.  Other times, a client may request protection for another person but that person is not to be made aware that they are being protected.  This is often the case with people associated with intelligence agencies, like informants, defectors, double agents or witnesses in court cases.  Sometimes Corporations request protection for their top scientists or programmers, who they consider to be intellectual property.  In these cases, the reactive, visible protection detail described above will not work and a highly trained, specialized type of operative is required.

 

Using the skills of an elite Discreet Surveillance Officer combined with the training of a CPO, the operatives on these types of assignments will perform Discreet Proactive Protection.  The operatives will conduct a combined surveillance/counter surveillance operation.  They form a perimeter around the moving or stationary target, from a distance, watching in towards the Principle.  While this type of protection does not form a physical barrier around the Principle, it is highly effective in other ways.

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First, most attacks on a Principle are not spontaneous.  There is always an indication they will occur.  Attackers, like all animals of prey, will stalk their victim for some time before they attack, looking for just the right moment.  They may follow in a car or if walking, follow at a distance, waiting for their moment.  In the Reactive Protection system above, CPOs usually can’t see this stalking as they are close to their Principle and don’t have a wide enough field of view.

 

Again using the clock face as an example, the Principle remains in the center, however, the CPOs are now spread throughout the face, near the numbers, looking in towards the Principle.  Any would-be attackers who are watching the Principle from a distance can be noted and tracked, with operatives closing in on them while their focus is intent on their target.

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As the attacker pulls his knife 10 feet behind the Principle, he finds himself slammed into a wall from behind and quickly disarmed and subdued by people he never even saw.  Meanwhile, the Principle continues on his way, perhaps unaware that anything even happened.   

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Compared with the Reactive system above, it is far safer for a CPO to surprise and disarm a knife wielding maniac from behind then it is to react to one running towards him.

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The second reason this system works so well is that the attacker is less prepared because he views his target as an easy mark.  Instead of being prepared to fight through 3 or 4 bodyguards, he is attacking a lone person.  His preparations are less, he is focused on his target and not his surroundings and his psychological preparations are different.  He is almost always completely dumbfounded when he is taken out by a “pedestrian”.

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Basically, this system widens the net and picks up the attacker while he is still in stalking and preparation mode instead of when he is primed, armed and attacking.    

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Large scale Protection details could include both these systems.