WHO DO I ACTUALLY PROTECT?
n the field of personal protection, there are always situations where You ask Yourself, who do I actually protect here? Do I protect the VIP from the people or do I protect the people from the VIP?
There are moments when you are in the middle of a mission and you realize that the customer is doing something illegal. Examples of this could be driving without a license or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, carry a weapon without a license, violating the local narcotics laws, assault, having sex with a person who appears to be underage, using the services of prostitutes, etc.
- What now?
- How do I deal with this?
- Where is the limit or the red line for yourself?
- When do I quit or cancel the job?
- Am I an accomplice and therefore liable to prosecution?
- What punishment can incur me since I, so to speak, endure it?
These are just a few questions that come to mind when faced with such a situation. From my own experience I can only say that it is extremely difficult to make the right decision here. The decision can cost you the job and subsequent jobs, as well as cause significant damage to your reputation. No one will ever book me again once my reputation has been ruined by something like this, you say to yourself.
You have to think carefully about the environment in which you want to work. If you prefer stars and starlets, you may well be more likely to stumble upon certain drug violations by the client. If you come into other customer areas, there is a higher probability of having to deal with illegal gun ownership or with prostitution.
The only way to get out of something like this, if there is a raid by the police or similar authorities, is not to know about it. But can you reconcile that with your conscience? Is that what YOU want, protect criminals?
In the early 90’s I was touring Europe with a client; the wardrobe was prepared every day by the personal assistant. There were the joints, the white lines, a few happy pills, champagne and caviar.
What more could you ask for?
Me as a young agent right in the middle of the cesspool.
That’s when the question came up, who do I actually protect here?
I got through the tour and said to myself, never again clients like that and I was lucky until today, that I have never had to face that again.
(c) GT
