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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSE PROTECTION
Close Protection is as old as mankind and warfare. Quotes referring to persons fulfilling close protection roles can even be traced back to the Bible. A clear example of this is the reference to King Solomon’s bodyguards protecting him while he sleeps:
Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of valiant Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war; every man has his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night (Song of Solomon, verses 7 and 8, Chapter 3).
Fairly comprehensive historical summaries can be found in several publications on the subject (Oatman 1997; and King, 2001). In essence, as soon as the proliferation of survival instincts came to the fore of people’s behaviour, it was inevitable that the stronger members of primitive clans would protect the weaker members from any outside threats or attacks. Some of the earliest written records of protectors refer to the ancient Roman Praetorian Guards who were responsible for the protection of the ruling emperor.
It is fair to say that as soon as rulers of almost any race in any region came into power, there were probably a select few chosen to protect these rulers (the operative term being ‘with their lives’). These ‘Protectors’ were probably chosen for their physical strength and martial skills, which obviously favoured the weapons of that day. For example the use of the sword by Samurai in ancient Japan.
Many key principles of Close Protection can even be traced back to the ancient text known as The art of war which was written over 2000 years ago by the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.
Among the many applicable concepts and tactics which are as relevant today as they were when the book was written, is the idea of proactive planning and avoidance to achieve objectives.
On this point Sun Tzu stated the following:
Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant of both your enemy and yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle (Tzu, 500BC: 106).
The above quote can be directly translated to the well accepted close protection adage often mentioned in close protection training material and sometimes referred to as the ‘Seven Ps of Close Protection’, namely “Prior planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance.” (Dynamic Alternatives, 2003: 20). In the modern day world of specialist security, Close Protection is as accepted as any other relevant security function.
However, many of the interview respondents when asked about outside perceptions of Close Protection made comments similar to the one below:
The overall objectives, the attributes of the operatives and the manner in which the job is performed are still for the most part misunderstood by those not directly involved (Sharp, 2003).
Films such as ‘The bodyguard’ and ‘In the line of fire’ have added to the mystique of Close Protection. However, even though there are certainly aspects of Close Protection that are accurately portrayed in such films there are in fact many more questionable practices that are demonstrated in these films (e.g. in ‘The Bodyguard’ only one CPO attempts to protect the Principal in a high threat situation that clearly would require a close protection team). These misconceptions are understandable since the films were created purely for entertainment value and not meant in any way to be realistic portrayals of close protection operations.
There is no doubt that over time many variables including technology and experience have led to the improvement and adaptation of protective practices. Based on the researcher’s personal experience and validated in almost every interview conducted during the research, the realities of modern day close protection are quite different from the purely physical function (body protection of client/principal) that was performed by early ‘Protectors’. When describing what can be termed the ‘modern approach’, much time is spent on advance planning, paperwork and the like as opposed to the glorified images seen in the movies. The realities of long hours, poor treatment and very often
relatively low remuneration seem to be common place in the way that protective services are being currently provided in South Africa.
Moreover, when considering the professional attitude and focused approach of modern day close protection specialists it is difficult not to be impressed. The individuals providing protection have developed the ability to blend in to almost any environment. They might look like everyone else in a crowd or on a street, both in dress and mannerisms but at the same time are capable of quick thinking reactions and decisive or rapid decision making. Accordingly, well-trained operatives in the close protection field have the ability to deal with dangerous situations in a very effective manner.
Chapter 1 MOTIVATION FOR RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM STATEMENT.
AIMS OF THE RESEARCH
KEY THEORETICAL CONCEPTS
VALUE OF THE RESEARCH.
CONCLUSION
Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, CANDIDATE SELECTION AND INTERVIEW FORMATS
INTRODUCTION
VALIDITY, RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY OF COLLECTED INFORMATION
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED WHILE DOING RESEARCH
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR CANDIDATES
THE SELECTION CRITERIA FOR CPO RESPONDENTS
SELECTION OF CLIENTS (CPO USERS) .
SELECTION OF REGULATORY BODIES
CONCLUSION
Chapter 3 REGULATORY ASPECTS CONCERNING THE CLOSE PROTECTION INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO CLOSE PROTECTION IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTERNATIONAL OVERVEIW
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS
CURRENT REGULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
THE PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY REGULATORY AUTHORITY (PSIRA) AND THE POLICE, PRIVATE SECURITY, LEGAL, CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND JUSTICE SECTOR EDUCATION & TRAINING AUTHORITY (POSLEC SETA)
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSLEC SETA
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PSIRA.
FEEDBACK AND ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSIRA AND POSLEC SETA
CONCLUSION
Chapter 4 . THE CLOSE PROTECTION INDUSTRY
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSE PROTECTION.
INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL DEMAND FOR PROFESSIONAL CLOSE
PROTECTION OPERATIVES
LITERATURE REVIEW.
DEFINITION AND JOB DESCRIPTION
PROFILE OF A CPO
METHODOLOGY USED TO ASSESS AND ANALYSE LITERATURE
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES AS STATED IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS
AUTHORITY (SAQA) UNIT STANDARD
GROUPING OF CONSISTENT THEMES
SUBJECT MATTER BREAKDOWN.
PROTECTION SKILLS
UNARMED COMBAT AND CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE (CQB)
FIREARM SKILLS
FIRST AID
SECURITY AND PLANNING
ADVANCED DRIVING
PROTOCOL AND ETIQUETTE
WRITTEN FIELD WORK
OPERATIONAL APPRECIATION
RELATED SKILLS
INFORMATION SECURITY
CONCLUSION
Chapter 5 CLOSE PROTECTION TRAINING AND RELATED ISSUES
Chapter 6 PERCEPTIONS ABOUT CLOSE PROTECTION OPERATIVES AND INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS
Chapter 7 . TERRORISM, THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND CLOSE PROTECTION.
Chapter 8 TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATION AND CLOSE PROTECTION
Chapter 9 . USE OF FORCE OPTIONS AND CLOSE PROTECTION.
Chapter 10 . FORWARD THINKING, ADAPTABILITY AND THE NEED FOR A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO CLOSE PROTECTION.
Chapter 11 . RECOMMENDATIONS ON STANDARDS FOR CLOSE PROTECTION TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY
INTERVIEWS
