“Yes. That is why we get their business through our ethics, integrity and delivering a gold standard service.”
There are some executive protection companies that will lie to their clients if someone else is pulling the strings and paying them extra on the side. They might be told that it is in the best interest of the client or that the client is unstable or mentally ill and needs to be surveilled without their consent and then pass the information onward. There is no doubt about it: this is unethical and immoral and betrays the trust that every client should have in their executive protection agent and company.
Why Do Some EP Companies Lie?
Why do some executive protection companies do this? Usually, it is because there is someone attached to the client who is paying the agencies and therefore calls the shots with the company and convinces them to cross professional and ethical boundaries. Even if the client is struggling with mental or physical health problems, their privacy and confidence is most important and should never be betrayed.
Other agencies will lie to their clients about who they employ or make wild promises that they have no ability to keep. These might not seem like harmful lies, but they can end up putting your life in very dangerous situations. You need to choose an executive protection company that understands and follows the laws and will never sacrifice your safety to get ahead.
With the World Protection Group, integrity and ethics go hand in hand with keeping our clients safe. We understand that for our clients to feel safe and secure, they need to be able to trust that their privacy is being protected and respected as well.
Crossing Ethical Boundaries
It might not always be obvious when executive protection agencies cross the ethical boundary with their clients. One of the clearest examples of this violation actually happened recently with Britney Spears when she was under her thirteen year long conservatorship.
A traditional conservatorship in California is granted by a court when an individual is deemed unable to properly take care of themselves or make decisions for themselves. Often times this happens for people who experience mental illness or aging individuals who may be suffering from dementia. Many are granted on a temporary basis so that family members or guardians are able to get the individual the help they need.
When Britney Spears exhibited erratic and dangerous behavior a temporary–and later permanent–conservatorship was granted to her father. This gave him the ability to control both her financial decisions as well as her personal choices.
A recent documentary also made allegations that her personal security team bugged her phone and bedroom. For an executive protection company to allow this to happen to a vulnerable client shows a deep lack of integrity and breach of trust. When clients such as Britney Spears invite a protection or security team into their personal lives, it requires a huge amount of trust. Having personal belongings and property bugged crosses that ethical boundary.
Protective agencies that do this are not only breaking ethical codes, they are also putting their clients at risk by sharing very personal information with another party. Sharing client information, even with someone closely associated with the client, is unsafe and unethical. It is imperative that you choose a protection agency that keeps your best interest at the core of everything they do.
Sub Contractors vs Employees
In California, everyone that works for a security company, must be an employee of that security company. They cannot be a subcontractor, which means they would be getting paid under the table, avoiding paying taxes and insurance premiums, and will not be covered by the liability or work compensation insurance of the company.
Using subcontractors can result in the client being placed in a very bad position. For instance, if a shooting, violent incident occurs, or even a simple accident like a slip, the client will get sued without even realizing that their protection agent has been working illegally as subcontractor the whole time and does not have insurance.
This happens all the time and protection agencies will lie straight to their clients’ faces and claim that the security agent is an employee. You need to be aware of this type of risk and perform due diligence on the agency to ensure that you will be protected from this kind of scheme.
Promises That Cannot Be Kept
Another big issue to be aware of is that many security companies will make big promises that they simply cannot keep.
For example, you might tell your security company that you will be traveling to another country on the other side of the globe and require enhanced security. Most companies will lie to their client and claim that they have direct resources in that other country that will take care of the client. In reality, the company actually is subcontracting with a foreign security company and passes over to them the safety and life of their client without a second thought.
There are also instances where a uniformed security company will purchase a protection agency and then cut corners using untrained uniform security vs trained executive protection agents. This means lower bills for the company with agents receiving far less training and a lack of understanding about what an executive protection agent truly is.
The client is still charged for an executive protection agent, but will actually have a uniformed guard by their side instead of a highly trained executive protection person.
Real Executive Protection Agencies
The best executive protection agencies will never cut these kinds of corners or compromise their integrity by passing on information about their client. Look for an agency with a strong reputation within the industry that can demonstrate a high level of not only training but also the laws around executive protection agents compared to other kinds of security agents.
There should never be a time that your protection agent is willing to compromise your security or privacy. This demonstrates valuing money over your safety and confidence. A good executive protection agent understands that their loyalty is toward their client and no one else. Watch out for any agency that makes promises and guarantees that are too good to be true or puts looks above training and skills.
