Traditionally, people might assume only the most elite, affluent people are the ones who usually need a bodyguard. However, many are realizing that they, too, could benefit from bodyguard services. People are moving away from the idea that only celebrities have bodyguards. If you’re a CEO or other business exec, run a school, are a general manager of a business, are getting out of a dangerous relationship or are in the public spotlight, you might need personal protection. If you fall into one of the following categories, boost your safety and security with a bodyguard.
1. CEOs and Execs
The BLS reports that a chief executive is one of the top ten highest paying occupations. A chief executive is predicted to make roughly $190,000 each year but could earn more depending on the business and where exactly they rank. With the money and power that comes with assuming a top executive role in a company also comes responsibility and potential threats.
If you’re an executive at a major company, your wealth could be the target of a robbery. Additionally, you might be responsible for firing employees at the company who may become disgruntled and pose a threat to yourself and others. In 2016, 66 of the total 500 workplace homicides were committed by a coworker or work associate, according to the BLS. If you’re in a prominent role at your job, consider hiring a bodyguard to protect yourself from those who may try to take advantage of you in your position or could potentially be dangerous.
2. Businesses
If you work in a business where you sell valuables and handle money, you may be compromising your safety if you don’t have a personal protection officer or bodyguard. According to the National Retail Federation, lost inventory due to theft, error, shoplifting or fraud — also known as shrink — accounted for $46.8 billion worth of lost retail sales in 2017.
However, the lost product isn’t the most significant thing to worry about. If you work with money, you’re also susceptible to robberies, which accounted for 152 of 500 workplace homicides in 2016, according to the BLS. Even in large non-retail businesses, bodyguards are useful to prevent access to secure areas of the building to avoid breaches of top-secret information. Bodyguards are extremely useful for both retail businesses and large corporations alike.
3. People Escaping a Relationship Gone Bad
More than one in three women and more than one in four men in the U.S. have experienced physical violence, rape or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you’ve just gotten out of a relationship gone wrong or have previously been a victim of domestic abuse, hire a professional protection officer to keep you safe from your abusive ex-partner. Domestic violence can include physical assault, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual violence, threats or other abusive behaviors.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also reports that more than 12 million women and men will be victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the U.S. every year. Walking away from this situation can be extremely scary, but you don’t have to do it alone when you have additional protection. If you are escaping a relationship that ended on bad terms or are a victim of domestic abuse, hire a bodyguard.
4. People in the Public Spotlight
While celebrities and other major figures are accustomed to being in the spotlight, maybe you ended up in a situation where you’re facing increased public attention that you’re not used to. Whether you witnessed a serious crime or won the lottery jackpot, you want to protect yourself and your identity, if possible, in these situations. However, you may not have the option to remain anonymous.
If you won the lottery, you could become an easy target for robbers. Protect yourself and your winnings by hiring a bodyguard. If you witnessed a crime, a bodyguard could help keep you safe until the trial is over and the perpetrator is convicted. In any instance of unwanted sudden public attention, personal protection officers or bodyguards can offer protective services.
5. Schools
If you want to boost protection in your school, consider investing in security services. Students and staff should be able to come to school and focus on learning and working without worrying about compromising their safety. According to the 2018 Indicators of School Crime and Safety report, there were about 827,000 total victimizations among students ages 12 through 18 in school during 2017. Victimization refers to theft or any other violent but nonfatal victimization.
The report, conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, adds that in 2017, about 4% of high school students reported carrying a weapon like a knife, gun or club at school within the last 30 days. Protection officers provide the extra security your school may need to keep students safe and keep the focus on learning.