Bodyguard
Security person or persons assigned to protect an individual
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public officials, wealthy businesspeople, and celebrities, from harm. The personnel team that protects a VIP is often referred to as the VIP's security detail.
Most important public figures, such as heads of state, heads of government, and governors are protected by a team of bodyguards from a government agency, security forces, or police forces. Less-important public figures, or those with lower risk profiles, may be accompanied by a single bodyguard who doubles as a driver. Bodyguards have existed since ancient civilizations, with notable examples including the Roman Praetorian Guard, Persian Immortals, and the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire. These roles have evolved into modern executive protection professionals, equipped with advanced technologies and training.
01Roles
The work of a bodyguard consists mainly of planning routes, pre-searching rooms and buildings where the client will be visiting, researching the backgrounds of people that will have contact with the client, searching vehicles, and escorting the client on their day-to-day activities. In the event of an emergency, a bodyguard's priority will always be to evacuate their client, rather than engage with threats.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Bodyguard”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- President Ronald Reagan moments before he was shot in an assassination attempt 1981.jpg by Michael Evans, Public domain
- Posse Dilma 2010 5.jpg by Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br
- Merkel Bodyguards 2013.JPG by RudolfSimon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Quanell X bodyguards.jpg by Bob Price from Houston Texas, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Close Protection Unite Croatian MP 12.JPG by Ex13, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Paspampres1.png by AWG97, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Personenschuetzer.jpg by Please watch the [[:File:Personenschuetzer.jpg#Licensing:|licensing informations]] of this image. I would also appreciate an email to ratatosk[at]ratatosk.de with details of use., CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Portrait of the Imperial Bodyguard Zhanyinbao.jpg by Unidentified Artist, Public domain
- Cossaks Imperator Bodyguard.jpg by Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
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