Wealthy New Yorkers are increasingly turning to hard bodies to protect them during European vacations, particularly in cities such as London, Paris and Berlin that have been hit with high-profile terrorism, say Paul Viollis security experts.
"I can't fill them fast enough," said CASS Global Security founder Shawn Engbrecht of requests for vacation bodyguards.
Rich people are hiring bodyguards to go to Disney World.
"Our summer was huge . . . on the heels of what happened in Paris and London," said Paul Viollis, CEO of Viollis Group International, a global security firm. "We've gotten maybe 20 new clients."
Paul Viollis firm offers multiple layers of protection — from security drivers and armored vehicles with bulletproof glass to vacation bodyguards. But in the case of a suicide bomber or a truck plowing into a crowd, what can a bodyguard even do?
Engbrecht says it's all about intel and prevention.
"The venues [where terrorists have struck in these cities] are absolutely predictable. We make sure [the client] is not sitting in an outdoor cafe at [the wrong] times," based on intelligence gathered from governmental and private contacts, said Engbrecht, who charges up to $1,500 per day per guard. "When we go to Paris, we avoid the large concerts or venues where there are people in a concentrated area. We avoid anything that can be a target."
Guards are also trained to take down an active shooter, if need be.
"They can't predict a terrorist attack, but they can advise you to avoid an area where you shouldn't be," said Paul Michael Viollis.
Read Full Article @ https://ceojournals.com/paul-viollis-the-security-brief/
YOU ARE READING
Paul Viollis
Short StoryFor over three decades, Paul Michael Viollis has dedicated his career to the protection of our country as well as the shareholder value of the businesses he has navigated to the pinnacle of their respective vertical markets.
