For certain businesses, traveling around the world comes as part of the job. Of course, it’s most people’s dream to work for themselves in a job that allows them to see different countries. But, if you’re in this position, it can present some difficulties.
In a lot of places, foreigners are often the victims of crimes simply because they’re from another country. Now, this isn’t necessarily racism or xenophobia at play. Instead, you may be more of a target because they assume you’re wealthy. Especially if you’re driving around in nice cars and going to high-profile meetings or events.
Of course, in these circumstances, it’s best to have some sort of protection. But, in a lot of places, it’s not as simple as just having some armed guards. These tactics have been observed by criminals for decades, and are easy for them to circumvent. In the modern age, executive protection services use a different approach.
Today, your protection will do everything they can to avoid trouble. Instead of taking risks head on, they’ll find an approach that prevents the risk from becoming a problem in the first place. This sort of practice is very involved and is all about planning. Your security force will want to know where you intend to travel, long before the trip. They will plan the vehicles you use, the security that accompanies you, and even where you’re not allowed to go. All of this is done with the aim of making it as hard as possible for criminals to predict your movements, and also to avoid using common crime hotspots.
In some places, large SUVs and fancy cars are seldom seen. Driving a vehicle like this will draw much-unwanted attention your way. To get around this, a lot of companies will use older cars. But, they will have bulletproof glass and panels installed to armor them. The prevents both the risk of being noticed and the risk of being injured if you come under fire.
The routes that are planned to get you from A to B will be kept confidential, and you may not even know them yourself. The route plan will be altered right up until the moment you leave for a journey. In a lot of places, companies will use networks for citizens to determine the threat levels of an area before you go there. In turbulent places, it only takes a small thing for violence to kick off. During times of chaos, it’s much harder to protect a VIP.
Obviously, sometimes threats can’t be prevented. But, in this case, you can rest assured that you’ll be protected. Most protection agencies will use personnel that have high-level military training and ranks. They will also train their staff to meet their own exacting standards. The planning that is done before the trip will include training for you so that you can also deal with the situation. You won’t be expected to fight, but you’ll learn to protect yourself if the going really gets tough.
The only way to truly prevent the risks of traveling to dangerous areas is to not travel at all. But, if you’re business depends on work from overseas, you might to have a choice. Do research about the country you plan to see and use government advice.
