Liaising with Local Law Enforcement
It is possible for close protection officers or teams to have to interact with local law enforcement agencies. Sometimes the principles schedule can create a high risk situation. In these cases, a police presence or their knowledge may be beneficial. We will list some of the most common reasons why such a requirement is necessary.
#1. Terrorist attack may put the principal in danger. This may make it necessary to provide additional security for law enforcement agencies, particularly where safety close protection team of the public is at stake.
#2. A principle could be a celebrity with high public profile. His presence at an engagement, private or public, can disrupt public services or cause major disruption to residents or the general public.
#3. Although our principal may not be at risk, he or she could be present at an event attended by a high-threat level individual. Even though our principal may not be directly at risk, his presence at the event will increase the protection needed. It may even be prudent to contact local law enforcement to obtain additional information. This information could be used to protect the principal more effectively and may have an impact on the security procedures and the level of protection provided.
#4. If there is an attempt on our principal’s life, it might be necessary to arrest them. This will require complete cooperation with police regarding witness statements, etc.
This should be noted. As close protection officers, we have the exact same rights to arrest as the general public. No more, no less.
UK Health & Safety and the CPO
Any Close Protection operation that we are involved in can be affected by the 1974 Health & Safety at Work Act of 1975. This act requires us to pay attention to all aspects of our workplace, including those of our co-workers.
It would be a waste of money to spend thousands on a Resident Protection Team and then have the team put his safety at stake by failing to maintain the property.
Data Protection with Close Protection
As a close protection officer, it is crucial that we comply with the 1998 Data Protection Act when collecting, collating and storing information. This law governs the time we can keep personal information about individuals, who we can show it too, and what we do when it’s no longer necessary.
It is essential that, when gathering intel, which is part of CP work., we comply with the Data Protection Act to avoid any potential problems down the road.
Close Protection and the Human Rights Act
When gathering intelligence, we must not only consider the Data Protection Act but also the Human Rights Act of 1998.
It is crucial that we don’t violate an individual’s rights or freedoms while performing our duties. Otherwise, there could be legal action against us.