[ad#line]

David Beckhams Bodyguard gets involved in a punch up with a photographer. The story as reported is below appeared on a few news sites, this particular version was reported on Enews.

After being pursued by paparazzi today in Beverly Hills, the soccer stud confronted a photographer, with a fight breaking out moments later between one of the soccer star’s bodyguards and the shutterbug.

According to an eyewitness, Beckham went up to the car and tried to get the driver to come out. When the driver declined, Beckham’s bodyguard went to the passenger’s side and punches began flying. They started fighting right in the street in front of the police station

Once the bodyguards and the paparazzi started fighting David ran back to the car and he and Victoria drove off…The cops finally came and broke it up.

The Bodyguard should have been calming his principal down, and not making matters worse by assaulting the photographer. The upshot of it all is that the Principal ends up running off with no protection; whilst the bodyguard assists the police with their enquiries. How intelligent is that? The Press were doing their job, clearly the Bodyguard was not.

A few years ago, every newspaper had its own staff of photographers but these days this is not the case. Most of the photographers that you see on the street are freelancers. They sell their photos to the major agencies, which syndicate and then sell the rights of the photographs around the world. This syndication can earn a photographer massive amounts for ‘the’ photo, but the downside of all this is that not many photographers get paid a wage anymore; they are paid only when they take a picture that is worth selling. It follows that these photographers are very eager to get the photograph. This makes them more aggressive when things aren’t going their way, and more determined to take risks and liberties to get the picture. Increasingly, it would seem that when these photographers do earn money they do not spend it on soap! More than once in recent years I have heard the paparazzi pack referred to as ‘the great unwashed’

However much you hate the Paps you cannot assault them. Who is looking after the principal whist you are wrestling the Paps? And besides, the Paps are just too clever at recording the incident. Subsequently its you that will be charged and deservedly so. Assaulting the press is just not or never has been part of the job.

[ad#ad-1]

[ad#line]

A disgruntled ex Royal Bodyguard has been spilling a few team secrets. Among plenty of  tales of gambling and blue movie watching by the team. “Prince Andrew has been accused of abusing his position by ordering Royal security officers to collect stray golf balls while he practised his strokes in the garden of Buckingham Palace”

I suppose if a prince asks you to collect his golf ball then you fetch it. But even a prince is ultimately responsible for his own security. If he is stupid enough to use his close protection officers for menial tasks then what can a lowly BG do? It’s not like the grounds of the Palace are sterile, nutters of all descriptions are often found wandering in the gardens!  This type of misuse of close protection officers is widespread.

I have witnessed situations where the Principal decides to ‘“get his money’s worth’” from the team and starts putting them to work in other areas such as in the garden. This is very short- sighted on the part of the Principal and it makes no sense to employ a well- trained professional bodyguard to do anything other than bodyguard. At this point, the bodyguard has to make some decisions. It’s not an issue of dignity (I don’t weed gardens.), rather it is one of function. A bodyguard is employed on the calculated assumption that his services as a bodyguard will be at some time needed. Sod’s law will again dictate that when you are needed you will be walking the dog or collecting some groceries, instead of being alongside the person you have been paid all this time to protect. Do you want this job or not?

If you are being used as regular hired help then your employer must be left in no doubt that whilst you are prepared to help this will impair your function. Your employer must be made acutely aware of your function; to him it may appear that you are doing very little when in fact you are working hard.  You must educate the Principal as to what your function is and that you are never “doing nothing” you are always working.  To do your job properly you must have the trust and complete co-operation of your principal or you may as well not be there.

[ad#ad-1]