Last week in the Washington Post, "The Fact Checker" awarded former first lady, Hillary Clinton, four "Pinocchios" (real whoppers)for claiming to have come under sniper fire during a photo op. in Bosnia. On Thursday, Michael Dobbs once again awarded Senator Clinton another "poker" of Pinocchios.
This time she took heat for claiming that her trip to Bosnia was the first visit to a "war zone" by a first lady since World War II. Her claim is considered completly inaccurate, since Pat Nixon made a trip to Saigon in July 1969. At the time, South Vietnam was an actual, not a "potential" war zone in the aftermath of the 1968 Tet offensive.
The article also made mention of Barbara Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia in 1990, two months before the Persian Gulf war began. Speaking about Senator Clinton's claim that her aircraft made a tactical landing back in 1996, the pilot of the aircraft had a different memory. Retired Air Force Col. William Changose said that it was not true that they took evasive measures to avoid sniper fire. The Colonel went on to say that: "not only were there no bullets flying, there wasn't even a bumblebee flying around".
It seems that Senator Clinton is not the only one in the public eye to suffer from Pinocchioitis. Apparently the Police in Riverside, Ohio found a Pastor who had gone missing from his home in western New York, since Wednesday the 26th of March, after telling his wife that he was going to Best Buy to have his computer fixed. Officers found the Pastor at a strip club called the "K.C. Lounge", partying like a New York Govenor.
We often hear people in the media complaining about the negative effects that Rap music has on our youth. One wonders why we are now not hearing more complaining about the so-called role models getting caught with their pants down, so to speak. At least with the likes of rappers and other "bad boy" entertainers, what you see, is what you get. It's little wonder that so many people are comfortable telling lies during interviews and embellishing resumes in order to get hired and get ahead.
When I was going to school, the "dog ate my homework" excuse was used but not believed. Also, it tended to get used by children who had not yet reached their teens. I think that even children of that age these days will be able to see through these poorly constructed falsehoods that our "role models" would have us believe.
Unbelievable.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
From warzones to strip clubs, the truth comes out for a former First Lady and a Pastor.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
If politicians can imagine sniper fire, don't be surprised what people can imagine on their resumes.
Why is it that so many people these days are mis-speaking and mis-remembering? Shortly after Hillary Clinton's animated version of coming under sniper fire in Bosnia, she now tells us she "mis-spoke".
I first read about this story in last Saturday's Washington Post, in an article written by Michael Dobbs. Mr. Dobbs, who visited the Tuzla air base in Bosnia, much earlier than Senator Clinton, spoke of the risk being minimal, particularly at a heavily fortified U.S. air base like Tuzla.
The report went on to say that instead of the former first lady having to run with her head down, dodging sniper fire, the party was greeted by smiling U.S. and Bosnian officals. The paper even carried a picture of Mrs. Clinton bending down to kiss a local girl.
Mr. Dobbs concludes by saying that Clinton's tale of sniper fire is simply not credible, as photographs and video taken at the time told a very different story. Senator Clinton's story was then awarded with "Four Pinocchios", signifying a "real whopper".
As someone who spent many years in the former Yugoslavia during the war, I can attest to the fact that you know when you are coming under sniper or mortar fire, there is nothing to imagine. One thing you wouldn't do, is to stand around taking photographs for the press. I am sure that there were plenty of people around the country last week who believed Senator Clinton - she certainly seemed very credible the way she recalled the dangerous event. Now she just looks like another used car salesman who got caught turning back the clock on a used car to hide its true miles.
Like I tell clients all the time, do not be in a hurry to judge a book by its cover. Just because someone appears to have a fantastic resume, does not mean that everything in that resume is true. Around 40% of all resumes contain lies or "miswritings" as they are probably being called now.
If a former First Lady (and one who is looking to be the country's first female President at that) can tell a "real whopper", expect it from anyone. Remember, paper has never been known to refuse ink.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The importance of choosing the right security team to "watch your back".
The recent bad press that Nicole Kidman's bodyguard brought down upon himself is once again bringing the profession under the microscope.
Eventhough they do say that there is no such things as bad publicity, it would make you wonder when you take a look at the recent Kidman case. As a personal protection specialist, there are things that you can do, other than resorting to violence.
We teach common sense principles at our executive protection course and one of our readers, Cory, made me realize that we should probably be mentioning those ideas here so that readers will get the other side of the story.
For those just thinking about breaking into the industry, be advised that acting like a thug is not the way that true professionals behave. Yes, I would have thought that a major star like Nicole Kidman would be able to hire the best of the best but some of her friends might have "known somebody who knew somebody" as the old phrase goes.
There are celebrities who act like they do not want the attention when they really do. Those are the difficult ones to protect. If a celebrity really wants to be left alone, members of the protective team can make it seem as if they are taking the celebrity out one door, but that is just a decoy and the real celeb goes out another door unnoticed.
It is also possible to agree to an organized photo session so that the various papers and magazines get all of the shots they need and they do not have to resort to chasing vehicles down,risking serious injury an maybe even death.
Beating up a camera person or interviewer is never allowed. If the Police get involved, most likely the security person would be charged with assault. The reports we hear about on the internet or the news usually only mention the incident, not what happened to the over-zealous security person once the case goes to court.
Which goes to show you, when you need to hire a security person, do not rely on the referral of a friend who might know someone whose cousin just got out of the army. Use the services of a professional security company and verify their training and experience. All good companies will be able to document the credentials of their employees.
Monday, March 17, 2008
This is not a bodyguard - this is a walking lawsuit.
If you are like me and you view the latest "bodyguard gone wild" video, you can't help but wonder, how many millions of dollars will this uncontrollable violent outburst cost Nicole Kidman.
As someone who not only hires personal protection agents, but who also trains them, I can tell you that Ms. Kidman would be far better off looking after herself than being "protected" by this unprofessional hothead. Not only did her security person make a grave mistake by assaulting and battering the photographer in question, but he left her totally unprotected when he jumped out of the vehicle in a rage.
What would he have done if this were a trap? If someone wished to harm Ms. Kidman, or kidnap her, they could have staged this. The 'photographer' could have merely been bait used to lure her security and trick him into leaving his vehicle. Being unproteced, another bad guy could have easily harmed her at that stage.
I do not know where celebrities hire amateurs like this. I could refer them to dozens of professional security firms who highly value their professional reputations and who would never dream of hiring an incompetent like this. I would like to think that poor judgement is confined to Hollywood celebrities, but I know that is not the case.
Sometime people hire a "friend of a friend" who used to be in the army, or who used to be a night club bouncer. Those hires are always a mistake. The have LIABILITY written all over them. Whenever you hire someone to work for you, stop and think what might happen if they are not who or what they claim to be.
What happens if they use drugs and have an accident while driving your company vehicle? What happens if they have a temper problem like Ms. Kidman's employee? I think you already know the answer and it isn't pretty.
Do yourself a big favor and always do your due diligence. Or you could always hire an expensive law firm. Lawyers have to eat too, I suppose.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Snoop Dogg's out-of-shape bodyguard
Last week was my "WJFK Radio week". I was listening to the Sports Junkie's morning radio show on Friday as I drove to an event. They happened to be talking about the entertainer, Snoop Dogg.
A couple of the D.J.'s were commenting on the singer's reality t.v. show and the fact that he did not appear to be doing that well, financially speaking, since he was living in a normal house in a normal neighborhood. One of them then mentioned that he was still quite famous since he employed a Bodyguard.
That was the part that got my attention and made me call in to the radio show. Being the owner of a security company that hires and trains bodyguards, or as we prefer to call them: Personal Protection Specialists, I was put on the air right away.
I had seen an episode of the show that took place inside a gym. Snoop Dogg was trying to take up Yoga and his bodyguard was right there with him on the floor. His bodyguard was an immensely unfit looking individual who appeared to be 150-200lbs overweight. The poor man was so unfit that he had difficulty getting up from the floor and was visibly huffing and puffing simply from the effort of getting up on his feet.
As I told the radio show, he was not the type of individual who would be hired by Sexton Executive Security, at least not in his current unhealthy state. How can one be expected to protect a client if they are in such poor health? having a big overweight guy like that for protection is all for show.
Thankfully, most clients these days realize that they need to hire personal protection agents for their professional abilities and not for the fact that they eat like Sumo wrestlers. Unfortunately, many in the entertainment industry still seem to prefer brawn over brain.
Beware of what you post in cyber space.
I was listening to WJFK radio station the other morning and the "Sports Junkies" were talking about how someone they knew would find women online.
Apparently this guy would watch daytime television, a show such as "Family Feud". He would see an attractive female contestant and she would have a name tag showing her first name. He easily found out her last name as she was playing with her family.
Knowing that her name was, for instance: Debbie Martin and knowing that the Martin family told the host of the show that they were from Atlanta, he would then go to "Myspace" of "Facebook" and look up: Debbie Martin from Atlanta, Georgia. he would send her a "friend's request". The D.J.'s were not condoning what he did, they actually viewed him as a pervert, but they were saying how easy it is these days for people to access your information.
We all need to be aware of what we put out there, but parents of younger children need to be extra vigilant as we can see how many people get constantly caught on "To catch a Predator". It is even more frightening when they question these predators and discover that they are teachers, law enforcement officers and doctors. The very people that society believes they can trust.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Things are not always what they seem - just ask Eliot Spitzer.
In our daily consulting lives, we teach corporations to "expect the unexpected', that way, you will not be caught off-guard. The announcement yesterday afternoon that the former Attorney General (8 years) and New York State Governor (1 year), Eliot Spitzer was being investigated for his part in a prostitution ring caught a lot of people off guard.
A crooked politician getting his hand caught in the proverbial cookie jar has become so common over the years that it is hardly worth the raising of an eyebrow anymore - unless they are running for president, of course. It is a different story however, when the politician happens to be a tough "take-no-prisoners" crime fighter - especially one who had a reputation for coming down hard on organized crime.
Eliot Spitzer getting caught (of course he is innocent until proven guilty, but his statement yesterday makes no mention of innocence claiming that he: "acted in a way that violated my sense of right and wrong".)in a prostitution scandal is akin to the head of the DEA getting busted buying crack cocaine on a street corner or Batman "swooping" down on to the street to steal an old lady's handbag.
What lesson can we learn from this? To me, it is that you can't judge a book by it's cover. The Spitzer case is way "over the top" to what most of us will come across in our daily lives but it does teach us to keep our eyes open and look beneath the surface. If you are a business owner or a hiring manager, how many times have you hired someone because they looked "nice" or you had a "good feeling" about them? I hear that quite a lot.
Remember, a conman or conwoman, succeeds at what they do by lulling you into a false sense of security in order to achieve their goal. In other words, they "con" you. The con may be to get a job and once there they will steal your clients or fake an accident and go out on workman's comp. I currently have a case where we are investigating somebody for a client who landed a six figure a year salary and on the third day, they had an "accident" and spent the next several months laying around their apartment cashing checks.
If someone as "untouchable" as a State Governor can fool us, then a future employee, vendor, internet scam artist or street pick pocket can also do it. Protect your assests and safeguard your future.
While you're at it, expect the unexpected.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Why you nearly need a P.I. to help you hire a private investigator
So, you need a private investigator to help you catch your cheating spouse, or to work undercover in your business to find out who has been stealing or to follow the employee who is claiming workman’s comp, but you’ve heard he plays golf every weekend. What are you to do?
The first thing I would tell you is NOT to go to the yellow pages and pick out 5 phone numbers and ask how much they charge an hour. Hourly charges mean nothing. Think about it, how many of us would call up a doctor or dentist’s office and ask how much they charge an hour? Not to compare investigators with the medical profession, but your first priority should be: are they qualified to do the job?
This is the information age. You can research anything you want in mere seconds, without leaving the comfort of your own home. If you are looking for a private investigator in Washington D.C., or San Francisco, go to one of the main search engines and bring up all of the investigators located within a 30 - 50 mile radius. Do not worry if they are a little further away. Eventhough they will all charge you mileage, the more professional companies will have investigators spread out around the State or city in which they operate.
This is where you need to think like an investigator yourself and it doesn’t matter if you are the CFO of a $100 million dollar corporation or a stay-at-home mom. Her are some points you should seriously consider:
• Do they have a website
• Do they list a physical address
• Does their website list everything out clearly and concisely or do you feel more confused after reading it for five minutes
• Do they belong to reputable associations, both local and national
• Do they accept major credit cards
• Are they known for anything else – published books, white papers, speaking engagements, seminars, etc.
In 2008, there is absolutely no reason why a company would be without a website. A website “under construction” is nearly as bad. Several years ago it could be chalked up to cost. Smaller companies could not afford to pay many thousands for a site but these days you can have a website up and running in days for a couple hundred dollars.
A company who does not have a website, for the most part, is a company who is either not legal and must “fly under the radar”, or who is not making enough money to spend on one. If you hire a) an illegal company, you yourself could wind up being sued and if you hire b) the company who nobody else is hiring, you’ll soon find out why – but not before you have wasted your hard-earned money.
Any legitimate security company needs to let people know who they are and what they do. In order to achieve this, they belong to professional associations – local, national and even international. International associations are a good indicator that this firm is held in such a high regard that they command the respect of investigators around the world. Examples of international associations are: The Council of International Investigators (www.CII.org), INTELNET and the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF).
Once again, do not be fooled because a security person tells you their company does international work or because he calls the company “Smith Worldwide Protection”. Ask for references. Most of the time, clients need to remain confidential, so ask for the name of the Chamber of Commerce to which they belong. Call up the Chamber, or the investigation association or the State Agency where they say they are licensed and ask if they are: 1) known, 2) currently licensed and insured and 3) have any complaints filed/received any disciplinary action.
Remember, the best source will always be a personal referral. Failing that, decide after you have done a little bit of research. ALWAYS ask to see their investigator’s license or registration AND a copy of their insurance certificate. If they can not show you insurance, walk away or close the door. If I am hiring a plumber or carpenter or electrician, I will always ask for their insurance. If they do not have it and anything goes wrong, what will be your recourse? Even if you are hiring a security guard for your business – make sure that guard’s company provides a copy of insurance.
I would even go as far to say make sure that they just don’t have minimum coverage. Even though the Department of Criminal Justice mandates that security companies in Virginia only need $100,000 worth of coverage, we voluntarily carry liability insurance of $5 million. We do this to better protect our clients. If a person ever sues, they are probably going to go for millions, not thousands.
If the security company you hire only carries the minimum $100,000 and a customer is suing for $1 million, who do you think they are going to go after? You of course. On the other hand, had the security company carried a higher amount of liability insurance, they could have just sued the security company.
There will not be a huge difference in price wherever you are. In the Washington D.C. area, prices vary from around $100 - $150 per hour. It is normal to want the best deal that can be had and nearly everybody likes to save money. However, if you wind up hiring an inexperienced company who nobody has heard of and who uses young inexperienced people to conduct the investigations, then the money that you thought you were “saving” could turn out to be a total waste.
Here is an example: Company “A” is run by a young ex-soldier who joined the army at 18 and separated from the military after four years of service. He was a corporal and after he got out, he went to work for a local security company for a couple of years as a supervisor visiting buildings where other guards stood on post.
According to the State regulations, he could be granted a security business license based on having three years of supervisory security experience. He can not afford to hire anyone else so he went to a training school for one week and became registered as a private investigator.
Company “B” is run by a retired Police Detective with 15 years experience investigating homicides, five years in the transportation unit where he specialized in vehicular manslaughter investigations and is a court certified expert in accident reconstruction and cold-case murders. He too owns his own company and employees a retired F.B.I. agent and three former detectives with decades of experience in white-collar crime, gang activities, narcotic trafficking and sexual predators.
They both ask for a retainer of $1500.00 (retainers are usually $1500 - $3,000, depending on the length of time your case is estimated to take). You choose company “A” because they tell you that they charge $95.00 an hour while company “B” charges $145.00. However, after attempting to follow a subject for four days and losing them for the first three days and getting caught by the person they are following, Company “A” is forced to drop out or else you fire them (most likely ending). You can not even hand the case over to another company as the person you had followed knows he is being watched.
Company “A” then gives you an invoice for $20.00, since his botched attempts took 16 hours, which at the “bargain rate” of $95.00 per hour, totals $1520.00. Even if you refuse to pay the additional $20.00, you are out $1500.00 with nothing to show for it. Most probably the more exspensive company, “B”, would have accomplished the goal in about 2 days, at 5 hours a day, costing you $1450. With company “B” you would have had a professional product/service and had an investigator capable of testifying in court to support your case if that was subsequently needed.
The motto is: Beware of false bargains, for at the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Good luck with your search and don’t rush into it.
