Who You Gonna Call – When things go wrong, stars rely on private security services for help
Heath Ledger’s body being removed from his New York apartment By Matthew Philips | Newsweek Web Exclusive Jan 25, 2008 | Updated: 8:46 p.m. ET Jan 25, 2008

In all the chaos surrounding the death of Heath Ledger last week in his lower Manhattan apartment, one reported detail stood out: that when his masseuse found him face down and unconscious on his bed, and then frantically called Ledger’s fellow actor Mary-Kate Olsen, the 21-year-old star’s immediate response was, “I’m sending my private security.” Most people, upon hearing that a friend was unresponsive, with pill bottles nearby, would rush to dial 911. But the masseuse called Olsen two more times before finally calling 911 about 20 minutes later, the second time to tell Olsen that Ledger was cold to the touch and that she feared he was dead. Olsen’s response? “I already have people coming over.”

Her “people” arrived at the same time as the paramedics, nearly a half hour after Ledger’s body was first discovered. So who are these “private security” providers? And why are they–and not public emergency services–the first call a celebrity would make?

To get a peek behind the curtain of celebrity security services, NEWSWEEK’s Matthew Philips spoke with Joseph A. LaSorsa, a security expert, who spent 20 years as a special agent in the U.S. Secret Service. His company, J.A. LaSorsa and Associates, in south Florida has been in business since 1998 and provides a range of high-end expert security and executive protection services to the rich and sometimes famous. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: What kind of protection do your personal-security agents provide?
Joe LaSorsa: Personal security can range from estate or residential security to travel security. We’ll stand guard at a residence or travel with clients aboard boats, wherever.

What sorts of people do you have as clients?
My clients tend mostly to be high-end athletes, VIPS and corporate executives and CEOs. I don’t take on a lot of celebrities for the simple reason that they tend to be more problematic. They expect to be pampered and can usually create more problems with themselves than anyone else.

Where do you draw the line between protecting a client from others and protecting them from their own behavior?
I make the point with my staff that when problems start to arise to diplomatically persuade the client to cease and desist from an activity. Part of our job is to pick up on signs that indicate a bad situation. So usually if we’re out at a club and we feel a disruption is about to occur, we’ll quietly whisper to them that we should leave. We’re there not to deal with problems but to avoid them.

Do you typically sign nondisclosure agreements?
Yes, we require it. Part of the contract is to do everything we can to maintain the client’s confidentiality.

What’s the background of the agents who work for you?
Mostly former federal agents and Secret Service agents, whom I consider to be the best long-term private-sector agents because they understand the mentality of the job.

In what way?
In their trained ability to spot situations before they become problems, and to use discretion and diplomacy rather than force to diffuse a situation. If you ask me, too many Special Forces guys are getting involved in the industry, people who aren’t trained in de-escalation but only in escalation. And the problem with celebrities is they’re drawn to these types. Celebrities typically hire people who are big in stature because they think they’ll prevent a problem through intimidation, when in fact those people are more prone to use their size and often end up accentuating problems.

How personal do the relationships get between agents and clients?
We expressly avoid any personal relationship. We assign them in 8- or 10- or 12-hour shifts. There’s no sleeping over at a client’s home. It creates too much of a familiarity, and, as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.

But it happens?
Of course it happens, clients will develop relationships with protective agents, especially when it’s a male and female, that leads to sexual relationships.

I guess you’re not a fan of the movie “The Bodyguard”?
No, I actually like it because it’s a realistic depiction of how easily that can happen.

What about being bystanders to illegal activity, like drug use?
We don’t tolerate illegal drug use. We will walk away and terminate the contract. Remember, the majority of our staff are former Secret Service. We’ll turn our heads to most issues, but not when it crosses the line of legality. Of course, again, it happens, I guarantee, and the majority of security agents out there wouldn’t feel the way I feel.

How do you handle behavior that’s not necessarily illegal but isn’t something a client would want publicized?
Do we take care of a client if they’ve had too much fun? Sure. We try not to associate with clients where that happens all the time but of course it’s going to happen every so often. People are human, and when it does, that’s part of the protection that’s offered.

What about if you found a client unconscious or with drug paraphernalia around? Would you call the police?
Again, if they cross the line into illegal activity, we’re going to call the police. I can’t speak for other agencies, but I know that pretty much most security agents are former law enforcement, and most of them won’t cross that line. Now, if they’re just passed out, then we’ll see if we can’t revive them–but if not then yeah, we’d get medical attention.

You’d call 911?
If it’s serious, yes. We don’t pretend to be medical technicians. We’re trained in CPR and as EMTs, but if someone needs to be transported in an emergency situation, then definitely that’s our obligation in protecting them.

It seems as though sometimes celebrities are looking for their security agents to be a guardian angels of sorts.
I think that’s accurate in a lot of cases. It’s not something we do, but I’m not going to say that isn’t the case with some people and that some firms provide that for them.

by Joseph A. Lasorsa, CPP

When one considers the historical nature of security applications and programs of any type, i.e., CCTV, intrusion detection and alarm systems, corporate policies and programs and countermeasures of any type, the phenomenon of the Denial Syndrome, Complacency and Failure to properly allocate a Security Budget can not be over emphasized. If we, as individuals, as a country and as a government, have not learned anything from the lessons of 911, it is the benefit of being pro-active and utilizing the concept of foreseeability.

No matter how, when or where, the denial syndrome is the one human response mechanism which can be most fatal in any security response program or effort. On too many occasions, individuals, whether VIP’s, corporate executives or the neighbor down the street will simply place their hand in the sand and resolve themselves stating to themselves “it won’t happen to me”.

I have had countless of clients respond to their threats whether due to a: stalker and/or threat from a disgruntled employee or corporate enemy, a Workplace Violence issue, internal thefts – both Estate and Corporate, security issues due to high profile or net worth, corporate espionage, marital disputes, etc., with the denial syndrome. Too many individuals simply feel that they can “safely play the percentages” and ignore the threat or the possible repercussions. The results of this type of complacency is too may times very costly and potentially, deadly.

Then of course, there is the individual or corporate executive who inevitably will analytically determine the ROI does not exist in consideration of the threat level. However, the individual almost unilaterally comes to this conclusion, completely ignoring and discounting the recommendations set forth subsequent to a properly conducted Vulnerability and Threat Assessment. This response is actually attributed to the “penny wise and pound foolish” attitude which is so common among many people.

Specifically, I would like to discuss “Child Abductions”, an aspect of life today, which has become such a serious issue and “threat” to us as individuals, families, and as a country and nation. We too many times turn on the evening news to hear of yet, another child being abducted. These predators have no conscience and seek out children, statistically between the ages of 10-12 but not limited to those ages, more times than not, a young girl and brutally sexually abuse and then murder them. The predator would more than likely prefer to abduct the older person, perhaps a 19 or 20 year old female. However, probably due to the greater degree of resistance and increased difficulty in being successful, the predators choose the younger victims.

It is in these instances that we sharply notice the denial syndrome, complacency and failure to properly budget security in operating in our lives. We plainly need to realize that we no longer live in a society that was as safe as when we grew up.

Today, due to many circumstances, one being the overcrowded criminal detention system and the pressures it places on the criminal justice system to plea bargain down felony crimes and another one being the past decades of budget cuts in state and municipal funding of Psychiatric Institutions has placed too many “psych” patients and “predatory criminals” out on the streets and living in our neighborhoods among us.

We, as parents and as a society in general, have to come to grips with the fact that we must be as pro-active. Simple mistakes such as allowing our children to ride their bikes alone, travel (walk) to a friend’s house or to school, unescorted can be fatal. We simply can’t allow small children to play unsupervised, in any environment, whether it be the driveway, backyard, park or school playground. Predators exist. They are out there, looking for the mistake

Being pro-active is critical. There are other steps parents can take, such as the use of a GPS watch or cellular phone. Obviously, the wealthier can utilize the services of an armed bodyguard, protection agent to escort their child, such as in the movie “Man On Fire”.

Given the nature of today’s occurrences, whatever the countermeasure taken, we can be assured, it probably rests within the parameters of sensibility.

Mr. LaSorsa manages J.A. LaSorsa & Associates, a South Florida based security consultancy and investigative firm, which provides professional services to Government, private and public corporations, legal and insurance firms and private citizens. These services include: asset and executive protection, corporate security and loss prevention, litigation support and expert testimony as it relates to premises liability, foreseeability, security negligence and security operations; technical security counter-measures, de-bugging, electronic sweep, anti-wiretapping, estate protection, safe rooms and security systems consulting, event and tour security, investigations and undercover operations, suspect interviews, surveillances, workplace & school violence intervention & consulting, residence security, threat and vulnerability assessments and developing/ implementing Crisis/Disaster and Business Continuity Management plans.

Joe has over twenty-nine years of experience in the Criminal Investigations, Executive Protection and the security field, which includes a twenty-year Federal Law Enforcement career as a Senior Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, having been assigned to the Presidential Protection Division, the White House.

For a free community service seminar on “Child Abduction Awareness”, J.A. LaSorsa & Associates can be contacted at: 954-783-5020 or via e-mail: jal@lasorsa.com or by visiting: www.lasorsa.com