Homework Responses Wk 5 & 1

Hello class,

Overt and covert operations are strategies that can be used depending upon the situation the protective detail finds themselves in. Starting with covert details, this type of operation requires the personal protective detail to draw as little attention to themselves as they possibly can and blend in to the public. On page 130 of the Protective Operations textbook, the author states "if an organization is going to make the effort to run a protective operation in a covert manner, then they must deploy some subterfuge and guile thereby avoiding a pattern". This type of detail can be used to transport a principal whos life is believed to be in serious or immediate danger, to avoid media/public attention, or to conceal where they may be traveling to. 

Overt operations are the opposite of covert; is it out in the open, with much of the information about the principal such as where they will be, what times they will be there and who they will be traveling with are widely available. A good example of an overt operation could be a law enforcement escort of a president to give a speech at a designated location. One example of a disadvantage of a covert operation is the attention it can draw from witnesses. Motorcades that use all vehicles with tinted windows will hide the location of the principal, but at the same time it will look suspicious to random people passing by (McGovern, 2011). Knowing the appropriate time to use each of these strategies for a protective detail will make a big difference in the execution of the operation. 

-Trevor