New York Launches App for Hiring Experienced Bodyguards: It Works Like Uber

A new app called Protector launched in New York and Los Angeles last week. The mobile app allows users to hire armed guards and a motorcade, reports National Post.

Through Protector You can hire an armed ex-Navy SEAL and a tinted SUV. It's as easy as ordering a ride to the airport or a pizza delivery.

"It's Uber with guns"

You can hire a current or veteran law enforcement officer, military or special forces officer. Their primary function is to ensure your safety.

“Protector is a revolutionary personal safety app that improves personal safety and makes it available to the general public on demand,” the company said.

“It’s Uber with guns,” consultant Nikita Bir noted at X.

Founder and CEO Nick Sarat said other security services are "clunky or stressful."

"Private security should be fast and easy," he wrote in a press release.

Early launch

Two days after the execution of the general UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson In New York last December, Protector announced the launch of the app.

On the subject: New York City Subway Safety: How to Reduce Stress and Stay Out of Trouble

“We rely on law enforcement to keep us safe, but they can’t be everywhere at once,” Sarat said. “Protector is designed to support law enforcement goals. The app will give people an affordable way to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

A month later, the company posted a video on its X account using footage of Thompson's murder to promote the service.

In this video, a bodyguard named Jim, a 27-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, explains how he and his colleagues are “trained to mitigate, eliminate, and manage risk.” Jim served 12 years as a sniper in the Marine Corps.

The video then plays out three scenarios with actors. One of them plays Thompson's accused killer Luigi MangioneThis story shows how the presence of a bodyguard could have potentially led to a different outcome.

In the first scenario, the bodyguard scares off the would-be assailant, while in the second, the assailant is shot at close range. In the third scenario, the shooter hits his target before being killed by the bodyguard. The guard then notifies 911 and begins administering first aid to the injured client.

How Protector Works

Users can log in and specify their requirements: number of clients (up to five), number of SUVs (up to three) and number of guards.

They will then have to choose from a list of available agents and specify how they should dress for the job. There are four options: suit and tie, business casual, polo and cargo pants, and full SWAT uniform.

Jim explains in one of his videos that his staff are not just bodyguards or security guards.

"We are all law enforcement officers, former military and special forces, or often both. We are trained in tactical combat casualty care, risk mitigation, risk assessment, and scene assessment," he explained. "We are 100 percent prepared to get ourselves and our clients out of dangerous situations."

In both California and New York, security professionals must be licensed and registered with the state.

The app’s LinkedIn page features more than a dozen videos of bodyguards (all men) talking about their skills. Taylor, for example, is a multiple winner of New York City’s Cop of the Year and a former Air Force paramedic.

“Being a quarterback is more than just being the guy you call when shit hits the fan. It’s being the guy who can stay calm in chaotic situations and get others out of them,” Taylor said.

Prices

However, the highly trained shooters who drive you around don’t come cheap. The minimum cost is $200 per hour. The minimum booking is five hours. You’ll spend at least $1000 for one SUV and an agent. Plus a $129 membership fee.

Sarath said he wants to expand the company to more major cities across the country and eliminate membership fees. The company also said it plans to eliminate minimum booking times.

The software company will soon launch another private security app, Patrol, which will allow neighborhoods to co-fund security around their community. Residents will be able to alert the provider of suspicious individuals and vehicles, and monitor the work in real time.

The more money a district makes, the more surveillance equipment Patrol agents put on the streets, including drones and robotic technology.