60 Years After JFK: Lessons Learned in Protective Security

As protectors, we learn by studying failure -- it has always been that way. After several decades of studying tragedies and near-tragedies, one of the most sobering things I’ve learned is that sometimes you can do everything right and still fail. Within the government and the private sector, tragedy often forces change in a way that nothing else can.?

?November 22, 2023, will mark the 60-year anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, in Dallas, Texas. During the attack, the legendary and heroic U.S. Secret Service agent Clint Hill, whose actions are memorialized forever in the Zapruder film, climbed onto the back of the limousine to protect the First Lady. After the tragedy, he said, “I wish I had been quicker”. Humble words from a man who did his best.

?The shots that rang out in Dealey Plaza changed how protection is done forever, similar to how the 1972 Black September attack on the Munich Olympics changed security for special events forever. After the murder, the foundational concept of protective intelligence took root. The incident also triggered several protective security shifts, including the “intelligence advance”.? While the impacts were felt immediately within the Secret Service, the private sector followed suit to protect their personnel and counter the threat.

?At our upcoming International Protective Security Board's (IPSB) Close Protection Conference in Dallas, we will look back at that fateful day and examine the hard lessons that were learned, but also, we’ll examine how the best practices developed after that event are still relevant today.??

?Join me in Dallas for the discussion! ?

https://ips-board.org/purchase-tickets/

~ Fred Burton

Note:

Fred Burton , a renowned figure in security and intelligence, boasts a distinguished career as a former U.S. State Department special agent. Widely acknowledged for his security, counterterrorism, and intelligence expertise, he has held various high-ranking roles in these fields. Notably, he served as the Deputy Chief of the counterterrorism division within the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) at the U.S. State Department.

He serves as the Executive Director for Protective Intelligence at the Ontic Center for Connected Intelligence.

Fred will bring his extensive experience to shed light on the historical backdrop of political assassinations and how the tragic events surrounding the attack and demise of President John F. Kennedy have influenced the realm of close protection for over six decades.

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