Global Security Services

Global Security Services (GSS) is a Maryland-based firm offering "intelligence, investigations and disaster management" to companies. It also offers "pre-employment screening" tools, and such "paramilitary operations" as "maritime security and rescue," "employee evacuation in hostile environments," "asset recovery and protection," and "maritime port security practice."

Obama campaign
In September 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Democratic presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama had paid GSS "more than $380,000," for providing "bodyguards and intelligence for three months, until Obama was assigned Secret Service protection in May."

Musicians
GSS "recently provided executive protection for U2s Bono and Mary J. Blige in Mexico City," reported a Maryland publication in March 2006.

Services
Services offered, as described by the firm, include:
 * High-Risk Event Protection
 * Intelligence Services - to help with "competitiveness, corporate image/public relations, due diligence, human resources or product liability issues"
 * Investigations
 * Homeland Security
 * Disaster Management
 * TravelSecure™
 * Hospitality Security
 * Technical Security
 * Information Systems Security
 * Paramilitary Operations - the "Global Security Services Paramilitary Group is comprised of former Navy SEALs and other Special Operations Forces"
 * Training

Personnel

 * Richard Beckett, CEO and, previously, the founder of the now-defunct intelligence firm Beckett Brown International
 * Joseph J. Funk, "a former Secret Service agent" who heads GSS

Contact information
Global Security Services, LLC 877 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard Severna Park, MD 21146-4700

Website: http://www.gts-gss.com

SourceWatch resources

 * Annapolis Group
 * Beckett Brown International
 * Chesapeake Strategies Group
 * Diplomatic Tactical Services

Articles

 * James Ridgeway, "Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups", Mother Jones, April 11, 2008. (Additional reporting by David Corn, Jennifer Wedekind, Daniel Schulman, and Nick Baumann).