Entertainment> Celebrities

Internet makes protecting stars even tougher

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-12-29 13:53

Earlier this month, burglars hit the Los Angeles home of Nicky Hilton. When sister Paris heard about it, she posted this on Twitter:

“It’s unbelievable how my sister called the cops over an hour ago and they still haven’t shown up. Her house just got robbed, so messed up.”

Oddly enough, Twitter might have been an unwitting accomplice, if not in this particular heist, then possibly in others. It’s difficult to say for sure how thieves get their information before they locate a property, invade it and empty it.

But in recent months the Los Angeles Police Department broke up a ring of young crooks who allegedly targeted the abodes of such stars as Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson and Paris Hilton and pilfered an estimated $3 million in jewelry and clothes. In the Internet age, the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities are often as available as weather reports or sports scores.

And it isn’t just burglary that results from such electronic reservoirs of information. Stalkers can locate targets as well. Paparazzi can zero in on stars.

It all adds up to massive headaches for the folks in the security industry who are hired and entrusted to keep celebrities away from intruders.

“It’s because of the instant gratification factor,” said Bill Mancini, who has worked at the State Department and the White House and now runs his own security firm in Los Angeles. “People, including high-profile corporate heads, they like to Tweet to be closer to business contacts and fan bases. But they might Tweet about being at a restaurant or at Peet’s coffee and in a few minutes the paparazzi will be around.”

The obvious answer for celebrities who don’t want their whereabouts to be known, or don’t want the locations of their homes to be disclosed, is to not disclose such information on any device connected to the Internet. But it isn’t always that simple, said Mancini. Stars, especially those new to the business, are often encouraged to make and keep contact with fans by studios and advisors in order to promote themselves.

Video

‘Burglar bunch’ targets Hollywood stars Oct. 29: Surveillance video shows teen burglars breaking into the homes of young starlets Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge. Police say the so-called “burglar bunch” has targeted other stars’ homes as well. NBC’s Michael Okwu reports. Today show “We tell them that if they want to participate in those things, we recommend taking the time to think about what they’re putting on there,” Mancini said. “What location, the schools they’re taking their kids to. It’s pretty easy to get that stuff anyway. It doesn’t do them any good to make it readily available.

“But they get comfortable with it. They might be waiting for a plane, or sitting in a car, and have some time on their hands, and they don’t always slow down to think about what they’re putting out there.”

The security challenges fall loosely into two categories: information and protection.

A security expert will do his best to make sure his client doesn’t provide too many clues as to whereabouts, or whether he or she will be out for the night.

“About 10 years ago I was called in to protect an on-air talent,” said Kieron Foley, a former Beverly Hills police officer who is now president and CEO of Estate Security Services. “She was being stalked by someone. She was used to being on air on a daily basis, and she would tell people where she was shopping. She’d say, ‘Like this beautiful dress? I bought it at blah blah blah.’

Video

Scoop on surrogate break-in plot June 18: Courtney Hazlett talks with MSNBC's Contessa Brewer about a plot to break into the home of Sarah Jessica Parker's baby surrogate in order to get information for a magazine. MSNBC “I came up with 10 things for her not to do or say on the air. One of them is not tell people where you’re shopping. You can say you had great pizza in Santa Barbara. But don’t say, ‘I had great pizza at Mulberry Street on Beverly Drive.’

“Now on Twitter, with celebrities or on-air talent, you don’t want to tell people what time you get off from work, or what Starbucks you stopped at.”

The protection side of the security equation is made more difficult if there is more information out there. Some of the information will get to paparazzi and fans, who in turn may create a nuisance. But some of it could get to more dangerous types, and that is where the level of security in place becomes a major issue.

“The reason celebrities have half the problems they have is because they hire people who aren’t properly trained,” said Joe LaSorsa, a former Secret Service agent who runs Florida-based J.A. LaSorsa & Associates, which provides security for VIPs, corporate executives and celebrities.