App available in LA provides armed security with click of a button

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Need armed security? There's an app for that. With a click of a button, users of a new app called Protector can hire a bodyguard specific to their needs.

The app comes after several high-profile robberies. Currently, the service is only available in Los Angeles and New York.

Users get to choose the type of bodyguard they want, how they should dress and what type of black car is needed for the occasion. The elite service provides private security from active or veteran law enforcement and members of the military.

The company says all protectors are vetted, but they're not cheap.

There's an annual membership fee of $129, and the rate to book a bodyguard is at least $1,000 for a five-hour minimum - which law enforcement expert Bruce Thomas says is a standard timeframe. The company says it plans to remove the five-hour minimum in the next few weeks and its $200 per hour rate will remain the same.

"Anytime you have a service like this, like anything, they have to be fully licensed. In the state of California, BSIS - (Bureau of Security and Investigative Services) - has to license you. You have to have what's called a guard card to do this type of business," Thomas said. "Then you also have what's called a firearms permit, which allows you to carry a weapon."

Thomas also says consumers should verify.

"What is their background? Are they just law enforcement? Are they just military? Have they gone to a bodyguard school?" Thomas said. "Have they gone to a protection school, like I put myself through in the late 90s. So these are things that I as a consumer would want to make sure that they have."

The company claims its professionals are licensed to carry under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. Experts say it's also a good idea to verify the company is insured for liabilities.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Protector's rate is $200 per hour, not $1,000 per hour. An earlier version of this story also described the app as "Uber with guns," but that reference was removed so that there is no confusion about whether the two apps are affiliated - they are not.