Benny Mares is a retired Los Angeles Police Department police officer and former international bodyguard.  Today, he is a child safety consultant and speaker throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Benny Mares is the author of Executive Protection: A Professional's Guide To Bodyguarding and Child Safety 101.

According to the description of Child Safety 101, “Is your child a potential victim? Child safety is every parent's first priority. Retired LAPD officer Benny Mares relates 101+ straightforward safety tips to assist parents in protecting against child molesters, abductors, and pedophiles. A must-read for parents.”

The Midwest Book Review said of Child Safety 101, “Written by a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, Child Safety 101: 101+ Safety Tips For Protecting Your Child is an must-read for all parents. Child Safety 101 emphasizes in simple terms how to teach children from a very young age how to protect themselves - for example, that they should run from any unfamiliar adult trying to entice them into a vehicle, that they should scream if someone (stranger or acquaintance) tries to forcibly take them somewhere, that they should never answer telephone surveys or tell callers that "no one is at home". Sample "what-if" games useful for teaching very young children what to do are suggested. Furthermore, Child Safety 101 never ceases to warn against the perils of leaving children unsupervised, or in the care of individuals who have not passed a careful background check. The critical importance of self-esteem, the buddy system, specific rules and instructions for children to follow in a wide variety of situations and much more is repeatedly stressed in this vital guide worthy of the absolute highest recommendation.”

According to the description of Executive Protection: A Professional's Guide To Bodyguarding, “Being a bodyguard is not all sunglasses, dark suits and muscle. This book debunks the myths and stereotypes and describes the realities of protecting celebrities, executives and foreign dignitaries. Executive protection specialist Benny Mares tells you how to get in on the ground floor of this expanding field.”

One reader of Executive Protection: A Professional's Guide To Bodyguarding said, “Reading this book is like sitting down with Benny Mares, the author, for a couple of hours while he explains the executive protection business to a beginner. Do you really want to be in this business? Read the book before deciding. What are the qualifications? Where do you go for training? How do you find work? Though the book is only 108 pages, it is well worth purchasing.”

One reader of Executive Protection: A Professional's Guide To Bodyguarding said, “Anyone considering a career in the field of Executive protection would benefit from reading this book. I encourage everyone to read this book before attending a formal Executive Protection course. I wish everyone who called me for an interview would have previously read Mr. Mares book and taken to heart the invaluable information that is provided.”

One reader of Executive Protection: A Professional's Guide To Bodyguarding said, “Executive Protection" is a short but vital primer for anyone interested in pursuing a creer as an executive/personal protection specialist. In a no-nonsense manner, Benny Mares debunks a lot of the myths surrounding this growing profession, tells you what skills and experience potential clients look for, and what the pitfalls of the job are and how to avoid them. A seminal work on a fascinating career.”

From the History of the Los Angeles Police Department (lapdonline.org)

When World War II arrived, manpower was seriously depleted due to the draft and enlistments. Many officers lived at the Academy with recruits housed in the gymnasium. They were allowed to leave the grounds on weekends only. Training was cut from three months to six weeks. Footbeats were deployed in Harbor Division to watch for enemy submarines and signs of an invasion. In 1943, when fights broke out between sailors and Mexican-Americans, four days of strife in the east-central part of the City became known as "the Zoot Suit Riots." ("Zoot Suit" came from the type of outfit worn by some East Los Angelenos who had formed into gangs. For the hostile sailors, the outfit was synonymous with "gangster.") Police intervention did little to reduce hundreds of injuries.