As security and executive protection professionals, our work depends on accurate threat assessments. Whether we’re conducting advance work, building travel risk profiles, or advising clients on safety in unfamiliar environments, we must have a clear and truthful picture of the risks. But a disturbing trend is making that job harder: official crime statistics can no longer be taken at face value.

On a Saturday in Traverse City, Michigan, an emotionally disturbed man entered a Walmart and began attacking random people with a small folding knife. Within moments, eleven people were stabbed, ranging in age from 29 to 84—including a Walmart employee—before the attacker was confronted and isolated by armed citizens in the parking lot.

On a busy evening in downtown Cincinnati, chaos erupted. Videos quickly surfaced online showing a man in a white T-shirt being thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked. Nearby, a woman was struck so hard she lost consciousness. Dozens watched. Many filmed. But only one person called 911.

In a political environment already strained by division, another disturbing example of rhetorical escalation recently resurfaced to help us illustrate where we are as the American Empire decays. Jeffrey Miller, chairman of the Erlanger-Elsmere Independent School District in Kentucky since 2016, posted the following: “I’d be ok with the NRA if these psychos were just once the victims of a mass shooting. WINK WINK: please shoot Republicans.

As we stand on the precipice of significant social, political, and technological changes, the future of protection and personal security may look very different from what we know today. While we cannot predict with certainty exactly how the landscape of violence and conflict will evolve, the trends we’re already seeing indicate that we are on the cusp of a major shift.

Discover why lasers should be treated as a serious use-of-force concern. Learn how lasers pose a threat and how to protect against them.

If you're watching closely, you’ve seen the trend: political ideology is turning violent, and people in power are being hunted—not debated. This isn’t some theoretical “what if.” The threat environment has changed, and if you’re a public-facing figure, business owner, or leader, you are no longer shielded by your title, neighborhood, or good intentions.

This post is a repository for firearm-related statistics citing their sources to help us fact-check information regarding crime, gun use, defensive gun use, suicides, and gun ownership

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For self-defense, we are all naturally attuned to certain behaviors and body language cues. Over time, our instincts allow us to recognize when someone is shifting from a neutral stance to one of aggression or potential harm.

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We have to think hard about our training. At first we need to focus on the mechanical part of shooting. But our training can't end there.

A professor at King's College London, argues that civil war is increasingly likely to become the primary security concern for Western nations. He challenges the prevailing notion that affluent democracies are immune to internal conflict, highlighting that such societies are now exhibiting conditions conducive to civil war.

How do we stay safe during increasing chaos? How to Stay Secure in a Nation Where Chaos Now Has a Zip Code America’s cities are...

A potentially devastating shooting at a Peoria, Arizona, sports bar was averted thanks to the swift actions of two armed citizens. The prompt actions of the armed citizens in Peoria likely prevented further casualties, highlighting the potential impact of responsible firearm ownership in critical situations.

Across social media, it’s become trendy to challenge police officers during traffic stops. You've likely seen the videos: someone refuses to hand over their ID, citing constitutional rights, and demands to know what the officer's probable cause is. Some see this as standing up for personal freedom.

In protection work and concealed carry alike, the circumstances constantly change. Where you are, who you’re with, what you’re wearing, what the threat looks like, what the law allows—all of it becomes part of the decision-making matrix. Context shifts the equation. And when the equation shifts, your optimal choice shifts with it.

Fire is a simple yet incredibly effective method of attack is being employed against high-value and highly visible targets, including corporate executives, government officials, and prominent businesses.

Early last Sunday morning, a lone suspect—armed with nothing more than a hammer and beer bottles filled with gasoline—breached what was presumed to be a secure perimeter surrounding the official residence of Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro and his family.