Security | TorchStone Global

Taking the Pulse of Public Safety in New York Under Mayor Mamdani

Protective Intelligence, SecurityJanuary 27, 2026

This report assesses New York City’s public safety landscape as Mayor Zohran Mamdani takes office, examining crime trends, protest activity, and hate-crime dynamics through an objective, data-driven lens. While overall crime and gun violence have declined and NYPD leadership remains stable, elevated levels of social unrest, anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes, and protest activity tied…

2024 Election Unrest Guide - TorchStone Global

2024 Election Unrest Guide: Learning Lessons and Avoiding a Repeat of 2020

SecurityOctober 15, 2024

As Mark Twain famously quipped, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” There are multiple indicators that the 2024 election could generate as much social unrest as the 2020 election. However, the 2020 post-election debacle has also provided numerous lessons that can help avoid a repeat.

When it’s Better to Leave Your Watch at Home

SecuritySeptember 17, 2024

An armed 17-year-old approached San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall near San Francisco’s Union Square and demanded his Rolex watch at gunpoint. Pearsall resisted the assailant, resulting in a struggle that left both the rookie wide receiver, and the suspect injured with gunshot wounds.

Disconnect Dilemma

SecurityAugust 13, 2024

Extremist influencers living in the West adopt the leaderless resistance model where they shy away from direct calls to violence and avoid direct communication with those involved in carrying out violent actions. Instead, they promote grievance narratives, denounce enemies, and provide targeting information while stopping short of a direct call to violence. This creates an…

Active Shooter Report Lessons - TorchStone Global

Lessons from the FBI’s 2023 Active Shooter Report

SecurityJuly 2, 2024

FBI’s report on Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2023 is produced in collaboration with the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University and examines the incidents that occurred during the year in an effort to identify trends in attack location, shooter identity, target, day and time, weapon(s)…

Extremist Influencers’ Role in the Social Media Threat Continuum

SecurityFebruary 16, 2024

During the week of February 5, I attended the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) Winter Meeting. In many of these presentations, I repeatedly noted connections between the cases being examined and the concept of the social media threat continuum. It occurred to me that it would be good to elaborate on the continuum and…

Acid Attacks: Protecting Against a Resurging Threat

SecurityFebruary 2, 2024

The resurgence of acid and chemical attacks is becoming evident with the recent increase of ideologically motivated assaults against high-profile individuals. Executive protection teams are advised to leverage their skillsets to recognize and prevent such attacks, given ease of acquiring the chemicals and the potential for serious physical injuries.

Next Swatting Attack - TorchStone Global

Preparing for the Next Swatting Attack

SecurityJanuary 26, 2024

It should not come as a surprise that increasingly threatening communications eventually resulted in harassing swatting attacks. TorchStone has placed swatting in the context of the “Social Media Threat Continuum,” a scale of increasingly aggressive behaviors that aggrieved individuals use against their targets. By understanding the model, individuals can better understand if they are at…

Vehicular Assault Threat - TorchStone Global

Understanding and Mitigating the Vehicular Assault Threat

SecurityJanuary 19, 2024

Two Palestinian men armed with knives launched an attack in which they reportedly stabbed the owners of three vehicles and then used the stolen vehicles to run over pedestrians in the Israeli city of Ra’anana. The attacks wounded at least 17 people and resulted in the death of a 79-year-old woman. Like any form of…

EMP Threat Hype

SecurityNovember 21, 2023

EMP Threat Hype often circulates on social media. Instead, secure critical infrastructure against a more likely risk: natural EMP incidents.

Active Assailants and Running Into Trouble

SecurityJune 2, 2023

A comprehensive approach is needed to protect yourself during active assailant attacks. It is paramount to maintain situational awareness to avoid running into danger inadvertently. You must overcome panic and freezing tendencies as well as the limitations of the popular “Run, Hide, Fight” strategy. Instead, using the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) process to quickly…

Analyzing Breaking News - TorchStone Global

Analyzing Breaking Events

SecurityMay 16, 2023

Breaking news events can be confusing due to a deluge of information, much of which can be redundant or inaccurate. However, maintaining a healthy sense of skepticism and utilizing tools and techniques, such as vetting news sources and using social media to see various angles of an event, can help untangle breaking events and contextualize…