Pre-Incident Indicators: What People Do Before Violence or Breach

Most violent acts and serious security breaches don’t come out of nowhere. They are often preceded by behaviors, signals, and patterns that go unnoticed—or are dismissed as “probably nothing.”

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, explores pre-incident indicators: the observable behaviors and changes that frequently appear before acts of violence, insider threats, or major security failures.

This episode is not about profiling, labels, or fear. It’s about understanding behavior, recognizing escalation, and building systems that allow people to speak up without punishment.

Topics include:

• What pre-incident indicators are—and what they are not

• Leakage: how intent often escapes before an incident

• Common behavioral and digital warning signs

• Why people miss signals due to normalcy bias and social discomfort

• Observation without profiling—focusing on behavior, not identity

• Digital breadcrumbs and online escalation

• What to do when something feels “off”

• Creating reporting paths that encourage evaluation, not overreaction

Rather than asking “Who would do this?”, this episode reframes the question to:
“What happens when risk is increasing—and no one knows how to act?”Preparedness is not about predicting who will act.
It’s about recognizing patterns early and responding with clarity, calm, and responsibility.#VigilantSecurity #VSC #SaferSpaces #SecurityConsulting #HardenYourSite #CrimeIsComing #VigilantByDesign