Following the recent attack targeting a mosque in San Diego, Doyle Security Services Vice President Greg Sanfilippo joined FOX 5 San Diego’s Tony Shin to discuss the broader security and protective intelligence considerations surrounding incidents of targeted violence.
While investigations remain ongoing, Greg noted that attacks of this nature rarely emerge entirely without indicators. In fact, police had previous contact with one of the shooters and had expressed deep concerns regarding his obsession with mass shootings and extremists. However, despite mental health concerns, the individual had not broken any laws and police had no legal grounds to intervene further.
“This individual had been in the mental health system and then released, so the challenge is, unless that person breaks a law, there’s not much law enforcement can do if it’s just a threat that isn’t violating a law,” Sanfilippo told FOX 5.
Warning signs are often fragmented across behaviors, online activity, grievance narratives, environmental vulnerabilities, or operational gaps. The challenge for organizations is to identify and contextualize those indicators early enough to support informed decision-making and preparedness.
Greg explained that protective intelligence is not about predicting the future with certainty. It is about helping organizations:
- Identify concerning behaviors and emerging indicators
- Understand evolving threat environments
- Reduce decision-making timelines during uncertainty
- Strengthen preparedness before crisis conditions develop
Equally important, incidents involving active violence reinforce a difficult operational reality: properly selected, trained, and supervised armed security personnel can save lives. In rapidly evolving attacks, the ability to immediately detect, respond to, and disrupt violence can significantly reduce casualties and improve survivability until law enforcement arrives.
However, armed security alone is not a complete security strategy. Effective protection requires layered security programs that integrate:
- Protective intelligence
- Preparedness training and exercises
- Physical security measures
- Emergency planning
- Strong operational leadership
- Clear response protocols and accountability
At Doyle Security Services, our IRASI division helps organizations strengthen resilience through intelligence-informed security, risk advisory services, preparedness initiatives, and operationally grounded protective strategies.
Security is strongest when awareness, preparedness, and response capability operate together.
