Imminence

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 27th Feb 2023

Once when conducting an active shooter/killer training session, I started to describe the process of what to do (and what not to do), after a shooter had been brought under control, and separated from their weapon etc. As I was detailing the various steps and options that were available someone asked (and I paraphrase), “Why don’t you just shoot them? After all they were trying to kill you.” It’s not a stupid question, and it contains a logical argument, however it misses a fundamental element from a self-defense/legal perspective i.e., if the shooter has been secured and isolated from their...Click To Read More

The Boston Strangler(s)

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 20th Feb 2023

Although not initially a suspect, or a person of interest, in the Boston Strangler investigation (13 women had been strangled using items of their clothing in the Boston area during the early part of the 1960’s), Albert DeSalvo confessed in prison to being the aforementioned killer, after being convicted of a sexual assault in 1964. At the time there was a lot of doubt surrounding his claim, with many in law-enforcement, including the FBI’s Robert Ressler and others within the organization, making the point that in the rape he’d been convicted of, DeSalvo had apologized to the woman after...Click To Read More

Poverty & Crime

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 13th Feb 2023

I have written before about poverty and crime, and violent offending, stressing that the relationship between offending and poverty is not a straightforward one e.g., that in the postwar period, crime, including violent offending increased significantly up until the early 1990’s despite standards of living rising considerably, and poverty levels falling dramatically. The conclusion being that the creation of “opportunities” to offend was a more significant and important factor e.g., people had greater amounts of leisure time, and had disposable income that allowed them to spend more time away from their homes in public settings etc. You can read more...Click To Read More

Looking At Knife Attacks From A Research-Based Perspective

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 6th Feb 2023

One of my most over-used sayings is, “experience by definition is limited”. I say this to remind myself, that just because I have experienced something in a certain way, it doesn’t make it the norm. Another thing that I say a lot is that violence is contextual. I find that on social media, context often gets lost e.g., someone puts up a video demonstrating a certain technique, and it is clear that that they have a certain context in mind, and then others criticize it, because they are envisaging a threat or attack from another perspective and context etc. The...Click To Read More