Be Alert! Blue Cities Are Recklessly Endangering Americans’ Lives

A security expert says he’s seeing a rise in violent attacks on ordinary Americans—and he believes the reasons behind it are becoming harder to ignore.

His concerns follow a report from The Gateway Pundit, which said New York quietly released nearly 7,000 criminal non-citizens without notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the outlet, those released included individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes.

Greg Shaffer, a veteran of more than 30 years in law enforcement—including two decades with the FBI and six years on its elite Hostage Rescue Team—spoke with The Gateway Pundit about what he believes is driving the increase in violence. Shaffer now runs a private security company and trains civilians and organizations on threat awareness.

Shaffer argues the issue has two parts: why violent incidents are increasing, and why so many people are unprepared when danger strikes. While he said he tries to avoid political commentary, he believes the reasons behind the surge in violence are becoming obvious to many Americans.

He pointed to recent high-profile cases involving repeat offenders, including a New York assault suspect with more than 50 prior arrests who allegedly shoved a commuter onto subway tracks in October, and a Chicago suspect with over 70 arrests who was charged in federal court for setting a young woman on fire aboard a train. He also cited the case of a North Carolina man with a long criminal record who was indicted for the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte train.

“These career criminals are not being kept in jail or prison,” Shaffer said. “They’re being released back into the public due to liberal bail reforms and deliberate decisions by judges to put them back on the streets.”

Shaffer argued that these decisions are not accidental. “There are people—including some judges—who seem willing to allow policies that lead to violence against American citizens,” he claimed. “If judges are complicit, they should be held accountable.”

He noted that President Donald Trump recently dismissed eight immigration judges in New York City, a move Shaffer views as a step toward accountability.

But beyond policy concerns, Shaffer stresses that personal responsibility and preparedness are equally vital. “First and foremost, a person has to be aware of their surroundings,” he said. He emphasized the importance of “situational awareness—simply knowing what is happening around you,” noting that many victims of violence were caught completely off guard.

Shaffer encourages people to have a mental plan for how they would respond to a violent incident. “You need to practice what you’ll do if you’re suddenly in a critical situation,” he explained. “The body reacts based on what the mind has already prepared for.”

In his book Stay Safe: Security Secrets for Today’s Dangerous World, Shaffer uses a familiar childhood lesson as an analogy: “If your clothes catch on fire, you stop, drop, and roll. It’s automatic because it’s been ingrained in you,” he said. “You need the same kind of mental preparation for an act of violence.”

Whether the threat is an armed robbery or an active shooter, Shaffer warns that people who haven’t mentally rehearsed their response are more likely to freeze in fear. “And when you freeze, bad things tend to happen.”

By contrast, he said, people who have mentally prepared are far more likely to react quickly and effectively. “It’s not that you’re thinking through a plan—it’s that your mind has already been there.”

He also advises people to recognize the sound of gunfire—something many confuse with fireworks. “If you know what you’re hearing, you can react faster,” Shaffer said. “And when you recognize it, get off the X—get away from the danger as fast as you can.”

Shaffer’s message is blunt: stay aware, think ahead, and be ready.

Be vigilant.