What I do
I am a Tactical and Forensic Linguist based in Los Angeles, California. I work with law enforcement and security professionals to assess and mitigate the risk of targeted violence through language analysis.
My work applies linguistics—the science of language—to real-world threat assessment to support investigative decision-making in operational environments. By examining written and spoken communications, I help teams identify indicators of intent, escalation and risk before violence occurs.
Over the past years, I have developed, researched and implemented Tactical Linguistics, a pre-incident approach that integrates language analysis into multi-disciplinary threat assessment teams. This work is directly applicable to counterterrorism, national security, public safety and protective intelligence operations.
I am a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), Los Angeles Chapter.
Operational Training & Certifications
Terrorism Liaison Officer, Joint Regional Intelligence Center (09/2019)
Intelligence sharing, terrorism indicators, interagency coordination
Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol, Dr. Reid Meloy (01/2021)
Training in identifying and assessing 18 warning behaviors of terrorists and targeted violence offenders
Advanced Threat Assessment Academy, Gavin de Becker & Associates (10/2022)
Applied threat detection, protective intelligence, violence prevention concepts and scenario-based training
Communications Threat Assessment Protocol, Theseus Risk Management (01/2022)
Training in identifying and assessing 25 indicators for problematic online and offline communications
Terrorism Threat Assessment Masterclass, Dr. Paul Gill @CATAP (10/2022)
Advanced workshop for the assessment of terrorism-related behaviors and risk indicators
Workplace & Campus Assessment of Violence Risk, Drs. Stephen White and Reid Meloy (02/2023)
Training in identifying and assessing 21 items for the assessment of workplace and campus targeted violence risk
Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview, Department of Homeland Security, National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Program Office (04/2024)
Recognize warning signs of terrorism and mass violence, triage suspicious activity reporting and address threatening or concerning behaviors before an individual escalates to violence
Stalking Risk Assessment and Management, SAM Version 2, Drs. Randy Kropp & Stephen Hart @CATAP (11/2024)
Training for assessment and management of risk for stalking, harassment and bullying in cases involving ex-intimate partners, co-workers, public figures and strangers
Education
I completed a Bachelor of Arts with first-class honors in English Language with German at the University of Westminster in London in 2013. My undergraduate studies emphasized linguistic theory and analysis, including grammar, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, phonology, phonetics, dialectology, morphology and intercultural communication. My minor focused on translation and interpretation between English and German.
Following my relocation to the United States, I undertook advanced professional training in Forensic Linguistics through the Forensic Linguistics Institute (United Kingdom). Between 2016 and 2020, I earned a Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma with distinction in Forensic Linguistics.
My training involved hands-on analysis of real criminal cases under the mentorship of Dr. John Olsson, one of the field’s leading practitioners. My work included linguistic analysis of suicide notes, ransom demands, hate mail, confessions and communications related to kidnapping and homicide investigations.
This combination of academic training and applied case work informs my consulting and training work with law enforcement and security professionals.
Memberships
Current
Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), Los Angeles Chapter
Past
International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA)
Germanic Society for Forensic Linguistics (GSFL)