Centralized case administration

A distinguishing feature of the Secret Service’s behavioral threat assessment approach is that all cases are centrally administered by the Secret Service Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division (PID).

Centralized case administration ensures standardization in initiating cases, gathering information, and managing cases over time.

For instance, within the Secret Service, each case is centrally administered by special agents and intelligence analysts at Secret Service Headquarters in Washington, DC, while the investigative work for those cases is conducted by special agents in Secret Service Field Offices around the world, all of whom have been trained in behavioral threat assessment methodology.

In other words, Secret Service field agents routinely conduct interviews, review records, write reports, make assessments, and employ behavioral management strategies, while those processes are centrally coordinated, reviewed, and documented at Secret Service Headquarters.

A centralized, dedicated staff provides BTAUs the ability to view a concerning incident in its entirety, ensure that concerning behaviors are assessed appropriately and consistently, and design effective management plans for individuals of concern.

Centralized case administration further aids in the review of trends and the progression of concerning behaviors over time while also allowing the BTAU to direct and advise investigators who may not work on behavioral threat assessments as part of their normal duties.

For example, the BTAU may require a patrol officer to conduct a welfare check or interview an individual of concern and then report back their findings. In these cases, the patrol officer should provide any documentation regarding the results of the encounter to the BTAU in accordance with the BTAU’s requirements.

BTAUs may then triage reports for relevancy to the units’ objectives and share information with parties external to the units as necessary.

The Secret Service receives information relevant to the agency’s protective mission from a variety of sources, including concerned bystanders, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations. Regardless of the source, all information with a Protective Intelligence nexus is collected and processed through a centralized operations center within the Secret Service.

BTAUs will similarly receive reports of concerning behavior from within their own agency, members of the community, and outside law enforcement agencies and partner organizations, which should be routed to a centralized point for processing.