Interviews and rapport building

Emphasizes rapport building. A behavioral threat assessment should employ rapport-building techniques to facilitate positive engagement and successful intervention.

An inquiry may involve steps such as • interviewing the reporting party, • interviewing the individual of concern, • conducting a corroborative interview with someone who knows the individual well, • conducting a criminal records check, and • conducting a preliminary review of publicly available online activity (e.g., social media).

A full assessment should involve an extensive interview with the individual of concern, multiple corroborative interviews (e.g., family, friends, neighbors, employers, and classmates), records checks (e.g., criminal, employment, educational, and mental health), reviews of online activity (e.g., social media and personal websites), and physical searches.

However, any information gathered should be further supplemented through appropriate interviews.

For example, if a BTAU obtains information through a police record provided by another agency, the BTAU may want to establish further context around the information by contacting the police department and officers who have previously interacted with the individual or by requesting more detailed police reports about those interactions.

Interviews with informal systems provide BTAUs with the perspective of those who have maintained close or frequent relationships with the individual, sometimes over many years.

When the Secret Service conducts a behavioral threat assessment, one of the earliest steps will involve an initial interview with the individual of concern.

For BTAUs, the initial interview provides an opportunity to engage with the individual, directly observe their behavior, and gain insight into their mindset while also beginning to identify factors that indicate whether the individual does or does not pose a risk of violence.

In addition to observing the individual’s general thinking and state of mind, the BTAU should prioritize open-ended questions regarding each of the Assessment Themes identified later in this section.

The initial interview is also an early opportunity to begin establishing rapport with the individual.

Because behavioral threat assessments are not the same as criminal investigations, the initial interview will often take place outside of police custody and only with the consent of the participating individual.

Rapport building is a key element in establishing a positive relationship that can help the individual being interviewed to feel at ease while sharing information.

Being receptive to the individual’s needs will help establish a foundation of trust, which can then be used to help motivate changes in behavior.

Explain your role, the purpose of the interview, and next steps using plain language.

Be clear, direct, and truthful, and clarify any misconceptions.

Maintain a calm, respectful demeanor for the entire interaction, not just while asking questions.

Prepare strategies for responding to extreme or emotional responses (e.g., aggression, sadness, or silence).

Invite the individual to provide their perspective. Be respectful and patient if they are not interested in speaking at first.

Offer realistic choices during the interview, when possible. The more the individual feels in control of how the interview time is spent, the more they may want to talk.

Use the time to explore the individual’s interests, relationships, past experiences, future plans, concerns, and coping skills.

Provide an opportunity for the individual to suggest ways they can be supported in order to prevent the situation from escalating further.

BTAUs can maintain a positive rapport with individuals of concern while also establishing firm and professional boundaries around public safety.

For example, a statement such as, “We are concerned that you might hurt someone, and we want to work with you to figure out a better way forward,” communicates an expectation for safe and nonviolent behavior and demonstrates a willingness to provide support. Approaches like this can help to dissuade someone from considering violence and create further opportunity for rapport building.

If officer safety allows, interviews with individuals of concern should be conducted face-to-face in order to observe nonverbal cues and physical reactions to questions.

If conducted at the individual’s residence, officers will have an opportunity to observe the individual’s living conditions and home environment.

At the conclusion of the interview, the individual may be advised of next steps and any lawful requirements they must adhere to (e.g., if they are the subject of a restraining order).

BTAUs should consult with their legal counsel to determine if an interview will take place in police custody and if the individual needs to be informed of their constitutional (“Miranda”) rights against self-incrimination.

The initial interview with the individual of concern should be followed by corroborative interviews with other people across the individual’s formal and informal systems.

These interactions provide opportunities for the BTAU to gather new information about the individual’s behaviors from people who know them and to corroborate information already identified in the assessment.

For example, when conducting a behavioral threat assessment involving the potential for workplace violence, the BTAU may conduct corroborative interviews with the individual’s coworkers and supervisor, in addition to the individual’s close family members.

For an assessment involving a student who threatened a school attack, the BTAU would likely interview the student’s parents, the student’s teachers, other school staff, and possibly classmates.

Establishing rapport continues to be important when engaging with the individual’s family, friends, and other support networks. The people in these systems should be made aware that the BTAU’s primary goal is to prevent negative outcomes, in part by getting help for their loved one, friend, or colleague.

Criminal behavior outside of formal records may be identified during the assessment through interviews with family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and others familiar with the individual.

Having a positive rapport with an individual of concern can be helpful in encouraging voluntary out-of-home storage.

Law enforcement can support management by: • developing rapport with the individual of concern and their support systems (e.g., family members);

As was the case during the assessment phase, building and maintaining a positive rapport with the individual’s family is critical.

To accomplish this, the BTAU should maintain consensual contact with the individual and continue to build rapport with their family and support members, as well as with community partners providing intervention services.