Report page 10

Or put more simply: identify, assess, and manage.

The same behavioral threat assessment model that is used to keep Secret Service protectees safe can be utilized by other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to prevent other forms of targeted violence, including attacks targeting schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and public gatherings.

In 1998, the Secret Service established the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to produce research and provide training and consultation on behavioral threat assessment to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Today, NTAC continues to lead the field of behavioral threat assessment and assist the agency’s public safety partners in their mission to prevent targeted violence.

As part of its congressionally mandated mission, NTAC produces groundbreaking operational research studies examining targeted violence in a variety of settings and publishes best practice guidance for public safety partners entrusted with ensuring the safety of our communities.

NTAC staff also deliver training by request to tens of thousands of public safety officials every year and routinely consult with a variety of agencies and organizations that are developing their own threat assessment capacities.

In addition to aiding external partners with violence prevention efforts, research produced by NTAC continues to shape the Protective Intelligence methodology used by the Secret Service.

Preventing targeted violence in America is everyone’s responsibility.

Far too often, communities have witnessed mass injury and loss of life at the hands of an attacker, only to learn that the perpetrator had a long history of threatening or concerning behaviors.

In many cases, the attacker’s behavior was witnessed by community bystanders, some of whom sought to report their concerns to public safety officials.

Unfortunately, many communities lack the structured systems to receive, evaluate, and respond to these reports in a way that reduces the likelihood of a violent outcome.