Report page 15

The Secret Service originally developed behavioral threat assessment to prevent assassinations and safeguard the nation’s leaders.

The process was built upon NTAC’s research which found that most individuals who engage in acts of targeted violence elicit concern in those around them prior to the attack.

The Secret Service model, therefore, is designed to identify individuals displaying threatening or concerning behavior, gather information to assess if an individual poses a risk of violence, and then manage the risk by implementing appropriate interventions.

The Secret Service model has since been adapted to prevent all forms of targeted violence impacting communities in America, including acts of workplace violence, K–12 school shootings, terrorism, and mass attacks in public spaces.

The steps presented here are meant to guide state and local law enforcement as they establish behavioral threat assessment units (BTAUs) specifically designed to assess and intervene with individuals identified as posing a risk of violence.

Doing so requires the development of operational policies and standard operating procedures that clearly outline how the unit will function.

Once complete, the unit will be positioned to receive and manage information, including bystander reports about individuals displaying concerning behaviors in the community.

The BTAU will then conduct an assessment to determine if the reported individuals pose a risk of violence, and if so, develop management strategies to reduce the likelihood of violent outcomes.

As part of this overall structure, the BTAU should continue to promote a culture of prevention, both within the agency itself and among its community partners.

In doing so, the BTAU will work alongside its partners to prevent the injury and loss of life that research continues to demonstrate is preventable.