NCJ Number
229957
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 79 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2010 Pages: 15-21
Date Published
February 2010
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the nature of threats in the workplace and at school and the formation of a threat assessment team (TAT).
Abstract
Many events take place each year in the workplace and at school that can lead to violence and the subsequent injury or death of innocent people. This article discusses the formation of threat assessment teams (TAT) to assist law enforcement agencies in dealing with the prevention and management of such incidents. The aim of a TAT is to assess dangerousness, not predict violence. The teams focus on analyzing the contextual behaviors of possible perpetrators and any potential victims that they may encounter. TATs serve five primary functions: 1) information gathering; 2) interviewing; 3) evaluation; 4) decisionmaking; and 5) follow-up. A discussion is provided on workplace-based TAT members and school-based TAT members. In the work-place there are two categories of TAT team members: primary team members such as law enforcement personnel, and secondary team members, such as labor-relations personnel. The primary team members are the hands-on decisionmakers, while the secondary team members provide insights to the primary TAT personnel. Members of school-based TATs include many of the same professionals as work-based TATs. A list of questions is provided that can serve as a starting point for the initial discussion of a situation by the TAT. 4 notes