Protective Intelligence And Threat Assessment Investigations A Guide For State And Local Law Enforcement Officials

Threat assessment or protective intelligence is the process of gathering and assessing information about persons who may have the interest, motive, intention, and capability of mounting attacks against public officials and figures. Gauging the potential threat to and vulnerability of a targeted individual is key to preventing violence. Among criminal justice functions, threat assessment holds great promise for determining vulnerability and guiding interventions in potentially lethal situations. The primary goal of every protective intelligence investigation is to prevent an attack on a potential target. By using a combination of investigative skill, corroboration, and common sense, a protective intelligence investigator can gather the information and evidence to make a thoughtful assessment of the threat an individual may pose to a target. Once an assessment is made, a plan can be developed and implemented to monitor the individual and to intervene, as appropriate, to prevent an attack. Attention to the individual's motives and attack-related behaviors and to the systems (family, work, community, criminal justice, mental health, and social services) that the individual is involved with are key to assessing and managing a potential threat.

In 1992, the Secret Service, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice and with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, began the Exceptional Case Study Project (ECSP), a 5-year study to examine the thinking and behavior of individuals who have attacked or approached to attack prominent public officials or figures in the United States since 1949. ECSP findings reveal general threat assessment information relating to attacks on public officials and figures, while suggesting that broader application of threat assessment protocols by Federal, State and local law enforcement officials could help anticipate and prevent other crimes, such as stalking and workplace violence. Drawing from project findings, this guide describes an approach to threat assessment and the protective intelligence investigative process that can be of assistance to Federal, State, and local law enforcement and security professional with protective intelligence responsibilities. Though not intended to serve as an operations manual, the guide presents information and ideas about developing and implementing protective intelligence programs and activities. Information about the thinking and behavior of persons who have attacked or come close to attacking public officials and figures can help refine law enforcement operations related to preventing and investigating violence and threats of violence.

Whether safeguarding people or places, most security operations look from the inside out, and all too often more attention is paid to the "who" instead of the "how." But a good security program is conducted from the outside in, based on action rather than reaction. The idea is to focus on intelligence that will prevent the next attack from happening. We refer to this proactive process as protective intelligence.

This document provides a threat assessment methodology and intervention tool for identifying students at risk for carrying out acts of targeted school violence. This joint report compiled on behalf of the United States Secret Service and the United States Department of Justice is devoted to school violence threat assessment tools and methodology. The report was prepared as part of the Safe School Initiative. The findings of the Initiative indicate that targeted school violence incidents are unlikely to be impulsive, are likely to have observable pre-planning activities, and are likely to be known to other students prior to the event. The goal of the document was to provide an outline of a process for identifying, assessing, and managing students who may be at risk for perpetrating targeted acts of school violence. This report modifies the Initiative's prior threat assessment document and is designed to be used in conjunction with "The Final Report and Finding of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States." Topics covered include: the importance of positive school climate in school violence prevention, a threat assessment program implementation guide, information about conducting a threat assessment, and threat management techniques. The threat management decision making tool developed by the Initiative is also provided.

What is intelligence-led policing? Who came up with the idea? Where did it come from? How does it relate to other policing paradigms? What distinguishes an intelligence-led approach to crime reduction? How is it designed to have an impact on crime? Does it prevent crime? These are just a few of the questions that this book seeks to answer. This revised and updated second edition includes new case studies and viewpoints, a revised crime funnel based on new data, and a new chapter examining the expanding role of technology and big data in intelligence-led policing. Most importantly, the author builds upon an updated definition of intelligence-led policing as it has evolved into a framework capable of encompassing more operational police activity than simply organized crime and recidivist offenders. Topics covered in this book include: • The origins and aims of intelligence-led policing • A comparison of intelligence-led policing with other conceptual models of policing • An exploration of analysis concepts and the role of analysis in target-selection • Evaluations of intelligence-led policing as a crime-control strategy Written by an expert in the field, this book offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to intelligence-led policing for students, practitioners and scholars of policing, criminal intelligence and crime analysis. This book will be of particular interest to professionals within the law enforcement environment; senior officers, middle management, analysts and operational staff. A companion website offers a range of resources for students and instructors, including slides, chapter headings with supporting notes, key terms and names, critical-thinking questions, and quizzes.