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Threat Management Unit

Violence Prevention

While not every act of violence can be prevented, the Department of Public Safety’s Threat Management Unit uses
a new way of thinking and a new set of skills that relies on a whole community approach to identify strategies to prevent future violence.

Whole Community Approach

  • Law Enforcement
    Judicial
  • Teachers
    Classmates
    Employment
  • Online
    Hobbies
  • Family
    Social
    Neighbors
  • Individual
Hover over or tap the different sections for more information

Threat Management Unit Process:

Persons typically do not just “snap” but display indicators of potentially violent behavior over time. This can
take place over months if not years. If these behaviors are recognized, they can often be managed and treated.
The Threat Management Unit works with its other law enforcement partners to:

  1. Identify concerning behaviors
  2. Gather information to assess the risk of violence
  3. Utilize community resources to manage the risk

Targeted Violence

According to a United States Secret Service study, between January and December 2017, 28 incidents of mass
attacks, during which three or more persons were harmed, were carried out in public places within the United States. These acts violated the safety of the places Americans work, learn, shop, relax, and otherwise conduct our day-today lives. As the uncertainty they caused continues to ripple through our country’s communities, those
charged with ensuring public safety strive to identify methods to prevent these types of attacks.

Additional Resources

The State Bureau of Investigation has additional information on their website, including: mass casualty incident response resources, and safety toolboxes for schools and houses of worship.

The SIAC’s Report Suspicious Activity Page has more information about the warning signs an individual may exhibit if they plan to carry out a targeted act of violence and how you can report this.