U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center Provides Training To Law Enforcement, School Personnel And Campus Officials In Bridgewater

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office, Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service’s Boston office and Bridgewater State University today hosted researchers from the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to provide law enforcement, school personnel and university officials with information on Managing Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School Climates. Over 200 attended the conference which was held at Bridgewater State University.

During the conference, participants were provided information on the foundations of threat assessment which is a behavior-based approach used by law enforcement and others to identify and assess those individuals who pose a risk of engaging in targeted violence. NTAC also highlighted its research related to school safety and the adaption of the threat assessment approach in both K-12 and higher education settings. They also discussed how privacy laws such as HIPAA and FERPA can impact the ability to identify students of concern, and provided participants with information on types of information that can be shared to assist with a threat assessment investigation.

“We are very grateful to the U.S. Secret Service’s NTAC for sharing their expertise on how to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent targeted violence,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “It is our hope that the information provided today will provide law enforcement, schools and universities with additional tools on how to establish a culture that promotes and implements effective violence prevention and intervention strategies.”

District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz stated, “I am pleased that we were able to once again present this important information from the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to our local schools and law enforcement personnel. The researchers from the NTAC did a tremendous job and it is our hope that today’s information will help guide schools and local law enforcement as they work to keep our schools safe from targeted violence."

For more information on the National Threat Assessment Center and its research, please visit http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac.shtml

For information on the Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood Initiative, please visit http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/ and
http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/section/our_work/child_wellbeing/defending_childhood_initiative