An Introduction to Behavioral Threat Management
It is an unfortunate fact that acts of targeted violence occur almost everyday in places of business, schools, entertainment and recreation venues, and even houses of worship. Administrators and managers are scrambling to provide security for their employees and customers, but the problem must be confronted from more than just the security angle of hardening targets.
The practice of behavioral threat management (also called threat assessment) was born out of a number of studies sponsored by the US Department of Justice after the Columbine shootings in April of 1999. It is founded upon the conclusion that troubled people do not “just snap,” but follow a predictable pathway of violence. It begins with an offense taken, then develops through a well-defined growth pattern to mature into targeted violence. Threat management is essentially a three-part process: identifying the troubled person, evaluating if they are proceeding along the pathway, then intervening to stop the progression.
This presentation will acquaint you with the vocabulary of threat assessment, introduce you to the pathway of violence, and discuss modes of intervention that can prevent violence in its larval stage.
After twenty-three years of service, Chris Stevens retired from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office as the Support Services Division Commander while also serving as the Personnel and Training manager for the 800+ employee agency.
Chris is a Certified Threat Manager and is President of the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (also known as ATAP). As such, he is also a member of ATAP’s National Board of Directors. Chris worked on the Sheriff’s Crisis Management Team as a hostage and crisis negotiator and served on the state board of the California Association of Hostage Negotiators (CAHN). He is a certified instructor in both Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB) and Tactical Communication.
Upon retirement from the Sheriff’s Office, Chris formed Summit Solutions Consulting, offering a variety of services to private, government and not-for-profit organizations. He has presented to audiences across America as well as in Canada and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Chris holds a BA in Theology from Christian Life College and a Masters Degree in Leadership Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California.