Comprehensive School and Workplace Safety, LLC - Threat Assessment Teams

Student Threat Assessment Teams

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:45:06 -0800

Student Threat Assessment Teams are a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach which are recommended by the U.S. Department of Education
A lot of myths and questions abound regarding threat assessment teams. Is this about profiling? What does threat assessment mean? Do we really need to have a threat assessment team? What actually does a threat assessment team do? Years of experience with the threat assessment team process have shown the essence of the threat assessment team process is reconnecting disenfranchised students.
In 2002, the Safe School Initiative was released by the U.S. Dept. of Education and U.S. Secret Service; it was re-issued again in 2004. This extensive study examined 37 incidents of school targeted violence that occurred in the United States. Ten key findings were published from this study, the two highest on the list were:

“Incidents of targeted violence at school rarely were sudden, impulsive acts.”
“Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack.”

Information about a school shooting was “knowable” by key stakeholders and the sharing of this “knowable” information could have helped prevent an attack. The U.S. Dept. of Education and the U.S. Secret Service recommend all schools and districts should implement a team process for identifying, assessing and managing students who may pose a threat of targeted violence in schools.
A threat assessment team consists of stakeholders from the building, district, and community levels who work together to address students who make or pose threats of targeted violence. This collaborative, multi-disciplinary team process brings the various perspectives of those with “protective responsibilities” (law enforcement, mental health, and education) to the same table ensuring no critical information is over-looked or left out.
The threat assessment team will use a four-pronged approach to identify and then increase protective factors, as well as identify and then work to remove risk factors for the student involved.

personality factors
social dynamics
family dynamics
school climate

When should staff be notified of a threat or potential threat? When should a school administrator notify parents and/or the community? What can you share and with whom? Notification of a threat of violence may be mandated by your state. School district and school personnel should know what your state’s requirements are for notification. In Washington State for example, school administrators are required to make notification with in a "timely manner".
Knowing Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) exemptions will assist administrators on how to make a proper notification. One of the FERPA exemptions for sharing information is having a threat assessment team in place.
The process of developing a threat assessment team begins at the school district level by networking with school and community stakeholders. Team members should be carefully selected considering those who are good communicators and have a working knowledge of law enforcement, mental health and education systems. The most effective people to have on your team will possess these qualities and have the ability to be “boundary spanners” or “connectors” between these systems by increasing the likelihood of getting the needed information swiftly.
The process of creating a threat assessment can be a simple process. In my experience school districts are successful in one of two ways: selecting a staff person to coordinate the creation of the team or hiring an experienced consultant who will facilitate team creation. If choose to do this yourself you will need a staff person who is skilled in networking, project management and facilitation. This person should attend trainings in threat assessment team development and consult with districts who have implemented this program for best practices.
If you choose to hire a consultant , look for expertise and years of experience in one of the critical areas of law enforcement, education or mental health. The consultant should have experience and training in threat assessment team development.
Threats of violence are happening at our schools every day; some are harmless; some are deadly. Does your school know how to determine the difference between a student who makes a threat to kill and one who actually poses a threat to kill? Having a threat assessment team in your school and district will help you understand, manage and resolve critical situations in your school.
Martin Speckmaier, School Safety Consultant is a law enforcement veteran and school safety expert who specializes in the development and training of student threat assessment teams for schools, districts, and school communities. Schools consult with Speckmaier to identify the strengths and unique needs of their community and facilitate the implementation of an effective threat assessment team process. The successful threat assessment teams Speckmaier has created have effectively re-connected disenfranchised students, implemented a standardized student safety assessment process and provided an important part of a comprehensive violence prevention and reduction program for their school district.

Conducting Threat Investigations in Schools Part I

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:36:51 -0800

Part I: Goal of the Investigation

When conducting an investigation about a threat of violence or potential threat of violence, obtaining as much truthful information as possible is the goal of your investigation. Good communication is your most important asset to reaching that goal.

Your communication skills (or lack of) will make or break your success in obtaining crucial information during a threat investigation. Your choice of words, use of body language and facial expressions all contain micro-messages that you send and will decide whether or not a child, student, victim, witness, suspect, or anyone else will open up and share vital information needed for the investigation.

When preparing for an investigation it is important to consider and understand some of the following motivators for a student not to divulge critical information:

Fear of retaliation
Fear itself
Fear of being labeled a "snitch"
Lack of trust for adult authority figures
Lack of belief that we will do anything
Belief that we will over-react

Law enforcement and educators all have strengths and weaknesses. Some people are very good at interviewing, others are not. Know which one you are and don't be afraid to ask for assistance.

Hone your skills at communication and practice them. If you're not that good of an interveiwer, find a colleague with better skills than you and then strategize for the next step.

A thorough assessment of potential violence can not be completed alone. Team process and collaboration is crucial.

Shootings Raise Security Questions at Local Campuses

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:06:30 -0700

07:39 AM PDT on Tuesday, April 17, 2007
By CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News and Wire Reports
SEATTLE - In the wake of yesterday's horrific carnage at Virginia Tech, security patrols have been stepped up at University of Washington and Seattle University. Officials say they are seeking to reassure their students of their safety, but the shootings also raise questions on how secure our local campuses are.
At the University of Washington, all available campus officers and extra police officer were out on patrol. The Department has about 50 commissioned officers. And at Seattle University, officers from the Seattle Police Department were stationed outside the main entrance while the private university's 19-strong private, unarmed security force also stepped up campus patrols.
But officials at both schools say it's virtually impossible to secure any campus with so many buildings.
Every American college campus will be asking several crucial questions over the coming days.
"Is there an evacuation, or shelter in pace, if there is a lockdown? They need to understand what to do if there is an active shooter on the campus," said Martin Speckmaier, school safety consultant.
UW officials say it does have a phone trail and e-mail system to lock down the campus. It a system tested just two weeks ago when a man killed a 26-year-old employee at the College of Architecture.
"It's a difficult challenge because universities and colleges pride themselves on an open environment," said Vicki Stormo, UW Police Chief.
Local Virginia Tech alumni say they always felt safe at the Blacksburg campus, but those vulnerabilities were exposed Monday over the course of a few hours.
"Blacksburg is such a sweet quite town, where this school is and it's a beautiful campus - to think of horrible things happening there," said Cindy Blacksburg, Virginia Tech alumni.
"It's one of those places where people from big cities send their kids because it's that type of safe environment," said Marcus Jenkins, Virginia Tech alumni.
Seattle University has been working a on a program to install plainclothes marshals in each campus building. Undoubtedly all our local campuses will be examining security policies in the days and weeks ahead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Protecting Students Against Violence - Newspaper Article

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:13:32 -0800

Protecting students against violence
By LAURA WILCOX
November 15, 2006
The Mulkilteo Beacon
Olympic View Middle School is ahead of the game when it comes to student safety.
“The recommendations I make to most schools are already in place at Olympic View,” school resource consultant Martin Speckmaier told a recent Safety Forum at the school.
Consultant Speckmaier of Comprehensive School Safety, LLC – which provides advice and training to schools – says the latest and most alarming school-specific safety issues include weapons, bullies, targeted violence and a resurgence of youth gangs.
The forum’s purpose was to examine ways to help at-risk kids before it’s too late. In the last decade alone the number of targeted acts of violence – like the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 – has risen dramatically.
“The No. 1 finding in these cases is that the kids are not crazy and didn’t just snap,” Speckmaier said. “The act is an understandable – but certainly not condonable – reaction to risk factors in their lives.”
Risk factors include being bullied or harassed, not having meaningful adult relationships, not having an adult role model, and not having a real connection with school, family and society.
“This is what it’s all about – getting together before something happens,” the consultant said. He also warns that these risk factors can lead to another problem: gang involvement.
Resurgent gang activity has been a fact of life in recent years. Why?
Consultant Speckmaier said that when gangs were big in the 1980s, law enforcement put many of the members behind bars.
Result: decreased gang activity. However, he adds, those same gang members are now getting back out.
And with more immigration and what he calls “gentrification,” the poorer people are pushing into the suburbs.
So why might your child be at risk?
“Gang activity looks exciting for the some kids,” he said. “It’s glamorized.”
Before becoming a school resource consultant, Martin Speckmaier served as a police officer for 20 years, retiring in 2005. His police work included sexual assault investigations and criminal and narcotics investigations.
“I used to have a ‘whack ‘em and stack ‘em’ attitude,” he said. “But after my work with several high schools, I now believe in prevention and intervention.”
Mayor Joe Marine, who was also present at the forum, thanked the parents in attendance for being there, “Your active participation is very commendable. It’s too bad the parents who need to be here aren’t here.”
The mayor also encouraged parents to talk to each other, “It’s not often people are caught in the act, but because a neighbor saw or found something,” he said.
Speckmaier said middle school is the perfect time to target troubled youth and reconnect them.
Martin Speckmaier can be contacted at (206) 853-2593.
The Comprehensive School Safety website is at www.school-safety-intervention.org.

Conducting Threat Investigations in Schools Part II

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 16:45:19 -0800

Part II: Strategize Before You Begin

When conducting an investigation on a potential threat of violence that recently occurred in your school it is important to take the time to strategize before you begin. Often administrators and police officers already have a full plate of work and are tempted to get the investigation done too quickly. Students are quickly questioned and the administrator and/or police officer "have done their job" and consequently write off the alleged threat prematurely. By not taking the time to strategize in advance, you not only risk losing credibility but even worse, you potentially made an incorrect assessment and have not allieviated the risks involved. Strategize before the investigation but don't strategize alone.

Strategizing with another member of your staff; a trusted colleague will better prepare you when conducting the actual investigation. Start by reviewing the scenario. Next, determine the following:

Who needs to be interviewed (victim, witness, suspect) and why
Who gets priority interviewing (in what order) and why
Who should do the interviewing and why
Where the interview should take place and why
How to conduct the interview (each person being interviewed needs new strategy)

    If there are differences of opinion on strategy, ask your colleague why he/she thinks differently than you do about a strategy. Be open to each other's reasoning and leave strong egos out of the decision making process. Check and re-check the strategy with your colleague. It's okay to change strategies.
Other helpful methods are discussing and considering "what if" scenarios as well; looking at the situation from multiple perspectives will help to develop the best strategy for the situation.

    How you start the investigation will determine the flow and mood till the end. As the interviewer you want to stay in a state of "collective control" throughout the entire investigation. If control is lost in part or in whole, it is very difficult to regain the proper direction needed for successful resolution. "Collective control" can be gained by knowing before you go into the interview, what you are doing and why you are doing it. Your demeanor, presence of mind, sound judgement and the ability to pick up subtle "micro-messages" are being watched. The student must trust you one hundred percent before they will share information with you.

    Remember your goal is to obtain as much truthful information as possible. The only way that will happen is if you communicate effectively. You will be more likely to communicate effectively if you know what your are doing and why you are doing it. Your school is relying on you to be thorough in your investigation and to keep them safe.