Access Control
& Security Systems

The U.S. Department of Education and the Secret Service have released a new guide entitled "Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates." It was developed through the Safe School Initiative, a collaborative effort undertaken by the agencies following the Columbine High School attack in April 1999.

"Based on the findings from the Safe School Initiative, we believe that some school attacks may be preventable," says Secret Service Director Brian L. Stafford. "We believe the results of this effort will give schools and communities concrete information that may help them prevent future attacks."

The agencies developed the guide and accompanying training sessions to share with schools and law enforcement a "threat assessment" process to identify, assess and manage individuals who might pose a risk of violence to a target in schools. The process suggests that each situation of concern should be assessed individually, but also that targeted violence is the result of a potentially discernible process of pre-attack thinking and behavior.

To access the guide and the final report, visit http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/publications.html or http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac.shtml

For more information on the threat assessment training, visit http://www.threatassessmentseminars.org

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