Threat Assessment

What factors do law enforcement professionals consider when assessing the threat of any situation with the potential for violence? Early in their law enforcement careers, these professionals move through threat analysis in a conscious, step-by-step progression. As their experience levels progress, however, their abilities move from the deliberate consideration of a novice to the practiced, facile skill of an expert.

Threat assessment is the process of gathering and assessing information about persons who may have the interest, motive, intention, and capability of committing violent crimes. Law enforcement professionals use these factors when assessing the threat of violent behavior. Not all factors are present in every situation, and certain factors carry more weight than others. Recognizing the difference between thinking or making a threat and actually posing ...