Behavior Based Threat Assessment As a tool for the Federal Protective Service in Mitigating Directed Violence

The popular culture behind law enforcement of protecting and serving is slightly misrepresented because the majority of law enforcement organizations do not have a protective mission but a responsive mission. Select organizations such as the Federal Protective Service (FPS) has more than a responsive, investigative responsibility to the community they police; they also have a responsibility to protect their community from potential criminal and terrorist acts that have not yet happened. Utilizing the newest research from the Department of Homeland Security and their partnership with mental health providers, the United States Attorney Ÿs Office and scholarly researchers this article provides the FPS a Critical Path To Violence model to better protect the government. This Critical Path To Violence analyzes an individual Ÿs psychology by observing their behavior through a well defined progression that has been proven to lead to violence. This progression once observed then can be very specifically disrupted to prevent violent attacks, while maximizing resources and increasing effectiveness of the FPS Special Agents and Inspectors