Supporting Threat Management with Forensic Expert Knowledge: Protecting Public Officials and Private Individuals

Abstract

This article describes the implementation of a Cantonal Threat Assessment and Management (CTAM) in Zurich, Switzerland. In order to support this endeavor, the Specialist Unit for Forensic Assessment and Case Management was installed. The forensic experts provide supervision and short-term assessments to public prosecutors and general psychiatrists. In close cooperation with police threat management units, forensic experts support the assessment and management of individuals who exhibit concerning and threatening behavior towards public officials or private individuals. A public official case study illustrates this joint approach. The author's experience with CTAM, its pitfalls and the potential areas of improvement are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The concept of last resort in threat assessment.

“…A common thread in all of these instruments is that at least one of the authors was a member of the Fixated Research Group, which conducted a lengthy study for the United Kingdom Home Office on threats to the British Royal Family in 2002-2008, resulting in many research publications (at https://drreidmeloy.com/) and the beginning of the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre next to Buckingham Palace. This law enforcement/ mental health intervention model is now replicated in other countries, most notably the Netherlands and Australia (Barry-Walsh et al, 2020) and in an adapted form in Switzerland (Guldimann et al, 2016(Guldimann et al, , 2021. Originally separate from counterterrorism efforts in the United Kingdom, this Fixated Threat Assessment Centre model has now broadened to include counterterrorism interventions, particularly in Australia (Pathé et al, 2015).…”

Fixated Threat Assessment Centers: preventing harm and facilitating care in public figure threat cases and those thought to be at risk of lone-actor grievance-fueled violence

“…Recent research has found that many of the characteristics of this third group overlap with those of lone actors who engage in acts of violence toward other targets: school/university shooters, workplace killings, rampage killers, and lone-actor terrorism. [40][41][42][43][44][45][46] Indeed, the overlap between these various groups is such that they can be considered to form a constellation of behaviors which can be grouped together under the category of "grievance-fuelled violence." 18 Lone terrorists have more in common with fixated individuals and other forms of lone killers than they do with group terrorists.…”

A data-driven classification of outcome behaviors in those who cause concern to British public figures.

“…The study of threats and other problematic behaviors toward public figures is wide-ranging. Studies typically measure the levels of harassment, stalking, and/or aggressive behaviors experienced (Adams et al, 2009; Akhtar & Morrison, 2019; Bjørgo & Silkoset, 2018; Every-Palmer et al, 2015; James et al, 2016; Lowry et al, 2015; McLoughlin & Ward, 2017; Narud & Dahl, 2014; Pathé et al, 2014), analyze the backgrounds and characteristics of the individuals conducting these behaviors (Fein & Vossekuil, 1999; James et al, 2007; Pathé et al, 2015), outline the warning signs of a potential attack (Fein & Vossekuil, 1999; Hoffman et al, 2011; Meloy & Amman, 2016; Scalora, Baumgartner, Hatch Maillette et al, 2003), provide in-depth case studies (Dietz & Martell, 2010; Karayiannis, 2019; Unsgaard & Meloy, 2011; Van der Meer, 2015), explore promising approaches to prevent, disrupt and/or mitigate the problem (Guldimann et al, 2016; James & Farnham, 2016; Pathé et al, 2018; Riddle et al, 2019); or linguistically examine the threat’s written content (Chung & Pennebaker, 2011; Nick, 2018).…”