Page 7 - TPA Journal September October 2022

Something” is changing yet again. I am currently commissioned by the Bexar County
Criminal District Attorney’s Office and over the past four years, I have been assigned as a
Mental Health Investigator to the SWX FUSION Center Behavioral Threat Team. I am a
member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and I am certified as a
Department of Homeland Security National Threat Evaluation and Reporting - Master
Trainer. My current assignment with the D.A.’s Office involves active participation in a
multi-disciplinary team that utilizes evidence-based practices to analyze, assess, and
manage threats of terrorism and targeted violence.

I believe that we are currently embarking on a new chapter in policing that is going to
change the community expectation of policing as we know it. The unfortunate reality of
the past twenty-one years is that our country continues to be threatened by acts of targeted
violence both domestically and foreign. The face of the local threat is evolving rapidly.
With the advent of hand-held technology, it is estimated that 91 percent of the world’s
population owns a cell phone. Our nation's people are directly exposed to radicalization
and ideology that recruits, empowers, trains, and supports acts of targeted violence.
Targeted violence offenders don’t “snap” – they decide and their behaviors are predatory
and may be predictable.

It is my belief that our community and our first responders need to bridge all of the gaps
related to information sharing as quickly as possible. We need to expand community
education on situational awareness related to those who wish to harm the members of
communities we serve. According to an FBI publication titled, “Active Shooter Incidents
20 – Year Review 2000 - 2019”, there were 333 active shooter incidents between 2000
and 2019 in the United States of America. The FBI, HLS, the U.S. Secret Service, and many
risk assessment and behavioral health researchers have published validated data defining
behavioral indicators consistent with individuals who are on the “Pathway to Violence.”

The FBI BAU has published what I believe is a must read for all officers at every rank. This
publication provides information that needs to also be shared with community
stakeholders and intelligence partners. The publication is titled, “Making Prevention a
Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks” and it can be
downloaded here: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/making-prevention-a-
reality.pdf/view The public wants to help prevent active shooter incidents just as much as
they would have wanted to prevent the attacks on September 11, 2001. All too often there
are reports after an active shooter incident that bring to light missed opportunities of
identified behavioral indicators consistent with eminence of an attack that were not alerted
to law enforcement or not acted upon by public safety personnel prior to an incident. Each
of the potential stakeholders did not understand their role in the “big picture” and the gaps
have led to finger pointing and placing blame on each other for inaction.

Sept./Oct. 2022 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140 3