U.S. Secret Service Urges Law Enforcement to Adopt Strategies to Prevent Mass Shootings

The U.S. Secret Service, the agency responsible for protecting the President of the United States and other high-ranking officials, is urging state and local law enforcement agencies to adopt specific strategies to prevent mass shootings.

New Guidelines Released

The Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) released new guidelines on Wednesday, encouraging state and city police forces to create specific units to address threatening behavior in cases where there are significant concerns, even if laws have not yet been broken.

Behavioral Threat Assessment Units

The guide specifically calls for police agencies to set up what NTAC calls behavioral threat assessment units that can assess potential dangers and then provide resources to make sure individuals get help before they resort to violence.

Lina Alathari on Warning Signs

“What our research has continuously found is that in many cases of mass violence or other forms of targeted violence, the attacker’s behavior was witnessed by community bystanders, some of whom sought to report their concerns to public safety officials,” said Lina Alathari, NTAC director, briefing reporters ahead of the guide’s release.

“Unfortunately, many communities lack the structured systems to receive, evaluate and respond to these reports in a way that would reduce the likelihood of a violent or tragic outcome,” she said.

A History of Proactive Measures

NTAC’s plea for law enforcement agencies to find ways to be more proactive is not new.

A January 2023 report that analyzed 173 mass attacks carried out over a five-year period urged communities to make it easier for witnesses to report concerns and allow for earlier intervention from crisis counselors and social services.

Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Annual Threat Assessment

The Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 annual threat assessment, issued last month, warned, “The terrorism threat environment in the United States over the next year will remain high.

“The threat will continue to be characterized primarily by lone offenders or small cells motivated to violence by a combination of racial, religious, gender, or anti-government grievances; conspiracy theories; and personalized factors,” it added.

Secret Service Under Fire

The Secret Service itself has come under fire after responding to two separate assassination attempts against former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In one instance, they were unable to prevent an assailant from firing eight shots, one of which nicked Trump’s ear before the gunman was himself gunned down by security forces.

New Guide Aims to Show Police How to Intervene

The new guide, issued Wednesday, aims to show police agencies how to spot warning signs more quickly and find ways to intervene.

“We have seen historically that law enforcement in the United States may at times feel limited in what they can do when responding to reports of threats or other concerning behavior, particularly when that behavior does not involve criminal activity,” said NTAC Assistant Chief Steven Driscoll.

Existing Behavioral Threat Assessment Units

Some state law enforcement agencies have already adopted the Secret Service model.

North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation set up a behavioral analysis threat assessment unit following a 2018 shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida.

Source: VOA

FAQs

What is the purpose of the new guide?

The new guide aims to show police agencies how to prevent mass shootings by identifying warning signs and intervening early.

What is the Secret Service’s goal in releasing this guide?

The Secret Service wants to help state and local law enforcement agencies develop strategies to prevent mass shootings by creating behavioral threat assessment units.

How effective are behavioral threat assessment units in preventing violence?

NTAC’s research shows that these units have been effective in preventing violence in many cases, even with limited resources.

What funding is available to support these units?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded almost $90 million through its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program since 2020.

How can law enforcement agencies with limited resources set up a behavioral threat assessment unit?

NTAC’s Alathari suggests beginning with a single designated violence prevention officer who maintains the responsibility of gathering information, information to manage situations that might revolve around potential violence.