Community-Based Threat Assessment and Higher Education

Many studies and reports, both governmental and academic, plus legislation, have suggested and some mandated the establishment of threat assessment teams to protect campuses. These teams have proliferated across university, college and community college campuses nationally. Despite these efforts, targeted violence continues in our communities and on our campuses. The community in and around Salem, Oregon has instituted a community-based approach, the Willamette Valley Adult Threat Advisory Team, that is seen by many as the future of targeted mass violence prevention. We examine the advantages and benefits of incorporating a community-based approach to threat assessment. and explore the role higher education can play in those efforts.