Threat Assessment

2016 FBI Uniform Crime Report

When assessing the crime risk of a Place, it is important to distinguish violent crimes which pose a threat to the general users of a Place versus those that pose a threat to specific individuals. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (Department of Justice) defines two types of crime categories based on the relationship of the […]

Over the last two decades, there has been increased interest in the distribution of crime and other antisocial behavior at lower levels of geography. The focus on micro geography and its contribution to the understanding and prevention of crime has been called the ‘criminology of place’. It pushes scholars to examine small geographic areas within […]

The problem analysis triangle (sometimes referred to as the crime triangle) provides a way of thinking about recurring problems of crime and disorder. This idea assumes that crime or disorder results when (1) likely offenders and (2) suitable targets come together in (3) time and space, in the absence of capable guardians for that target. […]

Opening paragraph of forthcoming article on Crime Analysis: With no better evidence than the pocket-sized computer most of have nearby all the time, we know that technology has evolved rapidly over the last few years.  The advancements that made the smartphone possible have also enabled us to analyze crime in ways never before possible.  In […]

While the daily assessment of terror threats applies primarily to security professionals who are charged with protecting critical infrastructure assets, such as chemical plants, oil refineries, and transportation ports, most security professionals focus on terrorism as a  high risk, low probability concern which needs to be addressed on an irregular basis.  Once terrorism contingency plans, […]

“From a management perspective, making decisions based on data is a clear win. Yet it’s often difficult to adopt a data-informed culture. In every organization, there are teams and employees who embrace this transition, and those who undermine it. To convert your biggest data skeptics, the first step is to understand the psychology of their […]

In November 2013, GAO reported that (1) peer-reviewed, published research we reviewed did not support whether nonverbal behavioral indicators can be used to reliably identify deception, (2) methodological issues limited the usefulness of DHS’s April 2011 SPOT validation study, and (3) variation in referral rates raised questions about the use of indicators. GAO reported that […]

“Gangs are expanding, evolving, and posing an increasing threat to U.S. communities. That’s the bottom line of the just-released 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, and it probably doesn’t come as a great surprise to anyone who follows the news or is active in their community. This latest assessment—prepared by the National Gang Intelligence Center—builds on […]