Blue is a Colour for Help: The Role of Police in De-escalating Threats to a Large University

Abstract

Abstract University police officers often belong to threat assessment teams, which aim to preventing targeted attacks by pre-emptively identifying and managing individuals who pose a threat towards others. This study seeks to describe the partnership formed between a university police department and a research team to examine the effectiveness of threat management practices through analysis of 332 cases (2006–16). Officers in these cases dealt with numerous concerns, including disruptive behaviour, threats, partner violence, sexual aggression, stalking, workplace violence, and extremist activity. Management of concerning individuals required conflict resolution strategies and coordination with other actors such as student affairs, other police agencies, and mental health services. The effectiveness of the threat management interventions was such that the use of physical, academic, or legal sanctions was rarely needed. Individuals generally ceased their threatening behaviour within 3 months of the interventions and virtually all cases resolved without physical violence occurring on the college campus.