Types of Investigations
When an incident report is received, one of the first important decisions to make is to decide what type of investigation might be required. There are three basic types of investigations in a violence prevention program:
- Threat assessment investigation - in response to behaviors that have the potential to become violent in some way.
- Administrative investigation - in response to violent behaviors that might result in administrative action.
- Criminal investigation - in response to possible criminal behavior.
Your decision on which type of investigation is required will depend on whether the facts as presented indicate possible criminal behavior. Since arriving at a decision generally involves discussion with employee relations specialists and possibly law enforcement personnel, it is imperative to coordinate efforts fully with these departments ahead of time.
Threat Assessment Investigations
Threat assessment investigations differ from administrative or criminal investigations in that the purpose of the threat assessment investigation is to provide guidance on managing the situation in a way that protects the employee.
Many cases involving threatening behavior can be handled expeditiously and effectively by a supervisor with the assistance of one or more members of the company's incident response team. The security or law enforcement representative on the company's team will ordinarily assess risks, often in consultation with the Employee Assistance Program and employee relations staff, and make recommendations for appropriate strategies and security measures to protect employees. However, it may be helpful for the company's planning group to identify experts in threat assessment ahead of time, in case a situation requires more expertise than team members can provide.
Gathering Information
It is also a good idea to work out ahead of time who will gather which types of information on an individual who makes a threat. Multiple sources of information need to be consulted to better understand the person's behavior.
In some cases, the company's incident response team can collect current and reliable information (which would include an investigative report) and then consult with a threat assessment professional to develop options for managing the situation. In other cases, the company's incident response team uses a threat assessment professional to conduct the initial investigation, assess the risks, and make recommendations for managing the situation.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-4. Which of the following would be used in response to a report of behaviors that have the potential to become violent in some way?
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