The Handbook for Campus Threat Assessment & Management Teams

 

Major cases of violence at American colleges are statistically rare, but the adoption of preventive measures and the use of risk reduction tools are appropriate to ensure that the incident rate remains low. The campus-based threat assessment and management (TAM) team described in this handbook is one of those tools.

 

This text, while well-written, is not light reading. It details the TAM team concept and is supplemented with a wealth of current, utilitarian information. The book provides detailed guidance on how to form a TAM team and how to staff that team as well as the roles and responsibilities of the team and its members.

 

Five appendices provide resources ranging from sample policies and procedures to model document templates and decision points. The book’s four coauthors—a university deputy police chief, a security consultant, a recognized expert on threat assessment, and a criminologist—blend academic expertise and practical experience to provide a balanced approach.

 

The book is a topical and timely reference work that would be a valuable addition to the professional library of anyone responsible for campus security and safety. The TAM team concept, although relatively new, is quickly becoming a fundamental knowledge area for all campus security professionals.