The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office is highlighting the work of its behavioral threat assessment team, which officials say is designed to identify warning signs and prevent acts of targeted violence before they occur.
Detective Sgt. Nicole Stewart said the team brings together law enforcement, mental health providers, probation officials and social services agencies.
“It’s a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to tell whether or not somebody is on the pathway to violence or whether they are at risk of create carrying out a violent attack or violent act, and we also look at the warning behaviors, as well as trying to proactively intervene and manage to help prevent somebody from carrying out an act of violence,” Stewart said.
The team focuses primarily on preventing targeted attacks but also considers risks of self-harm.
“Sometimes it all it takes is a phone call from someone that says, hey, you know, I been watching this person, and they, you know, something isn’t right,” Stewart said.
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said many high-profile violent incidents show signs that could have been addressed earlier.
“When you look at a lot of these incidents that have occurred across the country… there were lots of clues or moments in time where there could have been an intercept to get that person off that pathway to violence,” he said. “We just want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can proactively to prevent somebody in our community from going down that path.”
The sheriff’s office said the county team includes 18 members and works closely with local school districts, each of which has its own threat assessment team. Cases identified by schools can be forwarded to the county group for review.
Officials also encourage residents to report concerning behavior through the sheriff’s office website or anonymously using the SaferWatch app.
