Targeted Violence Lethality Assessment Protocol

Research has found that most perpetrators of targeted violence exhibited concerning behavior and/or communicated their plan to cause harm to others prior to their deadly attack (Fein et al., 2004; NTAC, 2019; NTAC, 2020). These types of law enforcement encounters represent an opportunity for an officer to evaluate the level of concern a threatening individual poses and provide a referral for additional resources.

Derived from the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Education’s questions for threat assessment (Fein et al., 2004), the Targeted Violence Lethality Assessment Protocol (TV-LAP) is a tool for exploring the potential risk an individual poses for engaging in targeted violence or radicalizing to terrorism and should be used during a law enforcement officer’s call about a person of concern. This tool was developed in partnership with the University of Colorado Police Department (CUPD), University of Colorado Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), Boulder District Attorney, Anti-Defamation League, and Out Boulder County, and consists of 12 questions and follow-up cues meant to help officers, co-responders, and agencies respond to, refer out, and handle threatening individuals.