TPD Aims To Create First Threat Assessment & Management Team In State

Tuscaloosa AL

09 May, 2022

1:59 PM

Description

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa Police Department is jockeying for a $750,000 federal grant to fund a new multitrack program aimed at addressing what it refers to as "targeted violence" in the community. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. The application for the no-match U.S. Department of Homeland Security Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant is expected to be considered by the Tuscaloosa City Council's Finance Committee during its meeting on Tuesday. If selected following the application process, TPD says it would use the funds to develop the first Threat Assessment and Management Team in the state of Alabama. This specialized initiative will also seek to leverage available department resources to complement various fields of expertise within the department. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the FY2022 program prioritizes implementing prevention capabilities in small and mid-sized communities, in addition to addressing online aspects of terrorism, targeted violence, and violent domestic extremism. The grants are made possible through $20 million set aside by the DHS for the initiative, with a projected start date of Oct. 1 for those awarded individual grants. The individual allocations will make funding these programs like the one proposed for Tuscaloosa possible for two years. The application window opened in April and is scheduled to close on May 18. If successful in going after the federal grant, TPD says it hopes to host in-person events at selected community gathering spots to better engage with the public, while also making them aware of services available to help divert individuals from pathways leading to violence. "Think about the higher-profile instances of planned violence in recent years," TPD Assistant Chief Steve Rice told Patch on Monday. "Mass shootings at schools, businesses or churches —people planting homemade explosives in some cases. In all of these, we go back and we see a trail of warning signs, but it's always after the fact. This would allow us to better see those warning signs, to provide constructive intervention." What's more, the department aims to offer bystander training to inform the community about signs to look for — such as risk factors and behavioral changes — in addition to ways of attaching individuals to the appropriate services or making a referral to the Threat Assessment and Management Team for a follow up. As part of these offerings, the funding would cover the creation of a mobile app and/or website where community members can anonymously submit referrals. In the application, TPD explains its rationale for the request, while also underscoring recent trends in criminal activity. "We have seen a rise in gang-related targeted violence as well as mental health crisis calls," the department says in its application. "This has given rise to various new divisions as we try to modernize our approach to these issues. Of note, TPD has created the Behavioral Health Unit, the Gang Intelligence Unit, and the Cyber Intelligence Unit." Through its Behavioral Health Unit, for example, TPD prides itself on the partnerships formed with local service providers, which also comes after Tuscaloosa County just received news of funding for its own dedicated mental health crisis center, thanks to state funds announced by Gov. Kay Ivey. Still, TPD argues that, despite its myriad partnerships with other agencies and service providers in the region, the department lacks a formalized structure to draw the available resources together with the specific goal of preventing future targeted violence. This is where the grant money would come in. "We're prepared and equipped to respond to any kind of event that could happen, but we'd obviously much rather keep it from happening in the first place," Rice said. "Maybe this would help us catch those warning signs early, and educate the public to recognize them as well so we can intervene in a constructive way." Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at [email protected].