Council supports implementation of program focusing on threats against police

April 26, 2010

Summary

“RADAR” initiative would develop strategies to track violent offenders

Story

The King County Sheriff’s Office today received the unanimous support of the Metropolitan King County in its efforts to establish a task force to investigate threats against police and elected officials. The Council approved a motion calling for the creation of a Risk Assessment, Deterrence and Referral (RADAR) program.

“Protecting police officers, and the residents of King County must be our top priority,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, the sponsor of the motion. “RADAR will be another tool to not only protect law enforcement personnel but to provide needed intervention to those individuals making the threats.”

“The council’s leadership in support of RADAR demonstrates the importance of addressing dangerous offenders in the community,” said Sheriff Sue Rahr. “It should be a focus-not only for the protection of criminal justice and elected officials—but also for the public and the very people that RADAR is intended to focus on. It is time to approach serious offenders differently, and RADAR is the tool to do that.”


Police, corrections officers and local officials are often targets of violent threats. The goal of RADAR is with the use of police work and behavioral analysis, help law enforcement personnel identify and track those individuals who show violent tendencies and make threats. The goal of RADAR is to have specially trained officers available to assist in de-escalating volatile situations and to help those individuals who act out to get mental health treatment

Both the Justice Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have created programs similar to RADAR.

“It is time for the county to embrace the use of multidimensional programs that protect citizens from threats while providing mental health treatment to those who need it,” said Dunn.