Threat assessment protocol re-signed

The Yorkton and Area Community Threat Assessment and Support Protocol has been re-signed. The document, which outlines how agencies work together when a violence and threat risk assessment is enacted, was originally developed in 2013.

Tracy Huckell, Superintendent of Education for Good Spirit School Division, says that having the document in place means that they know how to involve different agencies to handle any threat that might happen within the community.

“By having a team come together to do that investigation and intervention, we can ensure we are putting all the puzzle pieces together and we have done a thorough investigation into whether there is a threat and how we can reduce that threat, whether immediately or long term.”

The community protocol was developed based on the work of Kevin Cameron, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment, who has worked as a consultant on numerous cases over the past 18 years. The protocol is a way to be proactive, Huckell says, and help organizations coordinate their response to threats of violence.

“It’s something that’s enacted as soon as there’s any kind of event that makes us think there is the possibility there could be violence or a threat that happens, in a school or a community. It’s about working together any time that happens and just trying to collect that relevant information and we are intervening in a way that’s responsive for that individual, to lower their baseline and help them rehabilitate.”

The organizations signing the protocol included Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools, Good Spirit School Division, Parkland College, Ministry of Corrections and Policing, Yorkton Tribal Council, Ministry of Social Services, Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbors, Yorkton Fire Protective Services, Sunrise Health Region and Melville Fire and Rescue.  

The agreement was re-signed partially to add new agencies, partially to get new people from existing agencies involved and partially as a way to refresh everyone on what the protocol means, Huckell explains.

“We always want to make sure that there is education about what does this protocol mean and how do you take that information back to your organization and ensure that it’s consistent?”