Section 3
Guidelines for Law Enforcement Agencies

Fifteen years ago police agencies provided little or no service to the victims of domestic violence because such intervention was not considered appropriate. Today nearly every police department has a policy, procedures and resources dedicated to addressing domestic violence. Workplace violence warrants a similar response from law enforcement, given the rise of violent crime by nonstrangers in the workplace, the heightened concern of employers, the high risk for injury associated with these crimes, and the inappropriateness of using traditional police strategies when confronting multiple-victim workplace shooting situations.

Many police executives have concluded that their existing domestic violence programs provide a useful framework for structuring new policies and procedures concerning workplace violence. This strategy was used by many of the police officials who developed the following guidelines for law enforcement agencies. These guidelines should help police address workplace violence in their communities without overtaxing departmental resources. Employers may also wish to read this section so that they can better understand how police agencies might assist them in combating workplace violence.

I. Pre-Incident Violence Prevention and Preparation

Policy and Organization

Large, medium and small law enforcement agencies--should consider the following policies for combating violence in the workplace.

• Encourage police executives to implement exemplary violence prevention policies and practices within their own department.
• Encourage the formation of regional law enforcement coalitions to develop and coordinate prevention resources and provide liaison to assist employers.
• Work closely with other law enforcement groups, prosecutors, and legal advisors to keep abreast of changes affecting the prosecution of workplace violence cases.

Police Training

Workplace violence issues can be incorporated into police training in the same way as domestic violence.

• Incorporate into police academy curricula training on workplace relationships and the conditions that result in violence.
• Incorporate into general in-service training exercises recognition of the causes of workplace violence, conflict resolution technique training, workplace violence scenarios, and police response guidelines.
• Provide and improve officer training in workplace violence and conflict resolution techniques.
• Train chiefs and officers to handle liaison with employers.

Police Services to the Public

Police agencies should be prepared to assist employers in the following ways:

• Provide employers with information concerning police department resources.
• Provide employers with these guidelines and examples of when to contact the police department in matters involving workplace violence.
• Assist employers in their efforts to improve their physical security and the prevention of acts of violence.

Seek Cooperation from Employers

Encourage employers to keep law enforcement informed of potential problems and to be prepared with information that will aid responding officers.

• Request advance warnings from employers and unions of pending strikes or other events affecting security.
• Encourage employers to maintain current threat management plans, evacuation and building plans, and lists of contact people placed in a location where the documents will be immediately available to the law enforcement officers who respond to an incident.

Encourage the Following Preventive Measures

Police chiefs and crime prevention officers frequently make presentations to community groups. Listed below are several items that could be covered in such presentations to address concerns about workplace violence.

• Recommend that employers, in consultation with their local law enforcement agency, design policies and procedures for handling threats or assaults made against or by their employees.
• Encourage and cooperate with business and community organizations to compile, regularly update, and distribute a list of community resources, such as law enforcement and crime prevention services, mental health services, and women's shelters, for use by their members and employees.
• Encourage local newspapers and telephone companies to list current community resources in a centralized location.
• Recommend that employers implement procedures to have their organization be a drug-free workplace.
• Encourage employers to adopt a zero tolerance policy for violent behavior or threats among their employees. Make the policy part of their new employee orientation sessions, and enforce it. Refer to the example of a model policy.
• Encourage employers to obtain a thorough work history from all prospective employees, and inquire about periods of unexplained employment; conduct as thorough background and work-related reference checks as possible, including checking court records and other repositories; and thoroughly interview job candidates before offering them a position.
• Suggest employers become educated on state, local, and federal laws applicable to assault, domestic violence, trespassing, stalking, and threats.
• Encourage employers to train their employees in conflict resolution techniques.
• Recommend that employers offer employee training in personal security awareness, to avoid being victimized.
• Suggest employers establish an employee assistance referral system for dealing with potentially violent individuals that not only helps the troubled employee, but also serves to protect the other members of the organization.
• Encourage employers to form or participate in an incident resolution team for prevention, intervention, and dealing with the aftermath of incidents.
• Strongly encourage employers to report threats and incidents of violence to their local law enforcement agency.
• Encourage employers to maintain an internal tracking system of threats and incidents (refer to Threat Incident Report).

II. In-Progress Violent or Threatening Incidents

Law enforcement should take the following types of actions after an initial act of violence or a threat has occurred.

• Conduct local criminal history checks of reported threat-makers when a criminal investigation is conducted.
• Have a police officer make contact with a reported violent threat-maker.
• Advise the employer, victims, or potential victims how to obtain restraining or protection orders or other victim services.

III. Managing the Aftermath of an Incident

Policy and Organization

The following policy and organizational measures improve police responsiveness to workplace violence as well as to other forms of violent crime.

• Encourage coordination between the agencies that deal with workplace violence.
• Encourage the development and use of regional Critical Incident Stress Debriefing teams for first responders.
• Undertake a coordinated critique of the department's response after each serious incident of workplace violence.

Police Services to the Public

Law enforcement plays a crucial role in disseminating information after serious incidents of violence in the workplace. These items concern ways to improve performance in that area.

• Provide the employer with a central point of contact in the department who will answer questions and address concerns.
• Coordinate with the affected organization and other agencies to assist victims' families in locating survivors of a violent incident.

Encourage Employers to Take the Following Actions

Police should encourage employers to follow the recommendations listed below to help minimize the impact of an incident and prevent further violence.

• Encourage employers to use Critical Incident Stress Debriefing teams for employees and other victims affected by workplace violence.
• Encourage employers and labor organizations to participate in aftermath debriefings.
• Encourage the department and the employer to coordinate news releases.
• Encourage employers to support their employees in the prosecution of violent crime Incidents.

See also, Reducing vs. Displacing Violence.