PART G: DEFINITION OF SPECIAL THREAT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPECIAL THREAT
PLAN
1.
Definition of Special Threat.
A special threat is any situation involving a sniper, barricaded criminal(s), terrorist activity/major
disruptions, or hostage taker(s), that is beyond the capacity of standard police equipment, manpower,
and training. All special threat situations pose a grave danger to hostages, bystanders, and law
enforcement personnel. Locations, motivations, responses and other circumstances will differ. Special
threat situations must be dealt with on an individual basis. Law enforcement response must be clear,
decisive, and coordinated. The safety of any hostages and their release without injury is an important
consideration and must be weighed against the circumstances of the situation. To deal with these
situations, a special threat plan must be in place at each installation.
2.
Development of the Special Threat Plan.
The special threat plan is prepared in coordination with the installation staff. The plan must assign
specific duties and responsibilities to identified personnel. (It will normally be produced as an annex to
the installation crisis management plan, which will also cover situations outside the narrow scope of a
"special threat.") It must include circumstances that activate the team, notification procedures, and
operational procedures to maximize effectiveness. Get the first team behind the special threat plan.
Your best personnel will be needed in times of crisis. Continual intelligence updates along with regular
training and practice of the special threat plan will ensure that it is effective if and when you must use it.
Development of the special threat plan requires that you implement the proactive (preventive) practice
phase of the USAMPS terrorism counteraction model (see Figure 3-5).
This phase contains the following elements:
a. Criminal Information/intelligence.
b. Threat analysis.
c. Operations security.
d. Personnel security.
e. Physical security.
f. Authority and jurisdiction.
g. Crisis Management Planning (final development of special threat plan).
MP2001
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