West Salem School District holds threat assessment training

WEST SALEM, Wis. (WKBT) -- Educators, administrators and law enforcement personnel gathered at West Salem's Heider Center on Wednesday to learn how threat assessment strategies can prevent violence in schools.

The West Salem School District teamed up with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety to hold the training.

Topics included creating school-based threat assessment teams, how to respond to concerning behavior and threat management strategies.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who was in attendance, says training events like this matter because they help schools recognize and respond to threats before it's too late.

"Individuals who are planning to engage in targeted violence often display threatening or concerning behaviors that are observable by others. And if identified and addressed early, we can reduce the likelihood that a violent incident occurs. That's why this training is so important," said Kaul.

Wednesday's event was the first of four threat assessment training sessions being run by the Office of School Safety throughout the state this year.

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