FARGO (KFGO) – Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner has announced the formation of a new partnership among law enforcement, the courts, and the communities of Cass and Clay Counties.
The Cass Clay Threat Assessment Threat Management Team is a partnership among federal, state, and local agencies to assess potential threats, and individuals showing signs of violence.
The agencies involved include the FBI, state, federal, and county courts, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Cass and Clay Sheriff’s Offices, Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo Police Departments, and other mental health and crisis teams.
Jahner says the task force isn’t meant to predict future violence, but gives agencies the ability to evaluate situations and people that could become violent.
“If the team is able – through investigative techniques and in partnership with community and human resource professionals – to identify that someone may be on the pathway to violence, the team will work collaboratively to try to get them off that pathway,” Jahner says.
FBI special agent Pat Riley says it isn’t all about punishment. It is also about helping people.
“Traditionally, when you think about law enforcement agencies being involved in these types of cases, you’re thinking more punitive results,” Riley says. “A lot of times – when we’re looking at these cases – if we can get ahead of it, we can be more restorative justice. Using things like mental health – some people are going through a lot of stressors… we can maybe help through the community to try to mitigate some of those stressors is also a big tool that we use.”
Jahner says this kind of collaboration, especially across state lines, is unique. He says this team has been in the works for about a year and has been implemented in other communities across the country.
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