SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT RESPONSE (S.T.A.R.) PROTOCOL
Custer School District
CUSTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
CUSTER COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
MISSION STATEMENT: The purpose behind this protocol is to provide for a mechanism to assure that threats of violence in a school environment are addressed, whenever possible, before they occur. The process necessarily involves a variety of elements, ranging from student, parent, teacher, staff member and administration involvement to law enforcement and other criminal justice component participation. The protocol is designed specifically for those violence issues that affect schools and the students who attend those schools. It is intended to identify credible threats of violence and address those threats and the individual making the threat before the threat is carried out. NOTE: This protocol is applicable during any school sponsored event or function, whether the event or function be on school property or not.
DEFINITIONS: For purposes of this protocol, the following definitions apply:
1. Threatened Act of Violence: Any threat or action that suggests the possibility that serious physical injury or death may be caused to another.
2. Custer School District Staff Member: Any employee of the Custer School District.
3. Custer School District Administrator: Custer School District principal or their designee.
4. STAR Team Members: STAR Team officers and deputies, responsible for first response and threat assessment, shall include all Custer County Sheriff’s Office Officers. These personnel shall be referred to generally as STAR Team Officers. Additionally, the STAR Team shall consist of designated prosecutors from the Custer County State’s Attorney’s Office, who shall be referred to as STAR Team prosecutors.
5. STAR Team Coordinators: The coordinators of the STAR Team, responsible for oversight of this protocol, shall include the Custer County State’s Attorney or his designee and the Custer County Sheriff or his designee.
PROCEDURE: The following procedure is separated into several sections in order to reflect those instances where a threatened act of violence may be received by specific individuals.
I. Any Custer School District student, upon receiving information that a person is threatening to commit an act of violence, shall:
A. Assume the threat is serious;
B. Immediately report the threat to a parent or guardian, school staff member, school administrator or law enforcement officer;
C. Be available and cooperative in providing a statement of information, with the understanding that the information source (the student) will remain anonymous to the greatest extent possible.
II. Any Custer School District parent or guardian, upon receiving information that a person is threatening to commit an act of violence, shall:
A. Assume the threat is serious;
B. Immediately report the threat to a school staff member, school administrator or law enforcement officer;
C. Be available and cooperative in providing a statement of information, with the understanding that the information source (the parent or guardian) will remain anonymous to the greatest extent possible.
III. Any Custer School District Staff Member, upon receiving information that a person is threatening to commit an act of violence, shall:
A. Assume the threat is serious;
B. Immediately report the threat to the school administrator or their designee;
C. Be available and cooperative in providing a statement of information, with the understanding that the information source (the staff member) will remain anonymous to the greatest extent possible.
IV. Any Custer School District Administrator, upon receiving information that a person is threatening to commit an act of violence, shall:
A. Assume the threat is serious;
B. Cause the student making the threat, if said student is on campus, to be immediately removed from the classroom and segregated into a secured area pending further investigation;
C. Immediately notify the STAR Team Officer assigned to the school and provide the team member with complete information regarding the threat received;
D. Secure a written statement from the school staff member, regarding the information received.
V. The STAR Team Officer, upon being notified that a threat to commit an act of violence has occurred, shall:
A. Assume the threat is serious;
B. Immediately conduct an assessment interview of the subject making the threat. This assessment interview will include at least one (1) STAR Team Officer and the administrator or his designee.
NOTE: The primary purpose of the interview is to engage in an assessment of the available information, in an attempt to determine the veracity of the threat, in order to decide what level of follow-up action is needed and appropriate.
VI. Once the assessment is complete, the STAR Team Officer and administrator shall convene privately to discuss the threat and consider options for follow-up action:
A. If it is agreed that the threat is credible, the STAR Team Officer shall immediately contact a STAR Team Prosecutor to discuss possible options for the subject making the threat. These options may include, but are not necessarily limited to:
1. Contacting the subject’s parent(s) or guardian for input and assistance, including potential voluntary committal of the subject making the threat, or voluntary placement in a juvenile diversion program through the State’s Attorney’s Office;
2. Application of the Child in Need of Supervision (C.H.I.N.S) process through parental or guardian assistance, or through the State’s Attorney’s Office.
3. Communication between the STAR Team Prosecutor and the school administrator regarding school sanctions.
4. Arrest and incarceration of the subject for Disturbance of School;
5. Arrest and incarceration of the subject for Disorderly Conduct;
6. Arrest and incarceration of the subject for simple or aggravated assault;
7. Arrest and incarceration of the subject for probation violation, if the student is a court ordered probationer;
8. Placement of the subject at the psychiatric unit on an involuntary mental hold.
B. If it is agreed that the threat is not credible, or does not require application of the options listed in section "A," the school administrator shall assume responsibility to institute any further action deemed necessary.
VII. Once an option is chosen and initiated, the STAR Team Members involved in the process shall engage in fulfilling the reporting requirements associated with the action taken:
A. The STAR Team Member, upon exercising any of the aforementioned options, shall immediately complete reports relevant to the event and the action taken and assure that copies of these documents are provided to:
1. The State’s Attorney’s Office;
2. The involved School Administrator;
3. The STAR Team coordinators.
B. Original reports are to be routed through the law enforcement records management system per usual procedure.
VIII. After-Action Considerations:
A. Periodically, as deemed necessary by the STAR Team Coordinators, a meeting will be held to discuss recent STAR cases, in order to determine the effectiveness of this protocol. Meeting attendees should include:
1. The Custer County State’s Attorney or his designee;
2. The Custer School District superintendent or his designee;
3. The Chief Court Services Officer or his designee;
4. The Custer County Sheriff or his designee;
5. Designated STAR Officers.