AC-TACT was formed to address the evolving world of targeted violence, mass shootings and killings. The team focuses on keeping both residents and visitors safe from violence through community-based intervention approaches for grievance-fueled violence, online radicalization, and threats by individuals experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis. With support from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and leading County officials, our approach involves multi-disciplined collaborative work with our active partners to identify potential threats and mitigate any possible violence.

When explaining threats and how they culminate, we often use the phrase the “Highway to Violence.” Our goal is to open our avenues of communication and work collectively to provide an “Off Ramp” to that highway. We do this by using experts from all different functional groups to assist you in creating a plan.

AC-TACT is solely an advisory work group focused on intervention to prevent acts of targeted violence before they might occur. Through our active committee members, AC-TACT helps individuals who are believed to pose a potential threat by guiding them away from the highway to violence and toward assistance.

Our ability to prevent acts of targeted violence heavily relies on people like you, the eyes and ears of our community, to help identify potential threats.

When a person is planning an act of targeted violence they usually exhibit pre-attack behaviors. Many of these relate to an emotional or mental health crisis or problematic interpersonal interactions – which can be resolved with intervention. By bringing concerning behavior to the attention of the AC-TACT, skilled professionals are able to assess and then intervene to help guide the person away from the highway to violence.

You should contact AC-TACT if a classmate, co-worker, partner, family member, friend or neighbor is demonstrating concerning behavior such as:

• Noticeably changed interpersonal interactions
• Physical aggression
• Recklessness
• Violent media usage
• Sudden or inappropriate interest in firearms or incendiary devices.

AC-TACT is designed to assess and coordinate a comprehensive multi-disciplined response to potential threats, but please remember that in the event of an imminent threat or emergency you should always dial 911.

If you have knowledge of a suspected, planned, or openly voiced act of targeted violence, call 911 immediately. If you become aware of someone exhibiting concerning behaviors or threatening a person, group, or entity, AC-TACT is available to assist.

Reports can be made to anyone from the partnering entities which make up the TACT (see below) or you can call the Albany County Sheriff’s Office by dialing our report line at (518) 765-2352.

For more information about AC-TACT or Targeted Violence Prevention, contact our administration office at (518) 487-5426 or by email at ACTACT@albanycountyny.gov.

A Threat Assessment and Management Team is a multi-disciplinary body that is trained to assess and recommend management strategies for persons of concern and threats of targeted or general violence.

Targeted violence is any form of violence that is directed at an individual or group, for a specific reason as opposed to random acts of violence.

Targeted violence is premeditated violence usually directed at a specific individual, group, or location.

A perpetrator of targeted violence is typically responding to a perceived grievance or acting on behalf of a particular ideology.

Targeted violence is different from impulsive, reactive, or emotional acts of violence.

Some examples of targeted violence:

• school shootings,
• workplace violence,
• domestic violence,
• stalking, and
• terrorist attacks.

The Albany County Threat Assessment Coordination Team is a large, multi-functional group of private and public entities that work together to develop threat management strategies. Additional partnerships are expected as the team evolves.