Improving Violent Extremism Risk Communication among German Police Agencies: A Survey of Federal and State Threat Managers

Abstract

The effective communication of the risk of violent extremism using either numerical or semantic systems represents an important challenge for police agencies. The aim of the present study was to examine the perceived usefulness of an 8-category risk communication scheme widely used by German police. An online survey was completed by members of both federal as well as state police threat management teams throughout the country (N = 158). Results suggest that threat managers perceive the use of a common risk communication scheme to be crucial for successful cooperation across different police agencies to prevent acts of violent extremism. However, it was also found that threat managers do not share a mutual understanding of the meaning behind the eight risk categories in the present scheme. The authors review established best practices in the nomothetic and idiographic communication of risk and make constructive recommendations about how to improve the utility of the currently used system. If these recommendations are implemented, they could result in more effective preventative efforts by threat management teams collaborating throughout Germany, with positive implications for public safety and national security.