Norman D. Bates, Esq. discusses the types of threat assessments a security expert witness may routinely deal with:

A threat assessment is an evaluation of events that can adversely affect operations and/or specific assets. Historical information is a primary source for threat assessments, including past criminal and terrorist events. A comprehensive threat assessment considers actual, inherent, and potential threats.

1.      Actual Threats
   a.     The crime history against an asset or at a facility where the asset is located. Actual threats are a quantitative element of a threat assessment.
   b.     Relevant crimes on the premises (three to five years prior to the date of the incident)
   c.      Relevant crimes in the immediate vicinity of the facility (three to five years prior to the date of the incident)

2.     Inherent Threats

Threats that exist by virtue of the inherent nature or characteristics of the facility or nature of the operation. For example, certain types of facilities or assets may be a crime magnet or prone to loss, damage or destruction (e.g., assaults among patrons in nightclubs, infant abductions from hospital nurseries, etc.).

3.     Potential Threats

Threats which exist by virtue of vulnerabilities around the asset or weaknesses in the security program which produce opportunities for crime to occur.