Who would have thought a giant inflatable Mickey Mouse would be waiting to welcome us to the 2026 ATAP Threat Management Conference in Anaheim?
It was a lighter start to a few days that included some very serious and, at times, deeply personal discussions.
Among the presentations that stayed with me most were those given by family members directly affected by active-shooter incidents. Standing in front of a room of threat-management professionals and sharing experiences like these takes enormous courage. It was a powerful reminder that behind every discussion around threat assessment, concerning behaviour and violence prevention are real people and families.
Across the conference, we heard from specialists in Behavioural Threat Assessment, the Pathway to Violence, Workplace Violence, Stalking & Harassment, and the identification and management of concerning behaviours.
It was also good to catch up with people I have known and worked alongside over the years, including Reid Meloy, Gregory Boles, our Pontes Global JV partner Joe Dalu, Brianna Morgan, Kelly Sayre and stalking and harassment lawyer Mike Brewer.
I first attended Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) around 25 years ago. Since then, I have spent much of my career dealing directly with complex stalking and harassment cases in the UK private sector, helping organisations and individuals understand the behaviour they are facing and, importantly, how to manage the risks around it.
Twenty-five years gives you a great deal of experience, but it certainly doesn’t mean there is nothing left to learn.
That is why returning to Southern California and ATAP remains so valuable. Much of modern Threat Assessment and Threat Management originated here, and spending time with practitioners who have helped shape and advance the field is always worthwhile.
Even after all these years, there is still plenty to discuss, question and learn.
Although the 40-foot Mickey Mouse was definitely a first.
Niall Burns FDA, MSyI,SABRE Assessor Chief Executive Officer
