Welcome Members and Guests
The Pacific Southwest Chapter is a close network of law enforcement, legal, mental health, social work, corporate security, education, and private security professionals dedicated to the investigation, assessment, and management of threatening and violent behaviors. We represent a variety of professions, demographics, and communities, united by the common goal of preventing targeted violence.
Originally known as the San Diego Chapter, the Pacific Southwest Chapter was chartered in 1998 under the leadership of our first President, Wayne Maxey. We are the second-oldest chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. Pacific Southwest covers a unique geographical territory, much of it separated by thousands of miles of ocean, and includes San Diego, Orange, Imperial, and Riverside Counties in Southern California, as well as the state of Hawai’i. The Hawai’i Satellite Chapter, initiated in 2025, formed with a focus of addressing and meeting the often-unique violence prevention needs of our island communities in the Pacific.
The Pacific Southwest Chapter is rich in experience and knowledge; many of our current and former chapter members have engaged in the foundational research and groundbreaking casework upon which the discipline of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management has been built. Our members have edited and authored chapters in the International Handbook of Threat Assessment and contributed to the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (JTAM). Our members regularly present research findings and case studies at the Threat Management Conference, Winter Conference, and other ATAP events, as well as mental health, legal and law enforcement, educational, and corporate conferences and summits. Pacific Southwest Chapter members frequently testify in threat and targeted violence cases with national media attention and precedent-setting legal impact. Members are regularly sought out for their deep understanding of this discipline.
The culture of our chapter blends the diverse communities we represent. We honor the trailblazing heritage of our California roots through our members’ groundbreaking research and practice of Behavioral Threat Assessment, but we also embrace the concept of ‘ohana (family), which in Hawai’i means more than just immediate relatives; it means the entire community. As a chapter we are collectively dedicated to serving and protecting our communities, no matter our profession.
The Pacific Southwest Chapter welcomes new members whose profession involves the prevention and mitigation of targeted violence. Please contact a member of our Chapter Board to learn more about how to join.