NCIS agents brief troops on stopping workplace violence

Special agents at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service want you to consider this scenario:

A chief in your unit is going through a divorce. He’s going to lose his kids, the alimony bill is coming and these stressors in his personal life are starting to spill over to work. It’s clear to you his anger is building up, he’s acting out of character, and he’s taking things out on his sailors. You think his anger could lead to violence. What do you do?

“Step up and report it,” said Kate Shields, a supervisory special agent for the National Security Directorate at NCIS. “It is your responsibility to help protect your workforce, protect your colleagues and protect your country. It’s easy to look the other way. It takes an incredible amount of courage and commitment to actually step up and tell somebody you’re concerned.”

Through this month, NCIS is conducting field briefings for sailors and Marines about what they can do to prevent workplace violence. The push is the latest crime reduction program for NCIS, which picks a new campaign each quarter. Past efforts have targeted spice use and child abuse.

What you need to know about the new campaign:

The message

While NCIS doesn’t specifically track workplace violence, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that about 1.7 million U.S. workers are victims of assault while on the job each year.

Agents hope sailors can do their part to deter their shipmates off “the pathway from idea to action” — and from contributing to this stat.

“People are the first line of defense,” said Sarah Griffin, special agent with the Threat Management Unit. “If our people aren’t paying attention, it’s a lot harder to protect us.”

It's not snitching

The hard part is convincing sailors that turning a blind eye is dangerous and reporting suspicious behavior does not make you a rat. In many cases, agents said, your actions would be preventing someone from committing a crime down the road.

“Just because someone does the right thing and makes the report doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to jam up somebody’s career or get them in trouble,” Shields said.

Warning signs

How do you know if someone is a danger? NCIS highlights a number of behaviors, including: making threats; aggressive actions like bullying or stalking; uncontrollable temper; uncharacteristic isolation; fascination with weapons; stealing; substance abuse; frequent arguments and sudden changes in behavior.

Reporting suspicions

If you know someone exhibiting some of these signs, what should you do? You can report this to your chain of command, seek counsel from a chaplain or medical officials, or communicate directly with law enforcement and security officials, agents said.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can text NCIS or reach the agency via a smartphone app. Visit www.ncis.navy.mil for more information.

When anger escalates

If it’s too late, and you find yourself in an unsafe situation with a co-worker, NCIS offers this advice:

Don’t argue with the person. Leave the area immediately and contact security. Try to contact authorities without the person noticing and, if necessary, signal to a co-worker that you need help.