Major Ann Farmer of the Valdosta State University Police Department kicked off a two-year term as vice president of the Atlanta Southeast Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) on Sept. 1. 

Founded in 1992 by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Threat Management Unit, the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals is a nonprofit organization that is committed to learning more about the best ways to protect victims of harassment, stalking, and threat situations. Comprised of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, mental health professionals, corporate security experts, and others, its mission is to afford its members a professional and educational environment for the exchange of experience and assessment/intervention techniques.

Farmer initially joined the Atlanta Southeast Chapter of ATAP three years ago.

As chairwoman of VSU’s Behavior Intervention Team and assistant director of VSU’s Police Department, Farmer is responsible for the safety of thousands of students, as well as faculty and staff members and even campus visitors. The association affords her the opportunity to interact with and learn from professionals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and beyond. This has led her to further develop prevention-based efforts on campus.  

Farmer said that she was “really surprised” to be elected to a leadership position in the Atlanta Southeast Chapter of ATAP because “most of the members are from the Atlanta area. I was surprised that they wanted someone so far from Atlanta.” At the same time, she is honored to represent the university on a national level.

In addition to her other duties as vice president, Farmer also serves as membership chairwoman of the association. She said she hopes to encourage other professionals across South Georgia to join the effort to protect those in need and manage high-risk or threatening situations, especially considering the rise in terrorism and workplace violence across the country.

Farmer holds a Bachelor of Science in urban studies from Georgia State University and has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades. Before joining the VSU team in 1997, she worked in campus policing at Emory University and as senior investigator with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Although she serves in a primarily administrative position with the VSU Police Department, she teaches courses in campus safety and also patrols the area on occasion.

Contact Major Ann Farmer at [email protected] or (229) 333-7816 to learn more.