Houston County, Ala. — The Houston County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit designed to identify potential threats before they escalate into violence.
Aaron Cohen, director of intelligence and counterterrorism for the sheriff’s office, said the goal of the unit is to detect warning signs earlier and respond before incidents occur.
“What we’re standing up here today is a new operational capability inside the Houston County Sheriff’s Office focused on identifying threats earlier—before they reach the point of violence,” Cohen said.
According to Cohen, many threats now begin online rather than in public spaces, with investigators looking for what he described as “leakage,” or behavioral warning signs that indicate escalation.
“The issue isn’t whether those signals exist. It’s whether they’re identified and acted on early enough,” Cohen said. “That’s what this new Intelligence & Counterterrorism Unit is built to do.”
The unit will focus on identifying early-stage threat indicators, determining who may be involved and taking action when necessary or passing information to the proper agency if the threat is outside Houston County.
Cohen described the effort as an “Early Actor Interdiction Capability,” aimed at disrupting threats before violence occurs.
“In plain terms, it means getting ahead of problems instead of reacting to them,” he said.
Cohen said the operation will rely on publicly available information and lawful investigative processes.
“The goal is not surveillance—it’s early identification of credible threats and appropriate response,” Cohen said.
He added that the unit is intended to strengthen local public safety while improving coordination with partner agencies.
“The signals are there,” Cohen said.
