Using the fears of workplace violence expressed by public employees as a reference point, this analysis examines the responses of city and county governments in the State of Georgia to the threat of external and internal violence. As a preliminary assessment of the responsiveness of city and county governments to the problem of workplace violence, officials in Georgia local governments with populations of 50,000 or higher were asked about both their perceptions of the threat and the specific actions taken by their governments to address it. While personal concerns and preparations were described, few officials indicated that their governments have formulated policies and implemented programs to address the problem. High percentages of officials, however, indicated that they expect more violence on a scale similar to the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City and that public employees are at greater risk than private sector employees
