Dr. Palarea serves as the contract Operational Psychologist for the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). He was brought to DSS in 2012 to spearhead the creation of the State Department’s Threat Management Program, and currently provides threat assessment consultation to protect its leadership, facilities, and personnel through the Office of Protective Intelligence Investigations and Insider Threat Program. Additionally, he served as an instructor for the DSS Training Academy and a presenter for the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). Dr. Palarea also consults with law enforcement agencies across the state of Florida on their threat assessment cases.

Prior to joining the private sector, Dr. Palarea served for 10 years as a Staff Operational Psychologist with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), providing his expertise to the NCIS Threat Management Unit, Counterterrorism Department, and Insider Threat Program. Dr. Palarea also consulted on investigations for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), and he trained personnel at numerous U.S. Federal Law Enforcement and Intelligence agencies, JTTFs, and state and local entities. His international experience includes training national law enforcement, security services, military services, and corporate security in Canada, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Dr. Palarea has conducted research on stalking, workplace violence, and assessment of communicated threats with the Los Angeles Police Department Threat Management Unit, U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section, Nebraska State Patrol, and Lincoln Police Department. His journal publications have appeared in Behavioral Sciences & the Law, Violence & Victims, Journal of Forensic Sciences, and the Journal of Threat Assessment. Dr. Palarea has co-authored book chapters on psychiatric diagnoses and the offender-victim typology of stalking in Meloy’s The Psychology of Stalking, crisis and hostage negotiation in Kennedy & Zillmer’s Military Psychology, ethics in crisis negotiation in Kennedy & Williams’ Ethical Practice in Operational Psychology, the role of sexual fantasies in sex offenses in Robertz’ Violent Fantasies, and protective intelligence in Meloy & Hoffman’s second edition of the International Handbook of Threat Assessment.

Since 1996, Dr. Palarea has been an active participant with the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), serving as ATAP’s President from 2017-2021. ATAP awarded him with its Meritorious Service Award in 2012 for his proposal to establish the International Relations Committee, serving as the Committee’s Chair, and facilitating relationships with the Canadian, European, and Asia Pacific partner associations. In 2021, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recognized Dr. Palarea with the Commissioner’s Medal for his expertise supporting the development and implementation of Florida’s Strategy for Targeted Violence Prevention. Dr. Palarea is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), ASIS International, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), and serves on the National Advisory Board for the National Center for School Safety Council (NCSS). Dr. Palarea is also a court-qualified expert in behavioral threat assessment in the U.S. federal court system.

Dr. Palarea holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.