4(g) - Hostage Negotiations

Establishing a Negotiator

• In most general circumstances, the negotiator should only be a supervisor or a TFO. Only supervisors and TFOs are allowed to make deals with the suspects if necessary and are the only ones that are supposed to be ordering officers. Please wait for a supervisor or TFO to arrive, do not start negotiations yourself.

• If there is no supervisor or TFO on duty then the highest-ranking officers left should establish negotiation. If a supervisor eventually comes on duty they should be briefed and then handed incident command.

Negotiation Strategies

• Establish dominance

  • • You control and direct the conversation. Make sure they know you are in charge and do not give in to unreasonable requests.

• Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

  • • This means you need to be assertive in situations, you need to make sure that there is no fear or anxiety in your voice.

    • Confidence is key, but don't overdo it and become cocky.

    • Practice 'I' statements. For example, instead of saying, "You shouldn't do that," try substituting, "I don't feel comfortable when you do that.

• Don't rush anything.

  • • Rushing in can cause the hostage taker to be rash and lash out at the hostages, you need to take time in making sure you have as much information before any sort of operation is planned.

    • Rushing the negotiations is putting everyone's lives at risk.

• Be willing to listen.

  • • When negotiating this is a two-way street, it goes back and forth, and for this to happen you need to be able to listen to them

• Be a friend

  • • If they see aggression they will respond to it. The friendlier you are, the more willing they will be to comply with your requests.

• Don’t be afraid to make a deal

  • • If you are a supervisor or the highest rank on duty, make reasonable deals that can help de-escalate the situation. An example is offering a 3-year reduction in the sentence with no fine if everybody makes it out safely and they turn themselves in.

• Don’t let them stall

  • • Stalling gives the suspect control and can often be their attempt at waiting for backup. If they are stalling, consider taking action or at least further securing the scene and alerting your men. Be forceful and move the conversation forward.

• If it goes bad and there are no other viable means of negotiation available, go in.