Hostage Negotiations VFW

Priorities of the negotiator

Preserve life of law enforcement, bystanders, hostage, and hostage taker, arrest or Baker Act of hostage taker, proper control of procedures - communication - documentation, preservation of property.

Seven types of negotiating incidents

Criminal, psychological, suicidal, domestic, terrorist, cults, corrections facility.

Transference

Hostage taker attributes traits to the negotiator. Develops a connection with the negotiator.

Counter Transference

The negotiator or hostage assign attributes to the hostage taker. Develops a connection with the hostage taker.

Stockholm Syndrome

Occurs under counter transference. Positive feelings can form between hostage and hostage taker. Have negative feelings towards police.

Triggers

Avoid. Topics or statements that anger or irritate.

Hooks

Topics that improved relationship and communication between negotiator and hostage taker.

Traps

Avoid. Negotiator responses that are incorrect, insensitive, inadequate, or show the negotiator was not listening.

Flag Words

Avoid. Words that can incite anxiety or power like, "hostage, gun, jail, Baker Act, murder, kill, or surrender.

Negotiation Situation

Incident Command - inner/outer perimeter, command post, resource team, media staging area, negotiation point (NOC), surrender plan (ritual plan or delivery plan).

Hostage Situation

A person held by threat or force in order to influence the decision of another.

Barricaded Subject

Uses natural, manmade, or obstacle to block an attack. May or may not have a hostage.

Suicidal Person

Attempt to take their own life, act in a self destructing manner. Likely to cause death or suicide by cop.

Methods of contact

Face to face, telephone, wireless device, loud speaker, written note, third party.

Avoid contact

Face to face (safety reasons), third party intermediary (unless you use pre recorded messages)

Psychotic

Irrationality and delusions.

Antisocial

Conduct disorders, lack of discipline, lack of remorse.

Depression

Slow reactions, slow verbal responses, flat affect, non reactive.

Borderline

Risk taking, attention seeking, drastic behaviors.

Extremist

holds an ideology or belief system close.

Behavior Types

Psychotic, anti social, depressed, borderline, or extremist.

Male privilege

Entitlement or cultural belief of having specific rights over his family.

Resource Team

Provides support and advice to the negotiator. Co workers, therapist, clergy, physician, and even translator.

Incident Commander

Evaluate information, seal off area, establish inner and outer perimeter, evacuate civilians, coordinate with all personnel, establish area for media and other logistics, determine a route for emergency vehicles, oversee crowd control, determine the need

Go Bag

Gas mask, insect repellent, sun screen, hat, towel, raid jacket, rain gear, markers-pens-wipe off board, spare water and food bars, portable chair. A negotiator may be on scene for many hours.

Negotiating Objectives

Locate, Isolate, Evacuate, and Negotiate.