NCJ Number
142777
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1993) Pages: 28,30,52-53
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Although law enforcement officers are generally action- oriented in a hostage crisis and negotiation is underutilized, the best first response frequently may be to use time as a weapon and attempt to negotiate with the hostage takers.
Abstract
Police tactical response units emphasize rapid deployment and action, both reactive and proactive, and the aggressive employment of superior firepower and equipment, chemical agents, and power tactics. The will to use whatever force and tactics necessary and appropriate to bring a critical incident to a successful conclusion is the fundamental principle on which tactical response training is based. While negotiating to resolve a crisis is preferred over deadly force, certain situations require force: when intelligence clearly indicates that hostage deaths are imminent; and when hostages have been killed after a situation has been contained and negotiation has commenced. Tactical response units are increasingly using hostage negotiators but often in a role secondary to the armed assault. External pressures, such as media coverage of a crisis, contribute to the tendency to use deadly force. The importance of understanding negotiator roles and isolating negotiators from the rest of the tactical response unit is stressed in order to encourage the use of negotiation over force. The author also points out the advisability of cross- training in negotiating techniques for both negotiators and tactical response officers.