Terrorist Siege-Hostage Situation - Negotiation or Confrontation?

• NCJ Number: 79937
• Journal: Australian Police College Journal Dated: (1978) Pages: 3-18
• Author(s): J K Avery
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

The planning, operations, and personnel that should be used in terrorist siege-hostage situations are discussed, with particular attention to New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

Following a brief background discussion of the nature and tactics of political terrorism, the guide examines preplanning, training, and initial response techniques for hostage-siege situations. The New South Wales organization for such incidents consists of two separate decisionmaking groups. There is a police command group, generally located at the criminal investigation branch, which directs the operations of the field group. The field commander directs tactics at the scene of the incident and is in constant contact with the police command group. There is provision for a State crisis policy center at police headquarters. This group, composed of the police commissioner, senior police officers, the Premier or a representative, and advisers, can deliberate about demands made by the terrorists. The principal police actors involved in direct encounter with the terrorists are the negotiating team and the special weapons and operations squad, which is charged with containing the situation and using force if negotiations fail. It is particularly important that these actors be thoroughly trained. The initial police response should aim at containing and stabilizing the situation. Negotiation should be a major strategy when there is an obvious imbalance of power in favor of the terrorist. Lengthy negotiations generally favor the safety of the hostages and the likelihood that the terrorists will diminish in their determination to achieve their initial goals. As a general rule, force should not be used unless a hostage has been killed or there is strong evidence that this is about to occur. Techniques of negotiation are considered, along with a strategy for the use of force. Recommendations for improving the New South Wales capacity to deal with hostage-siege incidents are presented, together with a New South Wales police organization chart. Forty-nine footnotes are listed.