NCJ Number
143074
Journal
Behavioral Sciences and the Law Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 213-221
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A total of 300 law enforcement agencies in the United States that use a negotiator in hostage incidents responded to a survey on the use of mental health professionals as consultants to the negotiation team.
Abstract
Thirty-nine percent of the agencies with a negotiator use a mental health professional consultant to the negotiation team. Police agencies that use a mental health professional as a consultant on negotiation techniques reported more hostage incidents ending by negotiated surrender and fewer hostage incidents ending by tactical team assault and arrest of the perpetrator. Also, police agencies that use a mental health professional as a consultant on the assessment of the perpetrator reported fewer hostage incidents resulting in the serious injury or death of a hostage. Although these results are only correlational, they raise the possibility that the use of mental health professionals as consultants to police hostage negotiation teams may decrease the risk of hostage injury and death. 4 tables and 11 references