Chapter VII

Hostage Negotiation/ Hostage Crisis

At the end of this chapter the student should be able to understand:

 Discuss the hostage negotiation use the law enforcement;

 Enumerate the phases of hostage situation.

Hostage Negotiation

-It is a mutual discussion between authorities and hostage-taker or barricaded or the

surrender of the offender.

"Just as we would send only trained bomb squad personnel to defuse a bomb, so too,
we should send only trained negotiators to deal with these emotionally explosive
hostage situations".

John A. Culley

Hostage

A person or entity who is held by a captor. Someone who is seized by a criminal abductor
in order to compel another party such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or
government to act, or refrain from acting, in a particular way often under threat of serious
physical harm to the hostage(s) after expiration of an ultimatum.

Special Threat

-It is any situation involving a sniper, barricaded criminals, terrorist activity, or hostage-
taker(s) that is beyond the capacity of standard police equipment, manpower, and
training.

Hostage Taker

-A person or party who seize(s) or hostage(s) is/are known as hostage-taker(s). If the

hostages are present(ed) voluntarily, then the receiver is known rather as a host.

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Special Reaction Team

-It refers to any team of military/police personnel especially trained, armed, and equipped
to contain and neutralize a (SWAT/SAF) special threat (Pike, 2000-2013).

Negotiation

-is the process of interpersonal communication in which interested parties resolve

disputes, agree upon courses of action,bargain for individual or collective advantage,
and/or attempt to craft outcomes which serve their mutual interests.

- It is usually regarded as a form of alternative dispute resolution.

Hostage Negotiation

-happens when a criminal uses innocent people as bargaining chips. This can happen in
a range of circumstances,including:

1. A desperate mother who barricades herself in with her own child.

2. A bank robber who is disturbed on the job.

3. Terrorists who take foreign nationals.

4. Suicide attempts.

5. Hostage takings.

Thus:

1. There may be one or more hostages of any age.

2. The situation may be planned or adhoc.

3. There may be one or more hostage-takers, who are usually armed.

Hostage Crisis

-develops when one or more terrorists or

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criminals hold people against their will and try to hold off the authorities by force,
threatening to kill the hostages if provoked or attacked. Typically, the party of the hostage-
taker(s) will issue demands to the forces keeping him/her, or them, surrounded. In a
planned hostage crisis, there is often a list of political or religious demands, often including
the release of imprisoned friends or allies.

Phase of Hostage Situation

The four phases of hostage incidents acknowledged by experts are:

1. Capture Phase

-In terrorist situations, the strike team is brought together and briefed on the specific
primary and alternate targets. They conduct final rehearsals to fine-tune the operation,
move to the attack site, and then carry out the plan.

2. Transportation/Consolidation Phase

-This is also situation dependent. In some cases, the hostage takers have enough
freedom to transport their victim(s) to a site they deem adequate as a confinement area.
In other cases, the hostage takers are forced or choose to make do with what they have
and remain at or near the capture site, setting up a defensive perimeter.

3. Holding Phase

-After the hostage is either moved to a holding location or after the captors have
consolidated their position, the incident enters the lengthiest phase - Holding. In many
ways, this is the safest phase for the hostage. The situation has had a chance to stabilize.
The Holding Phase is a waiting period and is filled with negotiations.

4. Termination Phase

-Regardless of how a hostage-taking incident ends, the Termination Phase Is generally

a very tense time for all people involved in the crisis. The easiest and safest termination
for the hostage is a voluntary release followed by hostage takers' surrender. More
dangerous is the escape, and most dangerous is the rescue by an outside force or the
killing of the hostages as a means to end the crisis.

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Alternative Actions during Hostage Crisis

The following articles are alternative actions during hostage crisis:

1. Immediate Assault-The example of this is the Israelis' assault against Entebbe.

2. Control Sniper Fire -This refers to the application or regulations governing the use of
deadly force. Returning sniper fire may endanger hostages or bystanders. Shots should
be fired only on command.

3. Chemical Agents -Employment of chemical agents could cause the hostage-taker to

react by killing his hostages. There is also the possibility of fires started from agents such
as tear gas.

4. Contain and Negotiate - This approach to a hostage situation offers the best alternative
to a successful end for a number of reasons.

Three Typical Hostage Takers

The three types of hostage takers fall into three categories:

1.Professional Hostage Taker -The professional criminal who has his escape blocked
during the commission of a crime, Usually the easiest type of hostage-taker to deal with
is the professional criminal.

2. Psychotic Hostage Taker -The psychotic with a depraved mind, on the other hand,
presents a different and somewhat more complex problem.

Manifestations are:

-He tends to be irrational and therefore, less predictable. His actions, the words he uses,
and the demands he makes are often valuable clues to his mental condition.

- The psychotic harbors great inner frustration and conflict.

Symptoms of unstable personality include:

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a. Loss of memory.

b. Individual hears voices.

c.Easily frightened by sudden noises.

d. Feels that he is being constantly watched.

Psychopathic personalities -

are rational individuals who are legally sane and responsible for their actions. Such
personalities are often very convincing liars.

Characteristics of the psychopathic personality include:

a. Charming

b. Intelligent

c. Unreliable

d. Insincere

e. Poor judgment

3. The Terrorist or Fanatic Hostage Taker The fanatic or terrorist group creates a
even more difficult hostage situation. Manifestations are:

-In a sense, they can be viewed as a group of psychopaths with a cause, all under the
leadership of one of the group

-When caught in a criminal act, many of them rationalize their behavior by. claiming to be
revolutionaries who are merely seeking social justice.

Must Training of Hostage Negotiation Team

Training a hostage team may consists the following subjects:

1. Psychology -The greatest emphasis was placed on intensive psychological training to

prepare team members to various situations and develop strategies using psychological
techniques rather than force to obtain the safe release of hostages. The point of the

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training was to provide a basis for understanding and anticipating the hostage-taker's
moves as well as his possible reactions to police tactics.

2. Physical Training- This encompassed general upgrading of physical condition as well

as weapon-disarming methods and techniques of unarmed self defense.

3. Firearms Firearms -training includes the 38 revolver,9-mm ,submachine gun, .223-

caliber sniper scope rifle, shotgun (double barrel and pump), 37-mm tear gas launcher,
25-caliber automatic, and .22 caliber Derringer with bulletproof vests during the firing of
all weapons.

4. Electronic Equipment -All members must be familiar with and had to qualify in the
use of a miniphone wireless transmitter and recorder and in the use of electronic tracking
devices which utilize range and relative bearing features that can be quite valuable.

5. Emergency Rescue Ambulance -Each team member must learn to operate the
emergency rescue ambulance, a full-track armored personnel carrier. This training
includes the use of its auxiliary equipment, that is, the public address system, intercom,
radio equipment, fire fighting system, and first-aid gear. In the Williamsburg siege, this
vehicle was used to rescue officers and civilians who were pinned down by gunfire from
the felons. It also served as a safe base for the start of negotiations.

6. Vehicle Operation -Instruction must be given in the operation of the specially equipped
escape and chase vehicles, including auxiliary equipment. Special attention must be paid
to those streets and routes from various locations in the city to airports or other
destinations that would offer the best tactical advantage.

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Reference
Topics Video Links
Hostage Negotiators Answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ-vOGcOrjU
Questions You’ve Always
Wanted To Know
Tips on how to handle hostage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XHAtlHP1U4
situations
HOSTAGE RESCUE PHASE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWHiiiypSs0