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Every Officer a Negotiator

By: Jonathan D. Greenstein

We all have ingrained into our collective psyche an image of what happens once a situation

turns into a hostage/crisis event; the police line is set, marksmen take up positions, the media arrives

and soon the negotiator in on scene. What follows in a protracted give and take dialogue between the

negotiator and the hostage taker. While there is some truth to this Hollywood inspired image, what I

have always hated to see is how uniformed officers are portrayed as incapable of engaging the hostage

taker in the opening dialogue or even moving towards a successful resolution of the crisis.

As a member of the International Association of Hostage Negotiators (IAHN) who has served as a

representative to the District of Columbia for several years, I have taken every opportunity to share my

experiences related to the art of crisis negotiation. This is a subject that I am quite passionate about andone that I feel that every officer should have an exposure to. I have always expressed my feeling that all

cops, regardless of tenure, experience or rank are inherently good negotiators. While it does take a

special person to become a dedicated negotiator that can leverage their training and experience to

defuse some of the more complex situations, I can show you that even the greenest rookie is a

successful negotiator.

Be it the issuance of a traffic ticket, getting a person to relent and submit to arrest or simply asking

someone to move along; all these acts are negotiations, albeit less complex than one involving an armed

hostage taker holding a busload of frightened passengers, they are all negotiations. While the latter is a

dynamic event that could result in the loss of life, as experience shows, so can a simple field contact.

Outside the context of police work, we negotiate. Be it for a better deal on the price of a car, with our

significant others or children. We negotiate. Remember that the first step to a successful negotiation is

communication.

Communication as we know is a two part process, talking and listening. When I say listening I

mean actively listening. Pay attention to not just what is being said but how. As sensitive subjects or

event triggers are discussed, it is probable that there will be physical cues; take note of these. Pay

attention to indicators of openness and resistance. Even if this initial communication ends upon the

arrival of the designated negotiator who takes the lead, the information you garner in these first few

minutes can provide invaluable over the course of the crisis negotiation.

Building on the skills we learned in the academy we must remember that the whole picture is

just as important as the small details. It is these small details that make up the big picture after all. While

you may not have the time or capability to delve into the depths of the hostage takers life and the

trigger event, you may have the opportunity to garner small bits about them that help develop a general

profile and picture of who that are and what is going on in their life that led us to where we are.

8/6/2019 Every Officer a Negotiator, By: Jonathan Greenstein

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I strongly encourage law enforcement professionals to attend a basic hostage and crisis

negotiator training program to at the very least gain a better understanding of how negotiation works.

Perhaps after attending a basic course, some officers will find they have the interest and capability to

continue in their professional development and strive to become designated negotiators.

For further reading and information about the International Association of Hostage Negotiators, you arewelcome to visit their website at http://www.hostagenegotiation.com/. The IAHN website was designed

to help bring together those wanting to share their experiences, information about their profession, and

to help others learn the art of negating. Readers are invited to visit the IAHN site and explore its

contents. While there, if you are interested in membership, several options are available including

special programs to military veterans. If you become a member of the IAHN, you will receive access to

areas of the site that are not open to the public, to include after-action reports, analysis and more.

About the Author:

Jonathan Greenstein has been involved in law enforcement and public safety for over fifteen years, having served as a patrol

officer, field training officer, watch commander and criminal investigator. A graduate of numerous advanced training programs

to include Hostage and Crisis Negotiations, Active Shooter Response and Tactical Operations; he applies his professional

experience and training to the development best practices, policy and in the law enforcement oversight and advisory role. His

most recent publications include articles related to officer safety, risk assessment and monographs that identify cues of

terrorist activity and radicalization indicators.

He currently serves as the District of Columbia representative for the International Association of Hostage Negotiators.

He may be contacted by email through:jonathan.greenstein@leo.gov

mailto:jonathan.greenstein@leo.govmailto:jonathan.greenstein@leo.govmailto:jonathan.greenstein@leo.govmailto:jonathan.greenstein@leo.gov