CrJ 132 Chapter Six Hostage Taking & Negotiations - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• General thoughts on hostage taking
• Dramatic increase in last decade
• 2K reported – may be many more
• Increase in criminal/psychotic episodes
• Instant media coverage from anywhere
• Multiple demands for release:
• Free prisoners – Money – Prison reform – Political change – Political asylum

• Earlier History
• Richard the Lionhearted
• Nazis in Czechoslovakia
• More Current History
• Columbia FARC & FLN – Ransom
• Political Hostages
• Israeli soldiers - Hamas & Hezbollah
• Saddam in 1st Iraq War - Human Shields
• Russian theater & Chechen rebels

• Four Objectives
• Large sums of ransom $$
• Media attention & national or international recognition
• Grassroots community support
• Weaken free enterprise system by intimidating foreign investment
• Free political prisoners in swap

• Many models -use text- Table 6.1
• Based on motivation of hostage taker
• Poland suggests:
• Psychotic hostage takers
• Criminal hostage takers
• Political hostage takers

• Mentally deranged – Often suicidal – Angry – Seeks personal recognition – Often estranged from family – Barricaded suspect
• Usually wants media exposure
• Has considerable power because he/she is so unpredictable
• Hard to negotiate with – Irrational

• Fleeing felon – Prison inmate riots – Extortionist kidnapper – Barricaded suspect
• Generally, most rational & predictable – seek to avoid arrest
• 60% of all U.S. hostage situations
• Fleeing crime scene & police arrive
• Negotiation easier than with psychotic

• Social protestor, religious zealot, seeking vengeance, air hijackings
• Reasons may be political, social, religious, or ethnic crusader
• Strong commitment to ideology
• Seek publicity & often prisoner release or payment
• Often irrational, commitment to the “cause” – Preconceived demands & identified limits

• Different motives require different responses
• Different motives may require different negotiators
• Different motives may involve different government agencies & ops.
• Responsive actions driven by motivation -- helps coordinate tactical responses & strategies

• Play for time - Initial minutes critical
• Confusion, fear, unexpected response
• Play for trust
• Rapport with hostage taker
• Reduces likelihood of harm to hostages
• Self-disclosure – Empathy – Good listening – Personal interest in hostage takers problems & feelings – No outright rejection of demands

• Play for the “Stockholm Syndrome”
• Unconscious emotional response to the experience of victimization
• Positive feelings of hostages toward hostage taker
• Reciprocal, positive feelings of hostage takers toward hostages
• Negative feelings toward police by hostage takers & hostages

• Not present in all hostage incidents
• Absence of negative experiences during the incident (no beatings, rapes, etc.)
• Not present if hostage taker dehumanizes the victim (beheadings)
• However, with time, a bond of empathy often grows between victim & hostage taker

• Negotiators foster SS by:
• Checking on health of hostages
• Discussing family issues with “Perp”
• Requesting information on treatment & condition of hostages
• Stockholm Syndrome often saves lives of hostages & hostage takers
• Police must resist early application of deadly force

• A hostage or hostages continually challenges the hostage takers
• Physically or verbally challenge
• Threatened – “ Just you wait!”
• Don’t argue with hostage takers, because normally they eliminate you
• London incident – Achille Lauro incident

• Trained negotiator is essential
• Well-trained, elite response force
• Media cooperation
• Clear chain of command
• Identification of response personnel
• Identification of hostage takers and numbers, if possible

• Avoid shifts in location if possible
• Keep relatives away – audience
• Totally nonnegotiable
• New weapons, explosives or ammo
• No exchange of hostages
• No concessions without something in return
• No drugs, narcotics or alcohol

• Play for time
• Tricks are deceit are dangerous tactics – more successful with psychotics & criminals
• No promises you can’t keep
• Preferred style is one of mutual concession -compromise, problem solving, and “give & take”

• Question - When to use force?
• Mixed record of successful results
• Perfect timing & surprise
• Hostage lives at risk
• “Disproportionate Force”
• Expect media “second-guessing”

• Iranian hostages & rescue attempt
• 53 Americans captured at Embassy – during rescue, location was unknown
• Multiple services involved – equipment problems & coordination difficulties
• Ambitious, daring rescue plan
• 8 rescuers died – bodies left behind
• Great propaganda victory for Iran
• No test questions on “Good Guys”

• Rescue at Entebbe Airport
• Great Israeli intel & insight & surprise
• French Aircraft at Marseille - GIA
• Killed 3, released women & children
• Attempt to create a “flying bomb”
• Peruvian Embassy Party - tunnels
• Russia and the Chechen hostage takers at the Opera – poison gas

• Most critical times are capture & release
• 75% casualties during rescue/release
• Remain calm & don’t panic
• Avoid unnecessary movement/noise
• Don’t argue & show cooperation
• Long captivity - exercise, maintain humor - establish routine & empathy

• Will continue to escalate:
• Cost-effective extortion & ransom
• Publicity - Palestinians, Chechens, etc.
• It works, expect in countries with efficient police, trusted by populace
• It works, except with repressive govts.
• Effective deterrence:
• Security & “no-ransom” policy

QUESTIONS?