Question 1
Contrast "Crisis Negotiations" with "Hostage Negotiations."Question 2
Discuss major aspects of conflict intervention.Answer 1
Traditionally police crisis negotiations have meant hostage negotiations. Today crisis negotiations are best viewed as an umbrella of activities in which hostage negotiations are but one component. While specialized training is required for hostage negotiations, all police officers should receive regular training in dealing with people in crisis situations. Historically, police responses to conflict management have been to use all due force necessary to end the threat as soon as possible. However, what is needed is a new philosophy that stresses the need for a fair and just resolution of conflict with the focus being the protection of human life. Interestingly, the field of hostage negotiations has been expanded now to include both hostage and non-hostage incidents in which negotiations are necessary to prevent violence. Hostage situations are those where the subjects hold another person or persons and make demands on a third party—usually law enforcement. The demands are usually for money, a means to escape, a chance to air grievances, or political and social change. The majority of all hostage incidents are resolved without force because the hostage takers prefer life to their demands.Answer 2
The first aspect of conflict intervention is to identify conflict and potential conflict in the community and to respond to potentially explosive situations as they arise in the community. The second aspect is actual intervention in a conflict and working out a solution so that the need for forceful police response is eliminated. This includes keeping command officers informed as conflict develops and preparing a number of alternatives that the department can adopt in handling each situation. During this stage, the police conflict intervention team acts as a resource and research arm for the department, attempting to find a means of responding that will maintain a maximum of order, yet not result in an open confrontation. Some of the approaches used by such a team are mediation, communication, and advocacy. These approaches could be used with success when a conflict and its participants have been identified and a police administrator is seeking a response to such a situation. Along with these approaches there should be an attempt to bring the opposing parties together so that each side is willing to express its view, and perhaps accept a mutually satisfactory way to eliminate or at least lessen the potential for conflict.