Focus on Officer Wellness: Safety Concerns and Guidelines for Hostage and Crisis Negotiators

Negotiators are asked to attend to “bad guys” in ways not usually a part of police work but that are essential to negotiations and to the preservation of life. Thus, their role can be high risk. The key to safety in negotiations is awareness. The responsibilities of the negotiator begin before encountering the subjects at hand. The negotiator who has not planned ahead runs the risk of serious consequences—he or she may have unintentionally created additional stress, and even subsequent danger, for all involved by failing to adequately and effectively plan. Negotiating is a different kind of police job. It carries unique and often latent risks that only the serious negotiator can overcome and prevent.