Monday, October 31, 2016

Active Listening Skills From NYPD Hostage Negotiators



Members of the NYPD engage people in crisis situations on a daily basis where the men and women of the Department continually use crisis communication skills and tactics to resolve these incidents in a peaceful manner. For the month of September and October the NYPD is promoting the use of these skills through a social media campaign that will also be promoting awareness of mental health illnesses and how help is available. The NYPD reached more than 220 million people on social media last year and see this as an opportunity to raise awareness of effective skills that can help people as well as services that are available.

The NYPD encourages everyone to help raise awareness of suicide, mental illness and how it is easy to help someone- you don’t have to be an expert. The first step can be as simple as engaging a person in conversation and encouraging them to talk to you. That is what “Talk To Me” means- starting a conversation with someone who might be in need of help.

You can help by using the hashtag #TalkToMe on social media, following us on Twitter at @TalkToMe, sharing our content that is posted on the channels listed below, raising awareness by posting on your social media, and finally by checking in with someone that might need help.


Why "Talk To Me"?

HNT Skills: Instead of saying...

 
 
Here's a snippet from article from a person who has a mental illness. She shares some tips on things she would prefer hearing instead of "get well soon."

From the perspective of crisis/hostage negotiators, this could be helpful when developing a communication strategy as the suggested can help build rapport and trust.
 
There are other things you could say that aren’t as triggering and are more validating to someone who is chronically ill…

1. I know how hard this is for you.

2. I’m here for you.

3. Take care of yourself, and let me know what I can do.

4. I can see you’re struggling, and I want to help.

5. You must be strong to have battled this every day.

6. I’m sorry you’re hurting.

Read the full article [HERE].

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Julie Chen Reveals Her Great-Grandmother Was Kidnapped and Murdered by Bandits


Julie Chen's family story will forever serve as a life lesson.
While on The Talk Thursday, the 46-year-old news anchor revealed a terrible family story that still haunts her to this day. Chen shared that her great-grandmother and aunt were both kidnapped and held for ransom by a group of bandits. Because Chen's grandfather was a successful and wealthy businessman, the bandits demanded payment or else they would murder her family members.
"Because he was wealthy and well-known, this put a target on his back. People knew who he was, so bandits one day kidnapped his elderly mother and one of his teenage daughters—my mom's sister," she explained. "These two women were held hostage and the bandits said that they would kill them if a large ransom wasn't paid for in exchange.

Read more at E! [HERE]. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

WPD negotiator details talks between suspect following standoff

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Wichita Police Department's Crisis Negotiation Team was called out at around 2:30 Friday morning for a standoff to help a woman that had a gun to her head.
This came after a short police chase that left one sheriff's deputy in the hospital. Behind all of the lights and sirens, negotiators began their work by talking with the officers that were already on scene.
"At this point we decided to go into a coaching phase where we actually coach the officer instead of taking over the negotiations because he'd already developed the rapport," said Christian Cory, a member of the negotiation team.
Read more and watch the video [HERE]. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Jurors hear FBI crisis negotiator's calls to refuge holdouts


FBI negotiator Marc Maxwell testified Wednesday that he tried to listen to the concerns of the last four holdouts at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in late January and early February, establish a rapport and show some empathy with the hope of coaxing them toward a peaceful outcome.
Jurors heard recordings of four calls that the FBI agent had with defendant Jeff Banta, between Jan. 27 and Feb. 4., as Banta, co-defendants David Fry, Sean Anderson and his wife Sandra Anderson huddled in the refuge's west end encampment, which occupiers dubbed "Camp Finicum.''
Read more at OregonLive.com [HERE].

Monday, October 3, 2016

"Talk To Me" - The NYPD's Suicide Prevention & Mental Illness Awareness Campaign


NYPD “Talk To Me” Campaign Raises Awareness For Suicide Prevention & Mental Illness

Social media being used to share crisis communication skills, dispel myths, connect people with services, and more

Members of the NYPD engage people in crisis situations on a daily basis where the men and women of the Department continually use crisis communication skills and tactics to resolve these incidents in a peaceful manner. For the month of September and October the NYPD is promoting the use of these skills through a social media campaign that will also be promoting awareness of mental health illnesses and how help is available.

The NYPD reached more than 220 million people on social media last year and see this as an opportunity to raise awareness of effective skills that can help people as well as services that are available. They NYPD encourages everyone to help raise awareness of suicide, mental illness and how it is easy to help someone- you don't have to be an expert.

The first step can be as simple as engaging a person in conversation and encouraging them to talk to you. That is what "Talk To Me” means- starting a conversation with someone who might be in need of help. You can help by using the hashtag #TalkToMe on social media, following us on Twitter at @TalkToMe, sharing our content that is posted on the channels listed below, raising awareness by posting on your social media, and finally by checking in with someone that might need help.

Why "Talk To Me"?

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Status Report on the Implementation of Executive Order 13698 Hostage Recovery Activities


From DNI.gov:

To ensure accountability for the reforms mandated by the E.O. and PPD-30, the E.O. directed that within one year, NCTC, in consultation with the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), provide a status report to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism on the implementation of the E.O.. The E.O. directed that the status report will be informed by consultation with stakeholders outside of the USG, including former hostages and hostages’ families and will, to the extent possible, be made available to the public. This Status Report responds to those requirements.

Download the report HERE.

Statement on Hostage Recovery Activities

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the Status Report on the Implementation of Executive Order 13698 Hostage Recovery Activities

From WhiteHouse.gov- Last year, President Obama ordered comprehensive updates to U.S. hostage recovery policy and signed an Executive Order to organize more effectively our efforts so we are best postured both to bring home U.S. nationals held abroad and support their families. Since then, we have brought under one roof law enforcement, intelligence, and military experts at the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, where they work side-by-side to develop and pursue recovery strategies. Moreover, the President designated a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, who coordinates our diplomatic efforts abroad. The interagency Hostage Response Group is ensuring that all of the elements put into place last year are working together as a team and receiving any guidance and oversight that they need. 

Saturday, October 1, 2016

More than just talk: Police discuss how words can diffuse situations

The No. 1 element in being a successful negotiator is you have to honestly care about the person on the other end of that phone,” 
Whitley, a 13-year member of the Danville Police Department and a crisis negotiator for around nine years, said. 
“My sole focus at that point and time is talking to him.”


For five hours, Danville Police were on the 100 block of Marshall Terrace negotiating a peaceful end to a hostile situation.
Andrew Steven Petrick, 35, was wanted for grand larceny and forgery warrants. When police attempted to make an arrest that morning around 10 a.m., he went into a residence and would not surrender.
Petrick told police he had a firearm and would not come out.
Read more from GoDanRiver.com [HERE].