Wednesday, April 24, 2019

A look into a Crisis Negotiation Police Training

HARTFORD -- Sometimes the police SWAT team is tasked with the dangerous mission of ending the stand-off with force...
Sgt. Kurt LaFlamme the Commander of North Central Crisis Negotiation Team describes his teams first goal...
“My goal through the negotiation team is to use our skills and our training to prevent the tactical team from ever having to be used, that’s my goal, to use our team and not have to use the tactical team," said Officer Gary Gray, of the Simsbury Police Department. "For a safe outcome.”

In 2012, in Avon, a police stand-off occurred during a domestic incident. Officer Gray was the negotiator.

“...there was a barricaded suspect, he threatened his girlfriend with a firearm. We establish contact with the individual, we made contact through a phone and then through the negotiation process he refused to answer the phone. So, then we had to use loudspeakers a megaphone. So, I made contact with the individual through the course of many, many hours we are able to negotiate the individual coming out...

Read more and watch the video [HERE]. 

Monday, April 15, 2019

Improve Your Active Listening Skills With These 13 Strategies

Leaders have an overwhelming number of responsibilities, often distracting or isolating them from others. Unfortunately, this sometimes impacts their ability to truly hear their team's concerns and suggestions. They might have good intentions and ask for their workers’ feedback, but are they really absorbing and acting on that information?

2. Learn To P.A.C.E. The Conversation
Open, two-way verbal communication is the foundation of building rapport. Using the PACE formula maximizes interactions and improves active listening. Purpose: Determine the purpose or core of their message. Ask: Respond with a question to dig deeper and encourage more dialog. Connect: Evaluate their body language to confirm rapport or connection. Encourage: Thank them for their input. - Lisa K McDonaldCareer Polish, Inc.
3. Get (And Stay) Curious
The definition of curious is "eager to know or learn something." If we stay curious during a conversation, we are motivated to connect more deeply with what we hear and ask interesting questions to learn more. If this feels unnatural, start to practice by simply asking, "I'm curious to hear more about..." Try to stay focused and get curious again if you notice your listening declines. - Bonnie DavisDestination Up
Read more from Forbes.com [HERE]. 

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Impact of Fear and Anxiety

Once the fear pathways are ramped up, the brain short-circuits more rational processing paths and reacts immediately to signals from the amygdala. When in this overactive state, the brain perceives events as negative and remembers them that way.

...Moreover, fear can interrupt processes in our brains that allow us to regulate emotions, read non-verbal cues and other information presented to us, reflect before acting, and act ethically. This impacts our thinking and decision-making in negative ways, leaving us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions. All of these effects can leave us unable to act appropriately.


Read more [HERE]. 

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Inside the ransom business


A kidnapper’s phone call announcing that a family member or employee has been abducted is the stuff of nightmares – as is the eye-watering ransom demand that often accompanies this news. How should you respond?

Most kidnappings take place in countries where governments are weak and territory is disputed. Without a police force able to help, you will need to negotiate to get your loved one back. So, what is the “right” price for their life?

When I ask my students this question, their answers range from “I would never pay a criminal or terrorist” to “I’d pay whatever they’re asking for” or “everything I could possibly spare”.

...Some describe this process as wringing the towel dry: kidnappers squeeze and squeeze until the victim’s representatives stick to their answer, “there is no more”. If those paying the ransom permit the kidnappers to literally squeeze them dry, they will pay all they can afford. But knowing that they will have to endure all the painful squeezes (replete with horrendous threats) anyway, they can also set a lower limit and hide some resources from the criminals. If they stick to their guns, they often achieve a release for a small fraction of the first ransom demand.


Read more [HERE].

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Law Enforcement Suicide: How Police and First-Responders Can Support One Another’s Mental Health

Mar. 22, 2019- More law enforcement officers die by suicide than from being killed in the line of duty. For those who dedicate every single day to keeping communities safe, there can be a toll, and this toll isn’t always visible.

The work of a police officer can cause stress, anxiety and depression. It can disrupt sleep, cause friction with family members, create financial worry, and contribute to alcohol abuse and the abuse of prescription pills. It can also lead to a decline in physical health. For some officers, these elements can create a feeling of isolation, hopelessness and helplessness – all risk factors for suicide.

So what can police officers and first responders – as well as their family and friends – do to support each other’s mental health and stop suicide in law enforcement?

Normalizing That “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay”

Law enforcement officers do the work of real-life superheroes, but they are also human, with feelings and emotions. It is normal for them to be impacted by what they see and experience every day. Ignoring one’s emotions doesn’t work. In reality, it makes things worse.

Read more [HERE]. 

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

How to Listen Like a Hostage Negotiator

“In a volatile situation where someone’s life is on the line, there can be no shortcuts. You must listen, as the hostage taker is all charged up, emotionally and physically.
“He has his goal, so you must hear him out and understand what he wants to accomplish,” Mr. Cohen said. “As a negotiator, you are looking for a win-win situation, and a hostage taker needs an opportunity to vent and let off steam, as their adrenaline is pumping and as they are in the moment. Unless they unload their demands, they don’t have the capacity to hear and consider behavior change.”

Read more [HERE]. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Decision-Making Under Stress: The Brain Remembers Rewards, Forgets Punishments

It's counterintuitive, but under stress we tend to focus more on the rewards than on the risks of any decision.

A new review shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the pros and cons, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative consequences of a decision.

The research has implications for everything from obesity and addictions to finance, suggesting that stress may modify the way people make choices in predictable ways.
“Stress affects how people learn,” says Mara Mather, a psychology professor at the University of Southern California and the lead author of the review. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”
...The new review paper also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.
Read more [HERE].