C-K officers learning skills to de-escalate crisis situations

There were some hostage situations at a local hotel in Chatham on Thursday that Chatham-Kent police officers had to deal with, but there was no danger to the public.

There were some hostage situations at a local hotel in Chatham on Thursday that Chatham-Kent police officers had to deal with, but there was no danger to the public.

These scenarios involving actors is part of a five-day crisis negotiators course local officers are taking in Chatham, along with officers from Niagara Regional Police.

...Const. Fraser Curtis, an experienced negotiator, who is being re-certified, said crisis negotiation is a “perishable skill and obviously something that’s needed on the road from time-to-time when a call comes through where somebody’s in crisis.”

Tom Hart, president of Canadian Critical Incident Inc., with 20 years experience as a crisis negotiator with Durham Regional Police, is a course instructor.

“These type of people when they suffer these mental illnesses they’re in a state of crisis,” Hart said. “It’s really important for the officers to recognize those illnesses and develop a negotiating strategy to defuse, de-escalate and negotiate.”

Listening and de-escalating are key to successful negotiation, he said, followed by communicating clearly to the individual how resources will be used to resolve the situation.

Read more [HERE]. 

'Very tense and very stressful': Crisis negotiators play pivotal role in recent standoffs with police

Winnipeg Police Service’s crisis negotiation team involved in several high-profile calls in last 3 weeks

The Winnipeg Police Service's crisis negotiation unit has dealt with several high-profile incidents over the past few weeks, including four armed and barricaded situations — two of those involving firearms.

"No two calls are going to be the same. Obviously, the deployment sort of ramps up your level of anxiety," said unit commander Staff Sgt. Sean Pollock.

"Really, you're just trying to establish communication. You're allowing that individual to express and vent," said Pollock.

Read more [HERE]. 

Calgary Police/RCMP Negotiation Seminar

24^th Annual Calgary Negotiation Seminar

Calgary Police Service / Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Calgary, Alberta Canada

September 26 to September 28, 2018

http://cns.cpsevents.ca/

This jointly sponsored seminar by the Calgary Police Service and the Southern Alberta District of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, seeks to expand the knowledge and expertise of negotiators, incident commanders and tactical officers.

Open to police officers, corrections officers and selected mental health professionals who actively work with negotiators, these sessions aim to share new ideas, methods and experiences in an open forum.

Take a look at the agenda for this great event [HERE].

Royal Canadian Mounted Police release full details on male barricaded in G&M Trailer Park

On Saturday afternoon, Kamloops RCMP released an official statement on the event that occurred at the G&M Trailer Park in Kamloops on Friday, resulting in police shutting down major roads and the evacuation of residents at the G&M Trailer Park.

"This was a prolonged negotiation that was very tense," stated Cpl. Jodie Shelkie. "On several occasions the suspect made explicit threats to police and discharged his rifle within the home."

"We want to thank the residents and management of G&M Trailer Park very much for their cooperation, patience and assistance during this stressful event," stated Cpl. Shelkie. "This was the resolution we were seeking - and although negotiations do take time, the end outcome is worth it," stated Shelkie.

Read more a Kamloopsbcnow.com [HERE]. 

Terrorism and Hostage

My recent report on terrorism and hostage negotiation was recently published by Canadian Critical Incident Inc.'s Command Post. Due to its length, they decided to break it up into two parts. The second part will be published in their summer issue.

If you would like a personal copy of the report (not the full issue) feel free to email me. To access the full report and the entire issue, I highly recommend you subscribe to CCI by becoming a member and visiting [HERE].

Snippet:

Law enforcement crisis hostage negotiators are called into action during situations that are tense, unpredictable, anxiety- lled, potentially volatile, and often emotionally driven. The negotiation team must enter a chaotic situation, bring calm, and work collaboratively with the subject to initiate a behavioral change for the purpose of gaining the subject’s voluntary compliance.

Terrorist attacks across the world have demonstrated that these attackers are no longer relying on the use of explosions and gunfire. Many incidents now involve kidnapping as well as hostage-taking, where the attacker will barricade himself to prolong the incident (examples are included in the report).

It is necessary for both American and Canadian crisis hostage negotiation teams (C/HNT) to ensure they are prepared to respond to these unique incidents. They should understand how to work toward a peaceful resolution, and when that is not possible, how to “buy-time” for the tactical team, and develop an effective strategy that considers the conditions of that particular incident.

This article provides techniques and strategies to consider when preparing a C/HNT for a terrorist incident involving hostages and a barricaded subject. These suggestions are not an all-inclusive list. Instead, they should serve as a starting point for negotiators who can further develop and adapt them according to the unique needs of each individual C/HNT. What is universal, however, and should be part of any terrorism-related training, is the inclusion of both lectures and interactive elements...


The first part of the report includes sections on:

• Recent Attacks Involving the Use of Crisis Hostage Negotiation Teams
• Use of Third Party Intermediaries
• Social Media
• Situation Boards, Role of the Scribe 

Somali man accused of kidnapping Australian lured to Canada in elaborate sting

Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan during their kidnap ordeal.

AMAZING details have emerged of an elaborate trap set by police to catch one of the alleged kidnappers who held Queensland photographer Nigel Brennan hostage in Somalia for 15 months.

A court has heard a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer spent five years convincing Ali Omar Ader that he was a book agent to lure him halfway around the world and arrest him.

Police claim Ader, 42, was “one of the main negotiators’’ for militants who took Mr Brennan, from Bundaberg, and Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout captive in August 2008.

Read more from the HeraldSun.com.au [HERE]. 

Hostage negotiations: There are no simple answers, just harsh dilemmas

(Bob Rae/The Globe and Mail)- Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion have kept their answers to questions about two captured Canadian citizens murdered by Abu Sayyaf terrorists short and simple: Canada does not pay ransom to terrorist kidnappers. It only feeds their appetites. The best way to fight this wave of violence is to say no.

It is hard to disagree with such direct, morally cogent arguments. The difficulty is that they miss another, equally compelling reality, which neither governments nor the media seem willing to discuss: The governments that say no know perfectly well that the families and friends of people kidnapped and held in various parts of the world will do whatever they can to achieve the release of their loved ones. Those same governments will, in fact, help the families make contact with skilled, professional advisers, as well as with various intermediaries who live in the shadowy world of kidnapping negotiations.

The issue is not “Do we pay ransoms?” but “Who pays the ransoms?”

...Even more complex are the shadowy intermediaries who claim to know the “real” ransom amount. In many cases. they are paid success fees, so the amounts raised by families have to be increased to meet the ever-changing financial targets. The pressures on the families are unimaginable.

 

My point in writing this is not to cast blame or to reveal deep, dark secrets. It is simply to encourage readers to go beyond the headlines to deal with the gritty realities of kidnappings that go completely ignored for months on end and are then covered in the news for just a few days. 

 

Read more [HERE].

National police officers gathering in Saskatoon to focus on mental health

Police officers facing a potentially dangerous citizen in the midst of a 

mental health crisis need to know they can use alternatives to lethal 

force, says a filmmaker who will address police boards from across 

the country this week in Saskatoon. Photo: The StarPhoenix

Police officers facing a potentially dangerous citizen in the midst of a mental health crisis need to know they can use alternatives to lethal force, says a filmmaker who will address police boards from across the country this week in Saskatoon.

Leaders must encourage a police culture that supports officers in taking the time to prevent deadly outcomes, said Laura Sky, whose documentaries have included an examination of police use of lethal force and post-traumatic stress among officers.