Understanding the Prevalence and Situational Characteristics of Hostage and Crisis Negotiation in England: an Analysis of Pilot Data from the National Negotiator Deployment Database

Abstract

The following paper outlines the findings from an exploratory analysis of the hostage and crisis negotiator deployment database that was piloted within Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies prior to national rollout of a centralised and standardised online recording mechanism for negotiator deployments across the majority of police forces within the UK. The research utilised a descriptive research design, whereby the secondary data from an initial 24-month recording period was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings provide a descriptive representation of (1) the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects encountered by negotiators, (2) the typical situational characteristics/circumstances in which subjects present and the most frequently encountered subject impact factors and (3) how hostage/crisis incidents are typically resolved. The findings are discussed with relevance to the implications for negotiator practice and policy. An emphasis is placed on identification of recommendations for improving the discipline of hostage and crisis negotiation via the standardisation of deployment recording and targeted/focused training and continuing professional development of negotiators based on the characteristics of deployments observed.