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Peer Support for Police Hostage and Crisis Negotiators

ABSTRACT Physical body armor has long been standard equipment for all police hostage negotiators in the field. In much the same way, the need for emotional and psychological “armor” has come to be an important requisite for the negotiator who must face very difficult and life-threatening situations on a routine basis. Negotiators face the disturbed and violent of our society. In the line of duty, they often see the worst of what mankind has to offer. Injury, threats, and even death to others, to themselves, and to their comrades has become more frequent. Even for those best trained and best prepared, the job can be emotionally as well as physically draining. Because police negotiators are just as human as civilians who may experience unusual stress in their life, the importance of attending to these human needs is of paramount importance. Stress and emotional trauma, left unattended, will incapacitate a negotiator just as surely as if the negotiator had been shot or otherwise injured. A peer support program of a law enforcement agency acting in conjunction with, and under the supervision of, the department's Psychological Services Unit, if available, can provide immediate and temporary emotional first aid to members of the crisis negotiations team who may be in need of such support. Peer Team members should be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and officially sanctioned by the chief of police. Effective psychological coverage for all departmental negotiators can be enhanced as a result. All peer team members must receive basic training in Crisis Intervention and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. They should keep their skills up-to-date by attending regular in-service training as well as formal training schools both within and without the department.