Crisis Negotiations

 

The Raytown Police Department Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT) is a volunteer program currently consisting of a 4 member team and a team commander. The team’s primary responsibility is providing negotiations for hostage or barricade situations. Such negotiation responses are critical to the law enforcement goal of resolving potentially lethal encounters peacefully without injury or death to the hostage, bystanders, officers or suspect/subject.  The negotiations program trains its negotiators in tactics and communications techniques used in crisis intervention. 

 

Members of the CNT have been screened through a selection process. Prior to being allowed to negotiate, members must attend and successfully complete a vetted training program. Currently, that training standard is met by attending a hostage negotiations program provided by the International Association of Hostage Negotiators (IAHN). Negotiators are required to recertify with IAHN every two years. However, this is not the only program attended by CNT members. The CNT also conducts team training once a month. It is not unusual for the CNT to train with other area teams.

 

In the interest of professional development, members of the CNT are affiliated with the newly formed Missouri Association of Hostage Negotiators. Some members are also affiliated with the National Tactical Officers Association. Each of these entities are a conduit by which CNT members can stay abreast of current trends and developments in the area of Crisis Negotiations.

 

The program offers its members many challenging training and operational opportunities however, it also requires its members to make personal sacrifices. Call outs can occur at the most inconvenient times, but members must be available to respond. Almost all Negotiation training is conducted during the members’ scheduled days off, but regular attendance is mandatory to ensure team cohesion.