Modern hostage negotiation principles were established in 1972 when New York City Police Department detective Harvey Schlossberg, also a psychologist, recognized the need for trained personnel in crisis intervention. Schlossberg had worked on the David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") case, and had instituted other psychological principles in police work, including psychological screening of police applicants and the use of hypnosis in suspect/witness interviews.[citation needed] Schlossberg's negotiation strategies were used during the 1973 Brooklyn hostage crisis and were crucial in ensuring the peaceful resolution of the standoff.[4]
The first hostage negotiators were often deployed as elements of police tactical units and merely created a diversion while they deployed. In modern usage, while sometimes acting independently, hostage negotiation teams are often deployed in conjunction with police tactical units, with the tactical teams only sent in should negotiations fail.[citation needed]
One specific model developed by the FBI is the Behavioral Change Stairway Model. Police negotiators that follow this model work through the following stages in order:[5]
Active Listening: Understand the psychology of the perpetrator and let them know they are being listened to.
Empathy: Understand their issues and how they feel.
Rapport: When they begin to see how the negotiator feels, they are building trust.
Influence: Only once trust has been gained can solutions to their problem be recommended.
Behavioral Change: They act, and maybe surrender.
It is considered to be important to work through these steps in order, and not to try to effect behavioral change before rapport has been established.[7]
References
^Strentz, Thomas (2006). Psychological aspects of crisis negotiation. CRC Press, ISBN978-0-8493-3997-4
^Greenstone, J.L.(2005). The elements of police hostage and crisis negotiations: Critical incidents and how to respond to them. Binghamton, New York: The Haworth Press. Currently under Taylor and Francis Publishing Group.