Police add texting to crisis negotiation arsenal
May 23, 2014
As more people make texting their first choice for communication, law enforcement officers working one-on-one to prevent suicides and other violence are learning firsthand about the strengths and weaknesses of texting in a high-stakes situation. Police who specialize in crisis negotiation were at first forced to ad-lib in standoffs where texting was the only way to engage with a suspect, but trainings are now more likely to include instruction in this area. Tim Christol, Police Chief of Red Bank, TN and a crisis negotiation trainer, notes that much valuable, non-verbal information is lost when typed words are the only available medium. “We’re losing those verbal cues that we want to listen to [that] help us decide where this person is – if they’re manic at the time, if they’re in a state of depression,” Christol said. Likewise, officers can’t use some skills that can help to build rapport with a person in crisis, like telling them “I hear sadness,” or “You sound angry.” While officers and experts agree that face-to-face or even phone communication will always be preferable, there have nevertheless been some successes, when police were able to use text messaging to engage with suspects and de-escalate dangerous confrontations.
Spark Extra! Check out Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Police, Firefighters, and Other First Line Responders.