Policy Text
DEFINITIONS:
BARRICADED SUBJECT - A person who is barricaded and reasonably believed to be a
threat to commit serious injury or death to themselves, to civilians or to law enforcement
officers.
CRISIS INCIDENT - Any incident which involves a hostage-taker, barricaded subject or
potential suicidal subject.
CRISIS NEGOTIATION - A non-violent law enforcement effort in which a trained crisis
negotiator uses negotiation strategies and tactics to gain the voluntary surrender of a
hostage-taker, barricaded subject or a potential suicidal person.
HOSTAGE - A person forcibly detained to compel the eventual fulfillment of a certain
and/or substantive demand(s) by a third party.
HOSTAGE TAKER - An individual, or a member of a group, who holds a hostage for
any of a variety of motivations, to include but are not limited to domestic issues,
freedom, publicity, financial gain, escape, political declaration, religious inspiration or
emotional instability.
POTENTIAL SUICIDAL SUBJECT - A person who communicates the intent to engage
in self-harmful behavior and who possesses the means of committing suicide.
SUBSTANTIVE DEMAND - A demand which a hostage-taker, barricaded subject or
potential suicidal person has determined cannot be obtained by other means.