Recent Book: A Problem of the 70's: Hostage — A Police Approach to a Contemporary Crisis
| Date | 01 January 1979 |
| Published date | 01 January 1979 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X7905200121 |
| Author | P. M. Imbert |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
APROBLEM OF THE 70's
MAHER
Hostage -a police approach to a contemporary crisis
Charles C. Thomas $9.50
international
Terrorism
is now
unquestionably such a serious problem
that special units to counteract its effects
are accepted as being natural and
sensible. Few countries are now without
their anti-terrorist squad. Anti-hijacking
techniques and preventive measures have
occupied a position of high priority in the
minds of governments since the late
1960's when such incidents reached an
unacceptable peak, and anti-terrorist
exercises by both police and military
should now be as fundamental (they are
indeed as necessary) a part of training as
learning how to deal with road accidents
or crime.
Hostage taking by terrorists and
criminals
seems, like its
equally
unwelcome counterparts of bombing,
shooting and hi-jacking, to be on the
ascendancy with the protagonists of
violence. Hostage taking is not new, and
throughout history it has been used as a
most etfective
weapon,'
so often for
political
purposes,
but
police
involvement in terrorist hostage taking
incidents, for this country at least, is a
relatively new experience.
Although contingency plans for hi-
jacks, kidnaps, bombings, assassinations
and other terrorist incidents now
inevitably involve the use of equipment
which was hitherto almost unkown to
police, it is, in my opinion, paramount
that the traditional benign public image
of the unarmed police or 'peace' officer
must prevail.
It
is this imagewhich isour
constant strength when seeking and
relying on that special relationship
between the police and the public - the
protectors and the protectees - for the
preservation,
and
sometimes
re-
imposition, of public tranquility.
It
is, perhaps, for this reason, that the
comparatively newdimension of policing
- the subtle and sometimes dangerous art
of negotiating - has achieved a vitally
important position in police vocabulary.
The recent book, "Hostage", by
George Maher, an Assistant Chief
Inspector of the Nassau County Police
Department, New York State, deals
principally with the criminal and mental
hostage taker and treats somewhat thinly
the politically motivated kidnapper;
perhaps this is just as well, for to lay
down inflexible ground rules for the
treatment of such incidents could well be
a recipe for disaster. The author himself
recognises this and warns that " . . .
Dealing with an organised terrorist
group by most local police agencies
January /979
would be extremely difficult without
outside assistance
...
The confrontation
may be the result of months of planning
(by the terrorists) and all the alternatives
and arguments put forth by the
negotiators will have been considered
and
...
for the most part, the political
demands of the group probably would be
above any concessions offered by local
police."
It is ironocally, the realisation of the
inevitable limitations of response Which
makes this such a practical little book
(less than 100 pages). The author does
not dwell on the political hostage taker
but looks at the mental and physical
approach necessary by police to resolve
many other types of hostage
taking.
situations.
He has studied carefully a number of
hostage incidents (mostly in his own
country),
he
has
dissected
these
incidents, and with a mathematical
precision he has prescribed an antidote
for the disease. Inshort,he is pointing up
the fact that the old"kick the doorin and
get at 'em' approach may not bethe most
sensible or the only effective method.
Perhaps
the
most
important
contribution this book may make, is to
show some of the doubters that, properly
organised, a police negotiating team, as
an integral part of a major incident team
can only enhance the chances of police
success. One of the reservations I have
about the book however, is that, despite
its protestations to the contrary, all the
other teams may appear to be working
for the negotiators. This is not so in real
life and to be fair to the author he may
not have intended to give that
impression.
The production of this book is to be
applauded. In the preface the author
states quite clearly and unostentatiously
that the book should be recognised for
what it is: an introduction to the problem
.
..
a basis for further investigation
ofthe
subject, an outline for a training
programme or a review of accepted
techniques and procedures.
The book is indeed a brave effort to fill
a gap in police training literature but
despite its many excellently made points
it would be quite wrong of me if! were to
shirk the responsibility of commenting
adversely on one part of it. The author
recommends that"
...
during negotiation
little obvious attention be paid to the
hostage(s) by the negotiators. This is so
that the importance of the hostage is not
amplified in the eyes of the holder and
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