A great honour to attend the Police Academy, Vienna, Austria to advise police negotiators and SWAT tacticians from across 14 European countries on many of the challenges, dynamics, and tactics in responding to hostage-taking perpetrated by terrorists.
Perhaps the most important part of any decision-making model is our ability to access good quality information and intelligence. Shared Situational Awareness is achieved by sharing information and understanding between the involved organisations to build a stronger, multi-dimensional understanding of events, their implications, associated risks, and potential outcomes.
Where to begin…I cannot begin to understand the anguish, trauma, and fear that the lightening Taliban insurgency in recapturing the many provinces across Afghanistan brought to many of my friends and staff that have continuously served the people since 2005; it must have been terrifying. Throughout, I have vicariously lived this experience with them to literally move mountains to keep them safe from harm and help those most at risk, flee their homeland to begin a new journey in life.
It is always a challenge to maintain your currency in a specialist field after leaving policing, but I have been fortunate to not only to continue to use my skills in hostage/crisis negotiation within the humanitarian sector but also in contributing chapters to the 5th edition and now the 6th edition of this publication.
Despite the significant increase in airport-based and inflight countermeasures, hijacking remains a threat to aviation. Andrew B Brown questions how, despite, and perhaps specifically because of, the reduction in the number of incidents and their severity, we might increase our competence in dealing with such life-threatening incidents. As with a health pandemic, we must remain prepared to professionally respond to rare, or unlikely, incidents as if we were managing them on a daily basis.
Across the developed world the response to COVID-19 has been swift with some governments quickly moving to enforced lockdown of the populous to slow down the transmission of the virus.
Just when you think you’re finished a thirty-year career in policing, something always crops up to test your skills in saving life, no matter how challenging the circumstances…
Entering its 30th year this negotiator conference and competition has honed the skills of law enforcement & corrections officers from across the globe. I’m honoured to act as one of the Head Judges helping to deliver continuous improvement in saving life.
Enduring the emotional roller coaster of having a loved one kidnapped, it is important to remember the lessons from Rudyard Kipling and importantly take strength in Ulysses from Tennyson…