Few saw it coming, but it has become so frequent over the past five years that law enforcement experts say special training is warranted. It certainly would seem a wise move to combat this growing trend of text negotiations.
Standoff negotiations and suicide-prevention takes skill and training. Lives are literally on the line.
But not all of the techniques for verbal negotiations necessarily translate to texting -- or email or Facebooking. This is the way many communicate with others today. In the U.S., 6 billion text messages are exchanged every day,
When using smartphones, tablets or computers to e-communicate, the tone or intent can easily be misconstrued.
The more this area is studied, the better techniques will become to communicate electronically in these tense situations. Training, albeit limited, has already begun.
The Associated Press, which took an in-depth look at this emerging issue, found a police chief in Red Bank, Tenn., who is leading the way. Chief Tim Christol includes texting in his sessions and has published articles on the topic.
Many of the skills officers use to get people talking don't always translate in text, Christol told AP. For example, he said, emotional labeling -- telling someone "I hear sadness" or "You sound angry " -- is lost in electronic communications.
"We're losing those verbal cues that we want to listen to to help us decide where this person is -- if they're manic at the time, if they're in a state of depression," Christol said. "Words are only 7 percent of communication."
This area of police work is only going to get more complex as technology evolves and can do more things. The reality is that, even now, a suspect in a standoff has instant access to information through a smartphone. That power can change the dynamics of a situation quickly.
Technology is changing our world, and society needs to make sure law enforcement officers have access to the tools to keep up with it.
©2014 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.)
