Policing Matters

The movies show us exactly how hostage negotiation works. Cut to the helicopters, searchlights, the holed-up hostage taker and the hostage negotiator approaching on foot, arms extended, without cover and wearing no protection aside from the nylon windbreaker that says “Hostage Negotiator” across the back. In reality, only a very small percentage of law enforcement officers become crisis negotiators, and face the reality of impromptu callouts with little information and less-than-ideal settings from which to work. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jonathan Pultz, a 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and author of the book “Negotiating Like Lives are on the Line.” Jonathan is currently a tactical team leader on the LAPD's SWAT team and a crisis negotiator. He has a Master’s degree in Dispute Resolution and a certificate of Negotiation Mastery from Harvard Business School online. Jim and Jonathan discuss the training and experien