The Negotiator
About The Programme
The Negotiator examines all aspects of the hostage situation featuring real-life footage of hostage takers and their victims.
It’s a tense and harrowing examination of the negotiation process that stands between the life and death of those unfortunate people trapped in a stand-off.
The film follows the career and life of Clint Van Zandt, the FBI’s chief negotiator as he explains the psychology behind this nerve-wracking skill.
Interspersed with real-life hostage scenarios, this is a powerful and riveting hour of television made by award-winning Story House Production Company.
The Art of Hostage Negotiation
Hostage taking has a long history, dating back to ancient Greek and Roman times. In modern times, Patty Hearst’s kidnapping demonstrated the power of hostage takers to use the media as a platform for their cause.
Terrorists, criminals and the mentally disturbed often make up the categories for hostage takers. Professional criminals may take a hostage accidentally or as a fight or flight panic reaction – and then use the hostage as a barter for escape.
There are three choices for the hostage taker. The first is to choose martyrdom, kill the hostage and commit suicide. The second is to negotiate terms with the police for an escape route. The third is to surrender to the police.
The choices for the police are to overpower the hostage taker with firepower or to use a sniper. They can also use chemical agents – or to contain the area and bring in a trained negotiator.
Most negotiations teams group incidents into three main areas – hostage takings, barricade situations and suicide attempts. Traditionally, hostage takings has the highest profile although in recent years, the number of barricade situations has risen.
Usually, the negotiations team consists of three personnel. The primary negotiator actually communicates with the subject. The secondary or backup assists the primary negotiator by offering advice, monitoring the situation, keeping notes and ensuring a dispassionate perspective is kept.
The third person on the team is the intelligence negotiator who interviews people associated with the suspect to draw up a criminal and mental history profile
Clint Van Zandt
Clint Van Zandt is a 25-year veteran Special Agent with the FBI (1970-1995). Prior to retirement, he was a supervisor assigned to the FBI Academy where he worked with the Bureau's Behavioural Science Unit. Before this he served eight years in the Special Operation and Research Unit as Chief Hostage Negotiator and overall Programme Manager for Hostage Negotiations.
He was the chief hostage negotiator and coordinator during the 1987 siege at the Oakdale, LA. Federal Correctional Facility; the 1987 siege at the Atlanta, Ga. Federal Prison; the 1991 prison riot at Talladega Ala. and many other situations. He also provided on-site coordination for negotiating the release of a U.S. citizen held by Columbian guerrillas and another kidnapping involving an American oil company executive held by terrorists in the Philippines.
Van Zandt has appeared on more than 2,500 television shows. He correctly profiled Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and also led the analytical team that identified the "Unabomber."