Hostage negotiation competition challenges law enforcement

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
January 2, 2008

The Department of Criminal Justice at Texas State University-San Marcos will host approximately 300 officers representing law enforcement agencies from across Texas and the United States during the annual hostage negotiation training and competition Jan. 8-10.

Approximately 26 teams, including the Federal Correctional Institute from Florence, Co., the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will participate alongside municipal and state law enforcement from California, Kentucky and North Dakota said Wayman Mullins, professor of criminal justice and an expert in hostage and crisis negotiations and terrorism.

Teams will be conducting mock hostage negotiation exercises from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. both Wednesday and Thursday at the Hines Academic Center on the Texas State campus. Tuesday’s schedule will focus on classroom sessions.

“They’ll be graded on how they negotiate with the hostage takers,” explained Mullins. “This is a role-playing scenario that tries to mimic real life as much as possible.”

Media coverage of these exercises is invited. For further information, contact Wayman Mullins at the Department of Criminal Justice at (512) 245-2174.