Spring 2014 ® NNeeggoottiiaattiinngg wwiitthh aa PPaarraannooiidd SScchhiizzoopphhrreenniicc SSuubbjjeecctt AA22SS22 CCoouurrssee HHooww ttoo WWiinn aa GGuunnffiigghhtt WWhhyy iiss TThheerree RReessiissttaannccee ttoo KK99ss iinn SSWWAATT?? FFoorrttiiffiiccaattiioonn PPhhaazzzzeerr NY TACTICAL MAGAZINE the Executive SPRING 2014 Negotiating with a Paranoid 6 Volume 8 - Issue 1 Director EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Klein EDITOR Barbara Lancaster-Beresnoy ART DIRECTOR The radio call comes over, “LE 7 Molly Courtright and 8, respond to the Rosterfield 11 CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Hotel for a report of shots fired. Multiple casualties reported, and Samuel A. Farina, Jr. multiple gun men.” The two Andrew Esposito Shotgun Breaching Removed patrol units start their response Sandy Wall and pull up to a silent Hotel. Brad Smith from DCJS Standards Kenneth Koonz/Jessica Blain-Lewis John Converse Many agencies that are working to obtain NYS SWAT Team In this article, I will ADVERTISING Certification have expressed to the NYTOA that the shotgun attempt to point Contact the NYTOA at [email protected] or call breaching requirement caused them hardship. Many teams out what, I feel, are 800-269-7326 Ext. 701 some of the factors The media kit can be downloaded at: applying for accreditation do not actually use shotgun breaching, 18 that can make a http://www.nytoa.org/NYTOA_MEDIA_KIT.PDF nor would their administration allow them to start a shotgun breaching program. This meant difference in a Copyright ©2014 New York Tactical Officers Association, Inc. All that in order to meet the standards these teams would be required to send members of their gunfight. rights reserved. The New York Tactical Officers Association ® is a agency to a shotgun instructor school and train their personnel in shotgun breaching for the registered trademark. sole purpose of checking a box on the accreditation form. Obviously in times of tightening The information presented in NY TACTICAL MAGAZINE is offered with the best possible intentions, however, the information budgets this becomes an issue. contained herein expresses the views of their respective author and not necessarily the views or practices of the NYTOA. The NYTOA voiced your concerns with DCJS, who agreed to present this information to the Questions or comments about anything In some Municipal Police Training Council at the March 2014 meeting. At that meeting the Municipal contained herein should be sent to 2depart5ments, K9s 33 [email protected] Police Training Council agreed to remove this requirement from the NYS SWAT Team are deployed in Accreditation process. The NYTOA would like to thank Mark Fettinger from DCJS for his SWAT operations New York Tactical Officers Association, Inc. assistance in this matter. 680 Route 211 East Suite 3B-289 with no prior What follows is an overview of Middletown, NY 10941 training or exposure Although shotgun breaching has been removed as a minimum requirement, the NYTOA the proposed changes to the Voice: 800-269-7326 • Fax: 800-257-1978 to SWAT movments www.nytoa.org • [email protected] does believe that shotgun breaching has a place in a SWAT team’s breaching options. We and tactics. Penal Law, and how we can take action on a grass roots level ... highly encourage teams to assess the entry points in their jurisdictions (residential, commercial, school, etc.) and have a breaching plan that would allow for quick entry into even the toughest of entry points. Most likely this will include options other than mechanical WHY breaching only. IS THERE A PR On the cover: RESISTANCE ODU If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at any time. R CT Director of TO EVIE Firearms Robert 38 W Stay Safe and Train Hard. Loughman instructing an Larry L. Beresnoy s NYTOA Carbine Kin 9 Course Executive Director 4SWAT? 5 Negotiating with a Paranoid BY: SAMUEL A. FARINA, JR. On August 14, 2013 in St. Joseph, Louisiana, also be at higher risk for violent behavior. When Access to a mental health professional headlines on CBS news read the following, “The violence does occur, it is most frequently targeted at as a resource to develop a personality and gunman in a fatal hostage standoff wrote that he family members and friends, and more often takes psychological profile would prove useful was angry at his ex-girlfriend's family and believed place at home. with understating medications and their they were responsible for a device in his head…” effects, the psychological history of the Negotiators who engage someone who is subject and a more specific 20-year-old Fuaed Abdo Ahmed shot two hostages, schizophrenic will observe situations of thought communication strategy. Given the killing one, at a rural Louisiana bank before state disturbances, hallucinations, delusions and other frustration that may exist with mental police ended the 12-hour-long standoff by shooting departures from reality. It is important to address this health care providers and those with him dead. Ahmed indicated during the negotiation situation with a number of specific communication mental illness who are in crisis, offering that he had a device in his head and wanted to have strategies in an effort to resolve the situation psychiatric services in the early stages of it removed. Fearing for the safety of the two peacefully while, at the same time, have a tactical the negotiation may prove hostages Ahmed held and who actively threatened plan at the ready in the event there is a need to save counterproductive. to harm, a tactical solution was employed in an hostages, likely family or friends of the subject. attempt to save the lives of the hostages. It was Medications prescribed today for learned during the hostage situation that Ahmed was As with all negotiations, communication schizophrenia could have a timely effect diagnosed and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. strategies have a foundation in utilizing Active if taken during a crisis event and the subject should ego will go a long way. In addition, the use of the Listening Skills to build a trusting relationship be encouraged to take their prescription during the media as a means to publicly outline the paranoid’s Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling through rapport building. This will prove to be a negotiation. Often times the main reason for concerns may be an option as a resolution strategy. brain disorder that affects about one (1) percent of significant challenge with someone who is discontinuing the use of medications is a result of the people all over the world. People with schizophrenia schizophrenic. Due to the paranoia that routinely adverse side effects that consist of such ailments as These types of negotiations will prove to be the sometimes hear voices others don’t hear, believe that exists with those who have schizophrenia, building headaches, nausea, impotence and involuntary most taxing and mentally challenging. It is others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, a relationship and trust probably will not develop. muscle contractions. important to stay in our own reality and not enter or become convinced that others are plotting to Efforts to stall for time to promote fatigue will be into the subject’s distorted world. Stay true to the harm them. These experiences can make them your best strategy to resolve a crisis event. Listening Appealing to the subject’s emotion of having to process of using time as a means to promote fatigue fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when and providing empathy while being based in reality live with hallucinations and/or delusions should be and continuous communication. Constant risk they try to have relationships with others. will allow for the subject to tire. Avoid arguing and expressed. Maintain reality and don’t fall victim to assessment will be necessary with the schizophrenic, keep the conversation ongoing to encourage joining in with the subject’s distorted thinking or especially when there is evidence of substance abuse Most individuals with schizophrenia are not violent; ventilation, gain intelligence, gain an understanding behavior. Ask intelligent questions about the in combination with having hostages who are more typically, they are withdrawn and prefer to be as to the subject’s state of mind, and gauge their subject’s hallucinations or delusions that are specific relatives/friends. There may be a need to quickly left alone. However, studies indicate that except for level of episodic condition. to what they are experiencing. transition to a tactical solution if there are those persons with a record of criminal violence communicated threats directed toward others. Keep before becoming ill, and those with substance abuse The negotiator should be asking questions such as: Know that during the negotiation with a in mind suicide is a potential concern during the or alcohol problems, people with schizophrenia are schizophrenic you will quickly become exhausted and course of any crisis situation, and have an affinity for not especially prone to violence. There are other What medications are you taking? frustrated by the situation. An appeal to the subject’s extreme patience and enhanced flexibility. studies that suggest that the probability of violence with schizophrenics is five times higher than those Are you taking your medications? absent the disorder. About one-third of individuals DEPUTY CHIEF SAMUEL FARINA (RETIRED) with schizophrenia attempt suicide. Schizophrenia is Have you stopped taking your medication? Samuel Farina is a 23 veteran of law enforcement who recently retired from the Rochester Police treatable with both medication and therapy. Department at the rank of Deputy Chief of Operations. Since 2001, Farina has been a certified What are the voices saying or what are they hostage negotiator with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and also the team Commander. He Substance abuse significantly raises the rate of telling you? has successfully supervised and coordinated over 50 hostage/barricade crisis situations in his violence in people with schizophrenia but also in tenure.