Hostage? Don't panic
Try being human if you're in a standoff.
Last week's bank robbery in Exeter was the latest and closest of several crimes nationwide the past month that have escalated into hostage situations.
Sure, more people are killed on roadways than being taken hostage. But we're taught how to drive. We take exams to get licensed. Not as many of us have been trained to survive at gunpoint — or worse.
Hostage experts say remaining calm is paramount.
"You try to comply and you try to remain calm," says John Gliatta, a supervisory special agent with the FBI in Fresno. "It's harder to do than it is to say. But if your reaction is to get upset and start screaming, then that might escalate the situation."
Randy Spivey, the director of the National Hostage Survival Training Center in Spokane, Wash., says once things are relatively calm, it's important to begin talking to your captor.
"The hostage needs to humanize with the hostage taker," he wrote in an e-mail. "Reason: It's easier to kill an object than a person. Talk about family, hobbies or other subjects that connect you."
To that end, Gliatta says, try to get on a first-name basis.
"If the person becomes agitated, you have to play off of that and minimize conversations," he says. "But if they freely engage in conversation, you can make it clear you're not going to try to hurt them, and there's no reason for them to hurt you."
Gliatta says to downplay the immediate circumstances and focus on anything else in which your captor shows an interest: "Take away the hard shell of the crime they're committing and find a soft spot."
Don't try to be a hero. Don't make any quick or aggressive movements.
"Not only do you put yourself in jeopardy, but you may put other hostages in jeopardy," Gliatta says. "It's not these people's first criminal act, for the most part."
If your captor appears suicidal, you must be even more cautious. Dan Korem, who's trained more than 500 hostage negotiators in North America and Europe, says such a criminal is extremely fearful and unconventional. His tips:
When talking to them, keep an open stance. "Don't stand square to them," he says. "It's less confrontational."
No glaring, no staring. Hard eye contact will be taken as a challenge. It's natural to be angry in such a situation, but expressing that will make things worse.
Be a mess. "If you look at yourself in the mirror and you're conventional, muss up your hair," Korem says. "If you're a woman, get rid of your earrings. Pull your shirt untucked. They hate anyone who appears to be stiff and in control. Soften whatever appears stiff and in-the-box."
Reduce the isolation. Express to your captor as much genuine empathy as you can muster.
Keep in mind, too, that most hostages emerge alive and well and that such situations are extremely rare.
Gliatta says: "People should not be paranoid of going into financial institutions. Less than 1% of bank robberies end up this way."
The reporter can be reached at dmayhew@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6322.
