Hostage Situation

CITY OF MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
Hostage Situation Incidents
Eff. Date 12/13/2021
Purpose
Establish standard procedure for the Madison Police Department’s (MPD) response to incidents involving
hostage situations.
Policy
The objectives of this department in dealing with barricaded person, hostage, and active shooter incidents
are:
1. Preservation of life.
2. Apprehension of perpetrator(s) using a reasonable amount of force.
3. Securing available evidence to assist in the appropriate disposition of the perpetrator(s).
SAFETY PRIORITIES
Operational and tactical decisions will be based on the following safety priorities:
1. Hostages and citizens
2. Law enforcement personnel
3. Suspects and subjects
The department will respond and take necessary steps to free innocent persons who are endangered and
being held illegally against their will. Officers may take direct and immediate action–up to and including
deadly force–in situations where a hostage is at imminent risk and the officers’ reasonable actions have a
high probability of neutralizing the deadly force threat or preventing the situation from escalating.
Definitions
Hostage Situation: A scenario in which a person is being held against his or her will by an armed,
potentially armed, or otherwise dangerous suspect.
Triggering Point: Specific predetermined circumstances that will justify the initiation of direct action to
prevent or stop a particular course of suspect behavior (such as physical or sexual assault on the hostage
or setting the structure on fire).
Inner Perimeter: A close proximity boundary XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Outer Perimeter: A boundary outside the inner perimeter maintained by patrol officers and designed to
prevent unauthorized persons from entering the area of the critical incident.
Positive progress: In a hostage situation, positive progress shall be defined as developments that
increase the probability of the safe release of the hostages, as opposed to the mere passage of time.
While it is true that the passage of time may increase the opportunity for such developments, it is also
true that a viable rescue opportunity presented and ignored may be lost forever.
Contact Team: A group of officers designated to respond to the hostage situation XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
211 S CARROLL ST MADISON WI 53703 www.madisonpolice.com
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HOSTAGE SITUATION INCIDENTS STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
Response Procedures
INITIAL RESPONSE
Personnel initially responding to a hostage situation will assess the circumstances and request the
appropriate resources. The initial priorities are to:
• Establish an inner perimeter and staging area.
• Isolate communications through use of a dedicated XXXXXXXXXXX radio channel and keep
dispatch apprised of all relevant actions.
• Ensure that a supervisor is assigned to the incident.
• XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
• Gather intelligence/information on the situation.
• Evacuate any uninvolved citizens who might be at risk and otherwise stabilize the scene.
• Ensure that the appropriate specialized resources have been requested (Special Weapons and
Tactics (SWAT), Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), paramedics, Rescue Vehicle, etc.).
The scene supervisor shall continuously evaluate the situation and determine whether the opportunity
and need exists for immediate intervention. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
1. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SECONDARY RESPONSE
SWAT should be activated for any confirmed hostage situations. Initial requests for SWAT activation
should be made to a SWAT tactical team lieutenant. A full-team SWAT activation should generally be
approved by the SWAT Commander and designated Assistant Chief. However, SWAT use may be
approved by any MPD supervisor if no SWAT commander/supervisor can be contacted, or in case of
extraordinary emergency where command approval would be impractical. The SWAT commander will be
notified as soon as possible of any SWAT usage that did not have prior authorization.
On-duty SWAT personnel may respond to assist with tactical situations as needed. Where possible, a
SWAT supervisor will respond to the scene to oversee the utilization of SWAT personnel. If used for on-
duty tactical situations, SWAT personnel will only be used in a manner that is consistent with the SWAT’s
training, applicable standard operating procedures, and in accordance with the MPD SWAT Manual.
Further, the actions of SWAT will be consistent with MPD’s Code of Conduct, standard operating
procedures, and with standard professional practices in the area of police tactical response.

The scene supervisor shall ensure that a variety of tasks are addressed while awaiting the arrival of
SWAT and negotiations, including but not limited to the following:
1. Establish an outer perimeter and initiate the evacuation and handling process for those inside.
Special consideration must be given to the handling of those who refuse to be evacuated.
2. Establish a command post location XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
3. Initiate an investigation to determine exactly what has occurred and locate, isolate, and debrief
any witnesses.
5. Select a location for media response and designate a person to interact with them prior to the
arrival of the agency public information officer.
6. Select a location for those responding on behalf of the hostage(s) or suspect and designate an
officer to interact with them. Make outer-perimeter personnel aware of the presence of those
responders and consider that they may attempt to enter the barricade location.
8. Establish and maintain a log that documents the activities that have occurred and the location
and identification of the assigned personnel.
9. Ensure that the appropriate personnel have been notified and briefed (Officer in Charge (OIC),
District Command, etc.).
10. Brief the SWAT and negotiations teams upon their arrival (if applicable).
11. Assist the SWAT team as it relieves the officers responsible for inner perimeter containment
personnel (if applicable).
12. Ensure that all officers relieved report to the command post for reassignment.
SWAT RESPONSE
Once SWAT has arrived on scene and assumed responsibility for the incident, SWAT command will fill
the role of the overall incident commander. In situations that do not demand immediate intervention,
primary focus should be on the following:
1. Ensure that all appropriate steps have been taken prior to SWAT arrival (inner perimeter,
intelligence gathering, etc.).
10. Maintain a log to document incident activity.

13. Initiate negotiations using the most appropriate communication method. The CNT commander will
oversee the negotiation function and the gathering of all relevant intelligence. Information will be
shared with perimeter units as appropriate, and CNT activity will be documented consistent with
the SWAT Manual.
14. Continue negotiations as long as positive progress is being made.
15. Evaluate the viability, necessity, and appropriateness of a tactical resolution—including the long
rifle option—in situations where negotiations prove unproductive and a tactical resolution would
be reasonable and justified based on the totality of circumstances
16. Use a combination of techniques and tactics, in a manner consistent with approved training, until
the situation is brought to a successful conclusion.
Original SOP: 08/18/2014

(Revised: 02/05/2016, 11/02/2016, 01/20/2017, 12/20/2019, 11/30/2020, 12/13/2021)
(Reviewed Only: 12/26/2017, 01/30/2019)

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CITY OF MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Hostage Situation Incidents

Eff. Date 12/13/2021

Inner Perimeter: A close proximity boundary XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

211 S CARROLL ST MADISON WI 53703 www.madisonpolice.com

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211 S CARROLL ST MADISON WI 53703 www.madisonpolice.com

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211 S CARROLL ST MADISON WI 53703 www.madisonpolice.com

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Original SOP: 08/18/2014

211 S CARROLL ST MADISON WI 53703 www.madisonpolice.com

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