Negotiators

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Hostage Negotiation Team operates under the authority of the Franklin County Sheriff and is under the direction of the Chief Deputy of Support Services. The Hostage Negotiation Team is available to all law enforcement agencies within Franklin County and has also responded to the adjacent counties as well. The Hostage Negotiation Team responds to various crisis and critical situations and works together with SWAT. The Hostage Negotiation Team is actually comprised of two separate teams with each team consisting of 6 negotiators and a team leader.

Hostage Negotiation has been described as being one of law enforcement’s most effective tools. Each team member has a specific role and each role is interdependent upon another. Each negotiator must be compassionate,  maintain superb interpersonal skills, be able to function in a cohesive group, and deal well with stressful situations.