Barricaded incidents, hostage-taking and sieges occur in the community, where police negotiators are usually called on to bring about a peaceful resolution. They occur also in prisons and psychiatric hospitals, where they will be managed by the institution’s staff, with police support if needed. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals have been involved in providing training and on-call support for negotiators and decision makers in these crisis situations. This article describes definitions and goals in relation to such incidents, and outlines a five-phase framework for their management (training; first responders, preliminary interventions and inquiries; negotiations; resolution; aftercare), indicating the psychiatrist’s role during each phase. Ethical issues are also discussed.
