Guns blazing
One of the most misleading scenes in most police action movie is the negotiation scene. Even in my favourite TV series, the longest negotiations are often over in a few days. In others movies where Clint Eastwood starred in, they are merely fillers before the action sequence. This creates a real problem for everyone.
Let's start first with the citizens. If we think that a hostage or standoff situation should be over in a few days (or hours depending on which police show you watch), we will be wondering what the government is doing if the negotiations carry on for weeks or months. We will start clamoring for action as we think that the people in charge are incompetent or cowards.
When the citizens bay for blood (or action), the politicians will be motivated to act. Politicians will choose men of action to head the operations. The men of action are not likely to gain new insights before going in. They will also know the direction of the political wind is blowing. Alternatively, the politicians will pressure the people on the ground to act which will lead to the same outcome.
Once the decision to take action (usually lethal) is decided, the whole plan gets put on a deadline (Or if you are Trump, the whole plan goes into immediate action). The problem with a deadline is the criminal is usually aware of it and then they find themselves backed into a corner and end up taking (usually drastic) action (or reaction).
It is tempting to say that criminals should be dealt with harshly and swiftly by the law. However, the reason why there is hostage or standoff situation is that there is something worth keeping whether its saving the lives of innocents or that it is not just to shoot an insane person or even to keep the peace.
Most people stereotype the hostage taker either as a criminal mastermind, a pawn in some other criminal mastermind's scheme or a violent person. The fact is that the criminal is usually an amateur at this situation. Secondly, the fact that the person has a standoff situation suggest that a weapon is available and there is a violent solution available to the criminal. As a result, the criminal is also under a great deal of pressure as he or she is aware the police have the ability to play the weapons card as well.
This is not a topic on hostage negotiation or police procedures. It is about our ability to handle uncertainty. If we feel that we must do our best to eliminate uncertainty, it likely we will take action to get more clarification. The problem is that more facts may not clarify the situation (Eg. guessing the thoughts of criminals). At this point, we may decide to take action to gain closure and makeup some myths about the matters (Eg. The criminal had it coming.).
This is still relatively easy as the issue does not touch most people personally. If the issue is more personal like a wayward relative or an illness that is not well understood or even diagnosed? Shoot? Cut? Or even pretend it away?
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." George Bernard Shaw
Let's start first with the citizens. If we think that a hostage or standoff situation should be over in a few days (or hours depending on which police show you watch), we will be wondering what the government is doing if the negotiations carry on for weeks or months. We will start clamoring for action as we think that the people in charge are incompetent or cowards.
When the citizens bay for blood (or action), the politicians will be motivated to act. Politicians will choose men of action to head the operations. The men of action are not likely to gain new insights before going in. They will also know the direction of the political wind is blowing. Alternatively, the politicians will pressure the people on the ground to act which will lead to the same outcome.
Once the decision to take action (usually lethal) is decided, the whole plan gets put on a deadline (Or if you are Trump, the whole plan goes into immediate action). The problem with a deadline is the criminal is usually aware of it and then they find themselves backed into a corner and end up taking (usually drastic) action (or reaction).
It is tempting to say that criminals should be dealt with harshly and swiftly by the law. However, the reason why there is hostage or standoff situation is that there is something worth keeping whether its saving the lives of innocents or that it is not just to shoot an insane person or even to keep the peace.
Most people stereotype the hostage taker either as a criminal mastermind, a pawn in some other criminal mastermind's scheme or a violent person. The fact is that the criminal is usually an amateur at this situation. Secondly, the fact that the person has a standoff situation suggest that a weapon is available and there is a violent solution available to the criminal. As a result, the criminal is also under a great deal of pressure as he or she is aware the police have the ability to play the weapons card as well.
This is not a topic on hostage negotiation or police procedures. It is about our ability to handle uncertainty. If we feel that we must do our best to eliminate uncertainty, it likely we will take action to get more clarification. The problem is that more facts may not clarify the situation (Eg. guessing the thoughts of criminals). At this point, we may decide to take action to gain closure and makeup some myths about the matters (Eg. The criminal had it coming.).
This is still relatively easy as the issue does not touch most people personally. If the issue is more personal like a wayward relative or an illness that is not well understood or even diagnosed? Shoot? Cut? Or even pretend it away?
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." George Bernard Shaw
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