The FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) is the part of the Operational Support Branch of its Critical Incident Response Group

Critical Incident Response Group

The Critical Incident Response Group is the part of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation which facilitates the FBI's rapid response to, and the management of, crisis incidents...

 responsible for the FBI's Crisis (Hostage) Negotiation Program. The mission of the CNU is fourfold, consisting of operations, training, research and program management.

Activities

The CNU maintains an immediate - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - operational response capability to conduct and manage on-scene negotiations during any significant crisis event worldwide in which the FBI is involved. The FBI becomes involved internationally when the victim is a US citizen or there are demands made against the US Government. As part of this mission, negotiators deploy overseas to assist in kidnapping situations involving U.S. citizens.

The FBI is considered the negotiation arm of the United States government for international incidents. Since 1990, the CNU has been involved in over 300 such incidents worldwide. CNU negotiators also routinely provide telephonic assistance to both FBI field negotiators and domestic police negotiators during domestic crisis situations.

The FBI has approximately 340 crisis negotiators in the 56 field offices. The CNU is responsible for managing these assets and providing whatever training and equipment is necessary for the field office negotiators to successfully resolve crisis situations.

The CNU is staffed by a Unit Chief, five Supervisory Special Agents and four support staff. The unit is based with all other Critical Incident Response Group units at the FBI Academy

FBI Academy

The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training site for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...

 in Quantico, Virginia

Quantico, Virginia

- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...

. The CNU has adopted the Latin phrase pax per conloquium, "resolution through dialogue," as its motto.

Training

The CNU is responsible for the initial training of all FBI negotiators, which includes a two-week national negotiation course conducted at the FBI Academy. The unit also provides advanced and periodic update training to FBI and other law enforcement negotiators at the FBI Academy, regionally and internationally. Exchange programs are in place with British, Canadian, Australian, Israeli, German and South African law enforcement agencies. The CNU also provides crisis negotiation concepts to FBI decision-makers and selected law enforcement managers in appropriate forums.

Initiatives

The CNU is engaged in an array of research projects, case studies and other initiatives targeted at expanding the FBI's capabilities to assess, manage and successfully resolve critical events. An integral part of this research effort is the Law Enforcement Negotiation Support (LENS) System. LENS is a computer-based project developed to provide all law enforcement negotiators with additional tools to help resolve crisis situations.

Part of this effort is a research project known as the Hostage Barricade Database System (HOBAS). HOBAS was undertaken to gather and analyze statistics on hostage, barricade, and/or suicide incidents in the United States. There are currently over 5,000 incidents in HOBAS, contributed by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

Source: http://www.borderfirereport.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=2549

The CNU is available to assist any law enforcement negotiator with operational issues around the clock, seven days a week.