Tradecraft Tips: A former FBI hostage negotiator shares tips on getting hostages home safely.
Get into the captor’s head. Think like a horse trader. “Essentially, it’s business,” says Zorka Martinovich, a former supervisory special agent in the FBI’s crisis negotiation unit. It may seem counterintuitive or even callous, but you’ll need to think transactionally to secure a hostage’s safety.
To the average citizen, kidnapping cases may seem like random or uncoordinated attacks. But professional hostage negotiators know that there’s often a structured plan and a motive behind kidnappings. Understanding that gives negotiators a strategic framework for initiating talks: “Whether it’s a criminal organization or a terrorist organization, I think of it more broadly in that kidnapping is a revenue stream,” she says. “And if you look at it as business, I think it’s easier to walk through and be open-minded to resolve the situation.”
Know that resolving the situation won’t be easy. These cases require intense planning, coordination, and communication to get a victim home safely. In most abductions, negotiators are up against life-and-death stakes, armed with very little information. Learn as much as you can, but be straight with frightened families about what you don’t know. “One of the most difficult things, initially, for everyone — government responders and families — to get comfortable with is the level of ambiguity,” says Martinovich. “Oftentimes, you’ll have information that is either incorrect or incomplete, yet you have to make decisions off of.”
Sometimes a U.S. embassy abroad refers a case to the FBI, Martinovich explains, “because somebody may have seen something and reported it to them.” Other times, 911 calls might be forwarded from local police departments to an FBI field office. Whether it’s a foreign or domestic kidnapping, understanding the area is key. “If we have local partners that we can work with, certainly we do that: local resources, intelligence, anything else we can do,” Martinovich says. Be respectful of other countries’ laws, and be open to collaboration with other governments. Some cases have multinational victims, which makes negotiations even more difficult, especially if officials can’t agree on how best to advocate for their citizens held captive. And each country may have a different policy about negotiating or paying ransom to terrorist groups. If a terrorist organization makes political demands that countries cannot meet, you’ll need to have a very difficult conversation with the victim’s family. Manage expectations with candor and kindness.
“The reality is negotiating with the hostage takers and generally paying some sort of private ransom is the best path to safe release.” —Zorka Martinovich, former Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit
Lend captives’ families your expertise, and respect their wishes. Be empathetic. They’re facing the possible loss of a loved one AND a potentially ruinous financial sacrifice. “Remarkably, the heroes of these stories are really the families,” says Martinovich. “Because…the reality is negotiating with the hostage takers and generally paying some sort of private ransom is the best path to safe release.”
Throughout the negotiation, keep in mind the next case, and the precedent that your actions may set. “We’re also thinking about the next person who’s kidnapped, the last person who’s kidnapped, and keeping the market value down,” says Martinovich, “making sure we get them out as quickly as we can for the best price possible, but understanding that this case is going to impact cases in the future.”
Professional negotiators learn to view each case in a broader light, while ensuring the safety of the victims still takes top priority. “For me, as a negotiator, if we get the person out safely, that’s success,” says Martinovich.” Even if we don’t identify, apprehend, prosecute anybody, if we get the person home safely, that’s still a good outcome.”
About the Author:
Sarah Datta is a writer from San Diego, CA.