Seeing options when others cannot: What it takes to be a police negotiator

"It's hard when we can see there are options for them out there but they can't."

Phillipa Smith has been a frontline police officer for the Eastern District Police for eight years, and now she is ready to take on her toughest gig yet by qualifying as a detective and a primary police negotiator.

Smith, 39, started her police career on the front line, then on the Hawke's Bay family harm team, followed by the crime squad in Hastings and the Hawke's Bay gang focus unit.

"I am currently on the crime squad Napier," Smith said.

She is training to be a detective as well as going for a Police Negotiation Team qualification at the Police College in Wellington from November 4-15.

"I want to enhance my skills to communicate with people in crisis and I want to be able to resolve the situation safely for the community as well as the subject by letting them know there is help out there."

Hawke's Bay Police Negotiation Team Commander, Sergeant Marie Marshall said becoming a primary negotiator was "quite" an achievement and not everybody could do it.

"It's a specialist role, not everyone is a good negotiator.

"To be a successful PNT member a person needs to have a number of skills including active listening skills, empathy in times of crisis.

"You also need to be prepared for anything because it is a high-risk environment where offenders or the subject might feel vulnerable and you are there to give them options.

"Teamwork, and communication skills are also an integral part of being a PNT member because you are supporting other members to get through the negotiation."

Marshall said that Smith had been working with the negotiation squad for the last four years but in a support capacity.

"Now the opportunity has come up for her to qualify as a negotiator and she is taking it," Marshall said.

Smith would be one of 18 police officers heading to the Police College to qualify in November.

At the moment he role does not involve negotiating, Smith said.

"We work on a pager system and deploy with Armed Offenders Squad to all jobs.

"My involvement is a supporting role which means that I will give intel for the negotiator, I set up the command vehicle to make sure all equipment is working."

For Smith one of the harder things to face in he role with the PNT is attending incidents which involve young suicidal people.

"We get regular callouts which range from suicidal subjects to a hostage situation.

"Every job we got to feels hard. You have to have a clear mind to communicate with the subject.

"It's hard when we can see there are options for them out there but they can't."

Smith is looking forward to meeting others wanting to qualify as negotiators at the Police College.

"We will be given a variety of tests at the college on real-life scenarios and we will be tested on our communication and listening skills.

"I am looking forward to learning and developing my skills and being qualified as a primary negotiator."