NCJ Number
196122
Journal
Journal of Police Negotiations Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 41-51
Editor(s)
James L. Greenstone Ed.D.
Date Published
2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Effective techniques are propounded in this article for police officers to use in dealing with a defenestrator (an individual attempting suicide by jumping from a high place) in a suicide situation requiring immediate intervention.
Abstract
This article contains the authors practical expertise gained in over 60 combined years of experience as immediate interveners and in their study of suicidology. In spite of the authors' two main rules, (1) "there are no rules" and (2) "never break the first rule," they offer seven creative strategies, developed by peace officers attempting to short circuit the actions of individuals threatening suicide by jumping from high places. Some are: the Himmelsbach hype, which is based upon gathering all the information possible on the attempter, attending to safety concerns, and then approaching the attempter in a non-threatening way and offering help; the step-back soliloquy involves persuading the attempter to talk to himself, to relate his story and consider rethinking it; the tape recorder trepan is a trap, to buy time and influence the attempter, by taping the attempter and promising to take the recording to the person who is the absent other, and then upon return, luring the attempter into safety to listen to the recording; the cigarette swindle is the act of sharing the last cigarette with the attempter if he is a smoker, or if not, the intervener smokes and stamps out his cigarette, moving closer with each stamp out to the point where the intervener can physically restrain the attempter; thought interruption involves listening through the "poor me" and encouraging the attempter to think more rationally. The bottom line indicated here is that necessity knows no law and interveners are the creative source of the effective techniques shared in this article. References