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RECOMMENDATIONS OF EXPERTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AFTER WACO

NCJ Number
145688
Date Published
1993
Length
32 pages
Annotation
In the aftermath of the confrontation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas, the Department of Justice assembled a panel of criminal justice experts to examine the Department's ability to handle hostage and barricade incidents and to recommend improvements.
Abstract
These experts provided advice on three categories of issues faced by law enforcement agents in dealing with barricade and hostage situations. The first three essays presented here address the methods that should be used in dealing with suspects who have barricaded themselves inside a structure and who have innocent persons, including potential hostages, within their control. The emphasis is on handling such situations with a minimum of lethal force. The second section discusses how to deal with persons whose motivations and thought processes are unconventional and the types of assistance that can be provided to law enforcement by experts in psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and theology. The final section describe ways in which local, State, and Federal agencies can coordinate law enforcement efforts in barricade and hostage situations.