DAYTON POLICE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION TEAM

by retired Sgt. Steve Grismer

The Dayton Police Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) has a storied three-decade history.  How the HNT, a police crisis intervention team, came into existence cannot be recounted in a vacuum.  It was conceived 100 years after the Dayton police force formed and 10 years after the inception of Dayton’s tactical team known today as SWAT. 

Policing over the past 200 years has evolved from the town constable who simply walked a police beat into law enforcement agencies that formed specialized units to target specific types of criminal activity.  Policing moved a step further when it molded specially trained teams to take control of critical incidents posing threats of unfolding violence.

Part 1:    The Original Method of Policing:  Foot Patrol (1797-1913)

  The Creation of Special Details and Crime Squads (1916-1966)

Part 2:     The Inception of Dayton Police Crisis Intervention Teams (1967-1980)

Part 3:     The Origin of the Hostage Negotiation Team (1978)