600-05 Special Threat Situations Flashcards
(38 cards)
The Houston Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail and Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) shall be used in all special threat situations as defined in this General Order. The primary goal in such situations is the_____.
safe release of all hostages and the successful termination of the operation without the loss of life
Active Shooter.
One or more suspects who participate in a random or systematic shooting spree, demonstrating intent to continuously harm others. An active shooter’s overriding
objective appears to be that of mass murder rather than other criminal conduct such as robbery or hostage taking.
Barricaded Suspect.
Any person who:
a. Has demonstrated capability and/or stated the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person, including himself, and
b. Has achieved tactical superiority by location or the use of a physical obstruction (e.g., an open field, a building, a vehicle, any natural or man-made barrier).
Debriefing/Interviewing.
Questioning designed to obtain all useful information for a formal report.
Face-to-Face Communications.
Communications in which an officer in the kill zone is not using cover or concealment and is able to see and be seen by the suspect.
Hostage Situation
Any incident in which the possibility exists or the available information indicates that a barricaded suspect may be holding a hostage.
Inner Perimeter.
The area of containment closest to the suspect.
Kill Zone.
Any area in which a suspect can fire or use a weapon that could kill or injure a person.
Objective.
The physical location where a barricaded suspect or hostage is believed to be located.
Outer Perimeter.
The area of containment that prevents outsiders from interfering with or being endangered by the threat situation.
Safe Route.
Directions to the scene for responding officers that direct them around the kill zone.
Sniper.
Any person who causes or attempts to cause death or bodily injury to another person by discharging a firearm from an initially concealed position.
Special Threat Situation.
Any situation involving a sniper, barricaded suspect, hostage situation, active shooter, terrorist activity, or threatened suicide involving a weapon or from an elevated structure such as a bridge or building.
Terrorist Activity
Any in-progress act of violence or threat thereof that creates or is designed to create fear of death or imminent bodily injury in the minds of others and is intended to intimidate governments or citizen populations in the pursuit of goals that are generally political,
religious, or ideological.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
When informed of a possible special threat situation, the dispatcher shall immediately direct a patrol supervisor to the scene. Simultaneously, the dispatch supervisor shall ensure that the _____ is aware of the possible special threat situation.
The first supervisor on the scene shall verify that a special threat situation exists and shall
update the Command Center with all available information. The _____ shall then make all necessary notifications to ensure the proper departmental resources are activated.
The police response to all special threat situations shall be measured in proportion to the _____.
When it is determined that a special threat situation is an active shooter, officers shall follow the concepts and principles taught in the department’s_____.
1) Command Center
2) Command Center
3) level of threat to life and public safety
4) Active Shooter training course
SPECIAL THREAT RESPONSE
Although any resource of the department may be used to resolve a special threat situation, the primary teams included in the department’s special threat response are:
a. Patrol officers and _____
b. Tactical Operations Division including _____and _____
c. _____ Division
a. Patrol officers and supervisors
b. Tactical Operations Division including SWAT Detail and HNT
c. Special Operations Division
[Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail and Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT)]
Patrol Officer Responsibilities (1/3)
The first officers to arrive at the scene shall:
a. Notify the dispatcher that a possible special threat situation exists and request a _____
b. Confine the suspect to the smallest area possible by establishing an _____
c. If possible, determine if contact with the suspect by telephone is available. Officers shall not use face-to-face communication with an armed suspect without ______
d. Maintain communications with the suspect only if it stabilizes the situation, but shall avoid
constantly contacting a suspect who _____.
a. Notify the dispatcher that a possible special threat situation exists and request a patrol
supervisor from the appropriate district.
b. Confine the suspect to the smallest area possible by establishing an inner perimeter.
c. If possible, determine if contact with the suspect by telephone is available. Officers shall not use face-to-face communication with an armed suspect without prior approval from the
operational commander or HNT coordinator.
d. Maintain communications with the suspect only if it stabilizes the situation, but shall avoid
constantly contacting a suspect who refuses to communicate.
Patrol Officer Responsibilities (2/3)
The first officers to arrive at the scene shall:
e. If communications are established, stabilize the emotionally distraught or violent suspect by doing or refraining from doing the following:
- Communicate by _____if possible.
- Express a _____ through positive statements. Do not make threatening or intimidating remarks.
- Do not _____ with the suspect.
- Do not _____ by the suspect.
- Do not allow family members or any non-law enforcement personnel to speak with the
suspect without _____.
f. Relay, via mobile computing device (MCD) or telephone, the following information to the
dispatcher as soon as it becomes available:
- Description of the suspect and any _____.
- Location and number of _____.
- Possible _____.
- Safe routes and location to where _____.
- Communicate by telephone if possible.
- Express a willingness to help through positive statements. Do not make threatening or
intimidating remarks. - Do not beg or plead with the suspect.
- Do not agree to any demands made by the suspect.
- Do not allow family members or any non-law enforcement personnel to speak with the
suspect without prior approval from the operational commander or HNT coordinator. - Description of the suspect and any weapons.
- Location and number of hostages.
- Possible avenues of escape.
- Safe routes and location to where additional units should respond.
Patrol Officer Responsibilities (3/3)
The first officers to arrive at the scene shall:
g. Detain all witnesses for interviewing by _____ personnel.
h. Upon being relieved, immediately report to the ____
i. Remain at the scene until _____by the operational commander or by the senior Homicide Division representative if Homicide Division personnel have been dispatched to the scene.
g. Detain all witnesses for interviewing by Tactical Operations Division personnel.
h. Upon being relieved, immediately report to the command post for debriefing.
i. Remain at the scene until debriefed and released by the operational commander or by the senior Homicide Division representative if Homicide Division personnel have been dispatched to the scene.
Officer Originally Assigned to the Call
Except as noted below, the officer originally assigned to the call is responsible for completing the original incident report and filing charges when necessary. If the officer is unable to remain at the scene, the officer may be relieved by the on-scene supervisor after both of the following have occurred:
a. The patrol supervisor has verified the officer completed the original incident report including all details up to the time _____
b. The _____ has assigned another patrol officer to replace the original officer. This replacement officer shall stand by to take custody of any prisoner, file charges when necessary, and supplement the original incident report.
If circumstances warrant having Homicide Division personnel handle the original incident report, the officer originally assigned to the call shall _____ as required by the Homicide Division investigators.
1) Tactical Operations Division personnel took control of the scene.
2) patrol supervisor
3) supplement the report
Patrol Supervisor Responsibilities
The first on-scene patrol supervisor shall do all of the following:
a. Confirm a special threat situation exists, notify the Command Center without delay regarding the details of the incident, and provide the Command Center with a _____
b. Give the dispatcher all pertinent information about the special threat situation (e.g., the _____) as soon as the information becomes available.
c. Establish and supervise a _____ to which all patrol personnel shall report.
d. Provide to the operational commander a diagram of the outer perimeter showing the _____
e. Complete a _____ upon conclusion of the incident and immediately send it to the Command Center.
1) direct telephone number to the on-scene supervisor.
2) correct location, the number of suspects, and the number of hostages
3) mobilization point
4) radio numbers and locations of all patrol units along the perimeter.
5) Significant Event Report
Patrol Captain or Duty Lieutenant Responsibilities
The concerned captain or duty lieutenant shall do all of the following:
a. Go to the scene and assume _____ until relieved by the operational commander.
b. Ensure patrol officers man the outer perimeter until relieved by officers from either the _____
c. Ensure the establishment of a _____.
d. Ensure that the _____ radio channel is used to establish communication with Tactical Operations Division personnel responding to the scene.
1) overall command of operations
2) Tactical Operations Division or the Special Operations Division.
3) command post and a press information center
4) citywide
Operational Commander
The operational commander for a special threat situation shall be the highest ranking officer in the Homeland Security Command’s chain of command at the scene and may be one of the following:
a. The assistant chief of the _____
b. The captain of the _____.
c. A _____.
1) Homeland Security Command.
2) Tactical Operations Division
3) designee
Operational Commander
Upon arrival the operational commander shall:
d. Assume overall command of on-scene operations and determine which _____to use.
e. Obtain maps of the area and a _____ from the SWAT Detail.
f. Gather all intelligence from debriefings of _____ personnel.
g. Determine if the _____ should conduct an on-scene investigation.
h. Call on any other resource needed to successfully conclude the operation (e.g., _____).
i. Maintain liaison with_____.
d. Assume overall command of on-scene operations and determine which containment and assault tactics to use.
e. Obtain maps of the area and a floor plan of the objective from the SWAT Detail.
f. Gather all intelligence from debriefings of SWAT Detail and HNT personnel.
g. Determine if the Homicide Division should conduct an on-scene investigation.
h. Call on any other resource needed to successfully conclude the operation (e.g., Patrol, Psychological Services, Legal Services).
i. Maintain liaison with concerned agencies and other jurisdictions.
