NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

Preparation of press release models and updates
Information will not be released until approved by hostage negotiators, the O.I.C.,
the SWAT Commander, and/or the Chief of Police.
Media staging areas will be established by the City’s Public Information Officer with
assistance from on-duty personnel. The area will be outside the established perimeters
in an area providing physical barricades between the actual scene and the press. While
news gathering is an important function to society, it is the mission of the Police
Department to safeguard all persons from harm.
M. The Chief of Police, in consultation with the SWAT Commander, will evaluate the
options for aggressive action using the minimum force necessary to conclude the
situation. No planned action will be taken without the authorization of the Chief of Police.
These means may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Use of chemical agents
Use of rubber bullets or “knee knockers”
Use of flash bangs
Forced entry by SWAT Team
Deadly force
N. The negotiation process may initially take place between personnel of the New Albany
Police Department and the suspect(s); however, these matters are best left to the trained
members of the responding agency’s Hostage Negotiation Unit. If any dialogue takes
place between the initial responding officers prior to the arrival of trained negotiators, a
summary of those discussions must be passed on to the formal negotiator upon his/her
arrival.
O. Generally, the suspect(s) should never be allowed to become mobile; however, situations
may arise where those terms may change. In a scenario where the combined decision of
the SWAT Commander, Chief of Police, and O.I.C. may provide for such mobility, a plan
must be established to maximize the control of the suspect’s route and mode of travel.
The SWAT Commander will be responsible for the approval of any and all items
considered negotiable based on the suspect(s)’ demands. The Chief of Police will also
have input regarding what items can and cannot be exchanged with the suspect(s) in an
effort to defuse or terminate the situation.
P. The O.I.C. has the authority to summon a detective to the scene for the purpose of
collecting evidence and witness information. A detective may be required to file formal
charges against suspect(s) involved in the incident or to open a complete investigation of
all criminal misconduct.
Q. The SWAT Commander will have overall control of the incident scene; however,
situations may exist where that person is unable to communicate orders to all affected
personnel. It will be the New Albany O.I.C.’s responsibility to assure that all personnel
are updated on any information that may impact the situation.
R. It is the mission and intent of the New Albany Police Department to end all barricaded
suspect/hostage situations through safe and effective means by taking steps to prevent
the death or injury of any citizen or suspect. If all reasonable attempts to negotiate a
successful conclusion/surrender have been exhausted, the SWAT Commander and the
Chief of Police will determine what other actions are warranted.
S. If a barricade or hostage taking situation occurs in an area that borders another law
enforcement jurisdiction and may impact that community, a representative of the affected
agency will be summoned to the incident command post. This representative will be
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