MPD crisis negotiators take part in conference, trainings

Between conferences and trainings, it was a week of continued education for members of the Madison Police Department's Crisis Negotiating Team.

On Wednesday, members attended the Wisconsin Crisis Negotiators Association's spring training conference. Then on Thursday, negotiators from Madison, Monona and Fitchburg participated in a day of joint learning at the Madison Police Department's Training Center.

"Crisis negotiators play an extremely important role in safely resolving high-risk responding situations," said Lt. Jimmy Imoehl with the Madison Police Department. "Negotiators help save lives through empathetic communication and conflict resolution."

Thursday's training opened with a focus on negotiating with people who have strong ideological belief systems. Attendees also learned about the sharp increase in violent online networks that target and exploit children. Negotiators learned about the predators who befriend children online and convince them to participate in sexual or violent acts.

"When negotiators get called in, they're expected to safely resolve the situation. That only happens through ongoing and difficult training like we're doing today" said Dan Frei, the team sergeant.

After a morning of seminars on Thursday, negotiators participated in real-life scenarios to enhance their communication skills during moments of crisis.

MPD crisis negotiators are chosen through a competitive selection process and receive specialized de-escalation training. There are currently 12 members on the team.