“Sergei” Tests NHPD Negotiators

“Sergei, we just want to make sure you’re safe, and that everyone comes out of this OK,” said New Haven cop and crisis negotiator David Hartman. ​“Let’s talk about what needs to happen.”

Sergei, a Russian immigrant factory worker, boarded himself up in his home Wednesday night after firing a gun at a day care next door and wounding a young girl.

Sergei refused Hartman’s request. After being repeatedly harassed by neighbors, he’d resorted to firing off a shot. He was beaten up by angry bystanders.

“You don’t understand,” he shouted frantically, revealing a thick Russian accent. ​“These people, they’ve been destroying my house; they won’t leave me alone. My father left me this house. I’ve been trying to fix it. I just wanted them to go away.”

Let’s get you some bandages, Hartman offered. ​“We’ll take care of that wound.”

There was no real wound — not this time.

And ​“Sergei” was in fact Owen, one of seven actors from a Mystic theater troupe recruited by the police department Wednesday night to play out high-pressure situations for a training exercise for crisis negotiators. Some involved guns and hostages, some didn’t.

“What we’re looking for tonight is negotiator’s communication skills, ability to read, understand and respond to someone in crisis,” said Lt. Ray Hassett, head of New Haven’s Crisis Intervention Team, speaking at exercise at the Yale University Police Department’s Rose Center on Ashmun Street.

“They’ll have no idea what to expect when they pick up the phone,” he said.

The Mystic actors, gathered in a small conference room on the first floor of the Rose Center, said they were happy to be a part of the exercise.

“Theater people tend to be a little bizarre, so we like to use our craziness to help the greater good,” said Erika, one of the actors.

“I think you mean creativeness,” Hank, another player, interjected.

Actors Avoid Limelight

The troupe asked that their last names and faces be kept from the public to avoid potential repercussions.

“It’s for everyone’s safety,” said John, a member of the group and a retired federal agent versed in crisis negotiation. While every situation is different, there are some strict guidelines in these situations, he said. Negotiators should keep talking, doing their best to keep subjects on the line. They should also never lie, as trust is a huge factor in talking people down.

Negotiators work in pairs, Lt. Hassett explained. One speaks directly to the subject while the other offers his partner support and suggestions. And sometimes, when negotiations aren’t working, another officer steps in to give it a try.

Hartman has been a police officer for 16 years and a negotiator for 12. The trainings take place every couple of months. ​“We’re given feedback on how we can improve. It’s helpful, definitely,” he said.

“When you’re talking to someone in these situations, you always know when it’s going bad,” he said. ​“And you just hope you know when it’s going well.”

There are a number of roads you can take when dealing with a crisis situation, Hartman explained. You listen for clues: anything from the tone of voice to the background of the subject — what upsets them and what calms them down.

On the phone, Sergei had explained that he had a military background. That made Hartman think he was used to complying with orders. So he avoided any kind of sweet talk, keeping the tone firm.

In the first-floor conference room when the phone rang, Owen quickly turned into Sergei. 

“What do you want!? I want you to stop calling me!” he shouted into the phone.

Hartman, appealing to Sergei’s concern for the wounded girl and his own home, slowly talked him down. He managed to get Sergei to come out of the house.

“It’s not easy,” Hartman said, taking a break after the simulation. ​“You have to connect with someone you have very little in common with, under a lot of pressure. You have to be sympathetic to them, while working towards a possible positive outcome.”

It would be easy to lie to people, promising them things they’ll never get, he said.

“But we see repeat people in these situations, and they have to trust us. Trick them once, and you lose the next time.”