ABSTRACT
Kaeko Yokota’s application of the Action Systems framework to this dynamic form of criminal activity (hostage incidents) is a particularly interesting example of the applied potential of the academic models generated within Professor Canter’s IP approach. Illustrating one of his central postulates, that structures explain (see Chapter 1), Kaeko shows how by modelling the variations in hostage actions we are able to understand what hostage-taking is about and characterise distinct forms of incident. Her use of this structure to develop an operational decision tool for rapidly identifying coherent incident types and on the basis of this make predictions about the offenders’ likely response to police actions, is a nice example of the investigative approach (with a small i). The problem-solving emphasis is typical of David’s research style; it integrates directly with the problems of the practitioners to provide frameworks that can be used directly in their decisionmaking.
