ABSTRACT
The most dramatic contrast to the media and popular version of " Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)" is the definition the police use of a successful operation. In San Francisco, where the SWAT unit does make arrests, the underlying philosophy is the same-that arrests will be made whenever the team responds and is in a position to make the arrest. As experienced police officers involved in hostage negotiations have noted, there are principles and procedures that are applicable to hostage and barricade situations, and there are obviously some regularities in such situations, but ultimately, each individual case is unique and, consequently, unpredictable. In the negotiation for hostages, the SWAT operation not only provides vital tactical support but important psychological impact as well. The existence of a special weapons team mandates a set of tactical procedures to be executed under emergency conditions.
