THE CONCEPT OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION WAS BORN IN JANUARY 1973, WHEN NEW YORK POLICE SUBSTITUTED TALK AND PATIENCE FOR ULTIMATUMS AND GUNFIRE IN DEALING WITH 4 PEOPLE WHO HAD BARRICADED THEMSELVED INSIDE A BROOKLYN STORE WITH 13 HOSTAGES. SINCE THEN, THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT HAS INDOCTRINATED A NUMBER OF OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE TECHNIQUES OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION, AND A TACTICAL MANUAL FOR HOSTAGE SITUATIONS HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. A KEY OFFICER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT'S GUIDELINES DISCUSSES THE CONCEPT OF NEGOTIATION, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HOSTAGE SITUATION, AND FIREARMS RESTRAINT IN GENERAL. THE FOLLOWING TACTICAL PHASES OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION ARE NOTED: CONTAINMENT AT THE SCENE BY MEMBERS OF A HEAVILY ARMED POLICE UNIT; ESTABLISHMENT OF VOICE CONTACT BETWEEN NEGOTIATOR AND HOSTAGE TAKER; INTELLIGENCE GATHERING BY DETECTIVES FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE HOSTAGE TAKER; CROWD CONTROL SUPERVISION BY THE POLICE FIELD COMMANDER; PROVISION OF AN ESCAPE VEHICLE FOR THE HOSTAGE TAKER AND PURSUIT VEHICLES FOR POLICE; CLEARANCE OF THE ESCAPE ROUTE; AND CONTAINMENT AT THE NEW SCENE AND CONTINUED NEGOTIATION FOR RELEASE OF HOSTAGES. (LKM)