Strategies involving the use of patience and time to serve the interest of saving the lives of hostages and perpetrators can help avoid civil suits against officers for wrongful death and failure to protect. Some major considerations in negotiating are positioning of the negotiator to ensure optimum communication, avoiding a show of force, and selectively fulfilling the perpetrator's demands. Generally, negotiations should emphasize a 'win-win' approach, where all parties involved achieve benefits. Negotiators need to be aware of the Stockholm syndrome: the hostages and perpetrators developing a symbiotic relationship that can work against hostage cooperation in resolving the situation. Negotiators must be mentally and emotionally stable, good listeners, able to talk for long periods, and dedicated to the philosophy of hostage negotiations. Training should focus on advanced formal education, hostage negotiation schools and seminars, departmental training, and coordination. In addition to outlining the tactical hostage negotiation model of the New York City Police, the article also provides a checklist for evaluating a hostage negotiation strategy.