The Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) conducted a five-day Hostage Negotiation Course for 24 officers from the Operations and Rehabilitation Divisions of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) at their Staff Training Institute last month.

The training course comprised classroom lectures and exercises, covering both academic theories and practical exercises on crisis negotiation.  Through an interactive mode of instruction, the trainees were able to master the hostage negotiation skills for handling hostage-taking and barricaded incidents. The trainees had a high opinion of the training programme in that they had acquired valuable knowledge and skills of handling hostage situations in correctional settings.

At the closing ceremony of the course, the Principal of the Staff Training Institute, Senior Superintendent Tse Siu-fung, said the course was comprehensive in covering crisis negotiation skills and brushed up the trainees' capabilities to handle hostage negotiation and barricaded situation. 

CSD Senior Superintendent (Human Resource), Ms Ng Sau-wai, commented: "The instructors were very devoted to their job and motivated the trainees to think and deliberate. The course provided them with a good platform to get updated on the development of crisis negotiation. The course also strengthened the liaison and cooperation between the police and CSD in dealing with crises." 

PNC Commanding Officer, Superintendent Wong Kwong-hing, encouraged the trainees to practise and hone their negotiation and listening skills in their daily lives and pledged that the PNC would continue to provide professional support to assist CSD officers in tackling challenges.