Earlier this month EPPD Officers Scott Williamson and Dan Chanski graduated from the FBI’s Crisis Negotiations School and are now certified crisis negotiators.

During the five-day course, the officers learned to demonstrate through practical exercises the fundamentals of crisis negotiation, accurately describe negotiation protocol, apply skills through practical exercise as they relate to correctional settings and list indicators of high-risk negotiations.

After becoming certified, negotiators train with the department’s SWAT team in addition to quarterly training with our consortium partners: Minnetonka, Edina, St. Louis Park and Hopkins.

The EPPD’s seven certified crisis negotiators work closely with our tactical SWAT team to respond to highly volatile situations where they use their advanced communication skills to try to arrive at a peaceful resolution. Scenarios they may respond to include a person in crisis, a hostage situation or a barricaded suspect.

In 2022 Eden Prairie crisis negotiators were called out nine times.

Congrats to Officers Williamson and Chanski!

Photos: Left, Officer Scott Williamson; right, Officer Dan Chanski