인질협상이란 인질상태가 발생한 경우 경찰이 단순한 중재를 하는 것이 아니라 인질이나 기타 관계인의 생명, 신체 및 재산이 급박하고 명백한 위험에 처해있는 상황에서 경찰이 인질범과 대화를 통해 인질 기타 관계인에 대한 위험을 최소화시키고 위기상황을 해결하기 위해 의도적으로 벌이는 일련의 교섭과정을 의미한다. 종래 경찰의 인질협상 개념은 테러리스트나 단순 인질범에 의해 사전에 계획된 납치범죄를 중심으로 좁은 범위에서 논의되어 왔으나, 최근에는 우발적인 인질범은 물론 자살위협 상황과 같이 인질이 실제로 존재하지 않는 경우까지 포함하는 위기협상 개념으로 보다 폭넓게 논의되고 있다. 미국에서는 인질사건이 발생한 경우 연방수사국이나 지방경찰기관 소속의 인질협상요원이 인질협상 업무를 담당하고 있다. 그러나 우리나라의 경우 경찰은 별도의 인질협상팀을 두고 있지 않기 때문에 인질사건이 발생하면 인질협상요원이 아닌 일반 경찰관이 현장 상황에 따라 인질협상을 담당하는 관계로 사건해결 과정에 있어서 경찰관 자신은 물론 인질과 인질범의 안전을 위협하는 심각한 문제점들이 노출되고 있다. 따라서 이 연구에서는 우리나라 경찰의 인질협상 조직과 실태를 살펴보고 경찰조직에 인질협상팀을 구성하는 정책적 방안을 제시하는데 연구의 목적을 두었다. 이를 위해 경찰특공대 내에 인질협상팀을 설치하고 운영하는 방안과 인질협상요원을 선발하는 방안에 대해 논의를 진행하였다.

When hostage situations happen In United Stated of America, Hostage negotiators belonging to Special Weapon Attack Team(SWAT) in local police agencies or Federal Bureau of Investigation have a conversation with hostage takers. But in Korea, police agencies do not have any organization to take charge of hostage negotiations and not set up any human resource management system which is to recruit new hostage negotiators or to select police officers interested in hostage negotiations with sufficient qualifications. Therefore police agencies have had several problems in the course of hostage negotiations For example, police agencies traditionally have laid emphasis on suppression by technical operations rather than negotiations by a conversation. In hostage situations, especially, not hostage negotiators but normal police officers have negotiated hostage takers to secure the security of hostages or hostage takers. This study focuses on proposing two recommendations to solve the problems in the course of police hostage negotiations. First, police agencies should organize hostage negotiations team under SWAT and establish that team permanently. Second, police agencies should recruit new hostage negotiators or select eligible persons in police officers with interest in hostage negotiations and qualifications. and then have them attached to the hostage negotiations team.

When hostage situations happen In United Stated of America, Hostage negotiators belonging to Special Weapon Attack Team(SWAT) in local police agencies or Federal Bureau of Investigation have a conversation with hostage takers. But in Korea, police agencies do not have any organization to take charge of hostage negotiations and not set up any human resource management system which is to recruit new hostage negotiators or to select police officers interested in hostage negotiations with sufficient qualifications. Therefore police agencies have had several problems in the course of hostage negotiations For example, police agencies traditionally have laid emphasis on suppression by technical operations rather than negotiations by a conversation. In hostage situations, especially, not hostage negotiators but normal police officers have negotiated hostage takers to secure the security of hostages or hostage takers. This study focuses on proposing two recommendations to solve the problems in the course of police hostage negotiations. First, police agencies should organize hostage negotiations team under SWAT and establish that team permanently. Second, police agencies should recruit new hostage negotiators or select eligible persons in police officers with interest in hostage negotiations and qualifications. and then have them attached to the hostage negotiations team.

Hostage, Hostage Taker, Hostage Negotiations, Hostage Negotiator, Hostage Negotiations Team