‘Talk To Me’ shares stories from the tense world of hostage negotiations
PodcastOne’s “Talk To Me” shares stories from the world of hostage negotiations. After tragedies of the 1970s, like the Attica prison riot and the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, the New York Police Department recognized they needed to develop a system to better handle hostage situations.
Filled with news archives and first-hand accounts, hostage team founders, Frank Bolz (detective lieutenant) and Harvey Schlossberg (a patrolman with a PhD in clinical psychology) share their stories on “Talk To Me.” The duo developed the concept that it is better for police to wait to react or take control of a hostage situation.
“Talk to Me” is narrated and written by Veteran South Bronx detective and New York Times bestselling author Edward Conlon. Episodes bring listeners through the world of hostage negotiations with cases of all sizes to share what works, the parts that failed, and the model that is still internationally used today. Hear from guests like FBI Agent Jim Murphy to share their experiences with high-stakes situations.
We recommend streaming the podcast from the beginning to learn about early hostage cases before protocols were created, the kinds of criminals who hold others hostage, and how the system was developed using psychology to peacefully resolve crises and strategies to save lives. The average episode runs under 45 minutes long.
In 1973, the NYPD’s pilot program for hostage negotiation was tested when 4 men robbed John and Al’s sporting goods store in Brooklyn, NY, revenge for a mass murder in Washington D.C. After a shoot-out, 3 cops were injured and one died. As they negotiated with the robbers, police held fire for nearly 2 days. 2 episodes share what happened to ease tensions and the results.
Later in 1973, as crime rates skyrocketed, Bolz created the Hostage Negotiation Team to handle domestic crimes and in anticipation of international terrorism.
A man commandeered an office in the World Trade Center and claimed he had a bomb. The Hostage Negotiation Team contemplated the best mode of operation and whether it was worth the inherent risks to use outsiders or other go-betweens in negotiations.
For new episodes of “Talk To Me,” tune in weekly wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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