SPOKANE, Wash. — They are some of the most dangerous and unpredictable situations Spokane Police Officers respond to.
When someone is barricaded, holding hostages or threatening to kill themselves, SPD's Hostage Negotiation Team (HRT) steps in.
As Spokane's population grows, so does the number of dangerous situations police respond to.
The Hostage Negotiation Team is getting called out more often, and now the department wants a new mobile command center.
In 2021, the HRT responded to 50 calls. This year, they've already been called to 33 incidents. In some cases, an RV with a large police badge on the side transforms into a command center on wheels.
"We have a crisis communication center that we use to store equipment and that's sort of our area of operation," SPD Lieutenant Daniel Waters said.
Waters is a hostage negotiation team commander. He says the RV gives officers something they don't always have; a safe and quiet place to work during a volatile situation.
"A lot of people in crisis, when they are on the phone with them, they are hearing what's going on, they are hyper sensitive, there's a lot of stress and when they can hear people talking in the background, they can hear equipment rustling around. Or, maybe someone laughs at something and all of those things can escalate the situation," Waters said.
SPD says the RV is an important tool, but like any motor home, it won't run forever. The department is seeking funding for a new command center.