The Negotiation Unit was formed in 1997 to handle high risk situations such as hostage, barricaded, mentally ill, or suicidal persons. The primary objective in the Unit's deployment is a peaceful resolution of the situation.
The Crisis Negotiation Unit is a function of the Operations Division and is under the command of Lieutenant Scott Wilcoxson. The unit members are Lieutenant Joel Dunmire, Detective Ben Hankins, and Detective Artie Stratton.
The Negotiation Unit has received extensive training in negotiations from the Institute of Police Training and Management in Jacksonville, Florida. Additional training has been obtained through the Department of Criminal Justice Training, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Counter Force Tactical Training, and the annual Negotiators Conference conducted by the National Tactical Officers Association. M training is conducted using varying techniques and equipment as well as periodic training with the Tactical Response Unit (TRU).