Detective Kenny Hinthorne outlines Mount Vernon crisis negotiation tactics, team structure and training

Detective Kenny Hinthorne of the Mount Vernon Police Department described how Skagit County negotiators aim to resolve high-risk calls peacefully, emphasizing teamwork, training and communication tools.

Hinthorne told the Roll Call Room that his primary assignment is major-crimes detective work but that he also serves on the county crisis negotiation team and as a defensive-tactics instructor. “Were trying to create a peaceful resolution,” he said. “Its just two different arenas. But the goal is the same.”

The negotiator stressed that crisis response is a team process: a primary communicator speaks with the subject while a coach provides real-time guidance, backgrounders research the subjects contacts and history, and a scribe documents the exchange. Hinthorne said teams may include members from multiple Skagit County agencies and can deploy anywhere in the county. “There may be two people that respond. It may be seven or eight of us that go out on a bigger scene,” he said.

Why the team approach matters, Hinthorne said, is both practical and protective. Negotiators rotate to avoid fatigue during prolonged incidents: “Theres only so long that I can speak with a subject on the phone thats elevated before Im gonna be burnt out and not effective as a negotiator,” he said, describing a six- to seven-hour incident when he was relieved by another negotiator.

Hinthorne explained differences between single-subject barricades and hostage situations, noting that hostage incidents raise the risk to third parties and require different safety measures and tactics. In both cases, though, his first priority is to get the person talking and to understand “why here? Why now?” so the team can tailor a negotiation strategy.

Team preparation includes trainings and scenario exercises. Hinthorne said negotiator candidates take a required 40-hour basic course and can pursue additional advanced coursework (he described the sequence as totaling about 120 hours for those who complete multiple courses). The team trains monthly and attends regional and national conferences, including NTOA events, for debriefs and updated techniques.

The unit uses multiple communication methods depending on scene constraints. Phone contact is preferred because it allows rest breaks for primary negotiators. When face-to-face contact is necessary, teams insist on time, distance and shielding to reduce the need to use force. Hinthorne also demonstrated a throwable Bluetooth speaker — “a cell phone thats a speaker phone” — that can be tossed into a structure so negotiators and subjects can hear each other without immediate entry.

Hinthorne illustrated the approach with a local jail incident: an individual climbed into the rafters and stayed there for hours in what Hinthorne called a hammock. Hinthorne spent roughly seven hours talking with the person, building rapport and listening with the intent to understand. He said the subject had specific, repeated demands — notably biscuits and gravy from a restaurant he named — and that honoring or negotiating over those concerns opened a path to surrender.

“We used that preference to build rapport,” Hinthorne said. When the restaurant was not open, staff arranged alternate options and the subject came down without force. Hinthorne later met with the person to maintain the relationship in case of future contact: “I did meet with him and we shook hands and talked for a minute.”

Hinthorne said the unit routinely coordinates with tactical teams for planned search-warrant operations and that negotiators often handle public announcements to free operators for tactical tasks. He emphasized that background research — reaching family members, friends or employers — is crucial to shaping a successful negotiation strategy.

The Roll Call Room host closed by praising the teams training and national engagement; Hinthorne said he volunteers for the role because he enjoys talking with people and helping resolve crises without force.

The segment ended with a sign-off and a note that listeners can follow the departments updates on social media.