The Coordinator

How should a law enforcement officer manage an encounter with someone who might be mentally unstable or in crisis—but does not appear to pose an immediate threat? How might a platoon commander engage with a foreign civilian who has key information for an intelligence-gathering mission, but is wary of sharing—maybe even being seen—with a stranger? In both cases, how does that officer remain prepared for something going terribly wrong at any moment, while still maintaining the intention and ability to help? What common skills do these scenarios—and many others like them—require?

In The Coordinator, Ellis Amdur and Robert Hubal share their decades of experience working with law enforcement and military personnel in training and developing social interaction skills, particularly in ‘high risk, high consequence’ situations with individuals who may always view themselves as adversaries. The Coordinator is someone who is always trying to reach an accord with the other person, striving to establish community liaison, rapport, crisis management, and deescalation of aggression. The Coordinator maintains a focus on tactics, doing everything possible to enhance the safety of all people involved in the encounter. Simultaneously, the Coordinator strives to achieve a level of trust, engaging others with professionalism and respect. The Coordinator crafts the communication to form a working relationship to share in achieving the aims of the mission.

“I have known Robert Hubal for many years, starting as a colleague at RTI International, and continuing to other training and educational efforts involving military and law enforcement. The Coordinator, a result of his collaboration with Ellis Amdur, offers a clear approach to confrontations with adversarial, potentially dangerous individuals. This ‘Coordinator Mindset’ focuses everyone involved on both the problems and resolution of an incident. From my over 40 years of service in the military and then in law enforcement, as well as my studies on interviewing and effective methods for training interviewing skills, I see these skills as valuable in military personnel at various levels as well as in the law enforcement and intelligence areas. This is a great book to have around to aid in achieving the best solution possible, while lowering the risk of the encounter turning violent, without compromising the military or law enforcement mission that brought one into the situation.”

– Dr. Don Gemeinhardt (Col. USAF Retired)