One of Cpl. Scott Owens’ favorite movies is “The Negotiator”, the 1998 movie starring Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson about a skilled hostage negotiator who takes hostages of his own, only to be confronted by another negotiator.

But Owens, who has conducted negotiations with the Dothan Police Department, understands the job of a negotiator can be quite different than the dramatized film version.

Owens is part of the Dothan Police Department’s nine-member Crisis Negotiation Team. The name was changed recently because negotiators are often required to participate in situations that do not involve hostages.

In most instances, Owens said a crisis negotiation involves at least four members of the nine-member team. Each serves a specific purpose:...

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