[Scrapped] Oh Shoot! ... But Don't Shoot! Don't Shoot!

[Annihilators of Chan Island]

A hostage situation is gripping @@CAPITAL@@! An unknown number of gun-wielding masked individuals have taken several people hostage in a prestigious bank. They demand to be allowed to be let go with their weapons and stolen money, alongside a ransom in exchange for not hurting the hostages. In this time of crisis, local police have deferred to you decide this sensitive circumstances.

validity: all

[option] "The bank manager has given me a detailed plan of the building here," says the @@CAPITAL@@ chief of police to you, showing them to you." Theoretically we could get some specialists in through the windows here, here and here... assuming the assailants haven't seen the plans, which we suspect they might have unfortunately. This action is extremely risky and will put dozens of lives on the line, but it is the fastest way of doing this."
[effect] the nation is mourning the deaths of over 20 people in a botched hostage rescue

[option] "We can pin them inside the building," calmly radios officer @@RANDOMNAME@@ from outside the bank."The @@CAPITAL@@'s PD here has the thing encircled. There is no way the hostage takers can escape, I am 100% confident!"
[effect] several hostages have disappeared down a tunnel along with their captors after a 3 month siege

[option] "Once again, science has the .... well, a partial solution," says a surprisingly sane-looking scientist called @@RANDOMNAME@@."Instead of sending in flesh and blood people to rescue those captives, we can send in a drone to mow down those villains. It's a legal minefield that could open the door to a terrifying dystopia, but for now there are lives at stake here. Let's sort out the technicalities later."
[effect] hostage rescues are extremely dependent on the quality of the wifi signal

[option] "And why do we care about these random civilians?!" Declares @@RANDOMNAME@@, a scarred mercenary with a nice, long warcrimes list of achievements,"To hell with those gunners, to hell with the hostages. They're probably in on it anyway. Now, can somebody pass me the explosives?"
[effect] @@DENONYM@@s tend to tell their kidnappers to not even bother asking for ransom

[option] "Hey," shouts one of the hostage takers out of a megaphone on TV. "Can you come to a decision already and just let us go! We don't want to actually hurt these good people, we just want to run off with billions of currency and then retire to a legally dubious paradise island. It isn't so bad?"
[effect] foreign terrorists refer to @@NAME@@'s citizens as "cash-cows"

[A Humanist Resurrection]

Under what circumstances does a local law enforcement situation become a topic of national legislation during the fact?

Should probably rework this to a debate over legislation concerning some aspect of the outcome of a hostage situation. For example, the local PD tried negotiating, but the situation degenerated into a mass-stubbed-toe disaster, and one sergeant is still trying to rinse the exploding dye pack stain out of his hair (or something else silly; scores of dead bank customers is a downer).

Are crisis negotiations still a valid approach? Should we adopt a different policy for future events? What are the national legislative consequences?

[Australian rePublic]

I like the concept of a real-time, must act now issue, but let's look, shall we:

Local police agencies? I thought that was just an American thing. Does the UK operate like that too? Where cops have no jurisdiction past the county line? Also, why would this stop at local police, wouldn't state or federal (or national) police get involved? Also, why would every effect lead to the hostages dead or missing? Are your police that unqualified? Also, what about separation of powers? Or is that nullified in terrorist situations?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Under what circumstances does a local law enforcement situation become a topic of national legislation during the fact?

This was also my immediate response here. I'd suggest as AHS has to reframe this as recent events raising questions tactics allowed during hostage negotiations, and then present options for legislation.