The Hanover County Sheriff's Office responds daily to emergency situations and most are quickly resolved. However, in the event a critical incident requires the need for focused communications and negotiation, the Sheriff's Office selects and trains several sworn personnel to respond effectively to any hostage or barricade scenario. Team members attend in-house training, regional and national courses and seminars. The members also instruct their peers on topics such as active listening and managing suicidal subjects.

The Negotiation Team consists of 1 officer-in-charge, 8 deputies and 2 representatives from Hanover Mental Health. This team works closely with the High Risk Entry Team in safely resolving critical incidents. Both units working together has been highly effective. This team maintains an assortment of communication equipment and a mobile communication vehicle to conduct their tasks.