Reflect on the most two valuable takeaways

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Branch Davidian Standoff

Alonso Davis

Columbia Southern University

MCJ 5390 Critical Analysis of Criminal Justice Administration

Dr. Charles T. Kelly

7/21/19

Branch Davidian Standoff

The Branch Davidian was one of the groups that continued Victor Houteff’s mission of pressuring the United States federal government to implement specific reforms of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. On February 28, 1993, Branch Davidian was part of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was attacked by the United States by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), leading to the death of four federal agents. After this incident, a lengthy standoff between the mentioned group and key government agents was created (Pitts, 2000). The strife came to an ultimate end when Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents attempted to enter the group’s headquarters at the Mount Carmel near Waco, Texas, following the fire that was burning the compound. Consequently, the group’s leader, David Koresh, together with 80 members of the group, perished.  

           During the Stand-off siege, the factor of police negotiation was quite notable. Contrary to claims that some of the Branch Davidian’s members died from gunshot wounds, police never shot anyone during the entire standoff that lasted for approximately fifty-one days. Arguably, the police were involved in a negotiation by the group’s leader, David Koresh, following rumors that he intended to orchestrate a mass suicide to demonstrate the group members’ absolute faith in SDA’s principles (Pitts, 2000). Through this negotiation, the police established that suicide was actually against the group’s religious beliefs. However, the conduct of the police during this process partially led to failure in achieving desirable results. For instance, the police prioritized the need to ensure the safety of FBI agents over core negotiation considerations.

           The non-law enforcement personnel, such as compound residents and the media, impacted the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) efforts to mitigate the standoff siege. Reportedly, the compound residents fired at the FBI, making efforts to achieve an effective negotiation process futile. Besides, the incredibility of the FBI agents impaired the success of negotiation efforts (Wright, 2019). Most of the non-law enforcement workforce perceived the FBI and ATF to be using pressure tactics to get them out of the compound. For this reason, they were a great incredibility for the negotiators to the extent that they did not want anyone to access the compound. Notably, the compound residents led by their leader, David Koresh, were so determined to confront the FBI authorities to the extent they could not recognize and figure out Koresh’s primary objective of using them to accomplish his apocalyptic prophecy. 

           In retrospect, the FBI and TFA could have pursued a top-secret mission to produce a different and better result of the siege. The most notable mistake happened when the two highlighted authorities informed the press about the raid to keep everything on record. However, the two journalists would poorly misjudge the situation and, in the process, jeopardizing the crucial law-enforcement activity. Apart from the press, the news regarding the raid was also known to a dispatcher for a local ambulance ATF had hired to stand by if the agents were injured (Wright, 2019). This person then informed the cameraman, who would later disclose the secret to a mail carrier. Unfortunately, the mail carrier happened to be a member of the Branch Davidian, implying that Koresh and other followers got notified and prepared for the attack immediately. Another thing that the FBI and TFA could have done differently to become successful during the standoff siege was to cancel the mission and re-strategize another raid. Despite knowing that all media houses were well informed of their ambush plan, the FBI and TFA supervisors ordered the raid to be implemented as was planned initially. Due to this arrogance, more than 20 FBI and TFA lost their lives. Besides, the FBI could not have contracted negotiators who used pressure tactics that resulted in no benefit apart from undermining their efforts to impact an effective negotiation with the Dravidians. In this case, it could be better for the FBI and TFA to prioritize core negotiating considerations over any other goal.

           Arguably, desirable results would be achieved if the Davidian’s standoff siege was to happen today. This aspect is partly due to the current changing police styles that have become handy in enhancing the ability of law enforcement to adapt to changes in society. Currently, police strategies, especially those involving the use of different technologies to detect new forms of crime, are coherent for changes in society calling for law enforcement solely founded on community engagement. Notably, the most common reason why the FBI and TFA failed in their mission during the siege was their inability to engage the Davidians in a productive negotiation process (Wright, 2019). On the same note, changing police styles, such as the incorporation of new and improved policing strategies, have significantly enhanced the ability of law enforcement to adapt to various changes in society. The adaption is crucial because of the current law enforcement environment characterized by numerous demographic and technological trends. The current law enforcement is not restricted to police departments. Instead, the changing police styles have extended the operations of law enforcement to communities and technology providers. In this way, law enforcement has stayed ahead of many changes in society. 

 

 

References

Pitts, W.L. (2000). Changing views of the millennium in the Davidian tradition. The Journal of Religious History, 24 (1), 1-17.

Wright, S. A. (2019). Waco after twenty-five years: media reconstructions of the federal siege of the branch Davidians. Nova Religio, 22(3), 108-120. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/737595/summary