Can you have a productive conversation with someone when you both disagree?
Learn the secrets to negotiation and conversation from a police hostage negotiator.
Sergeant Scott Tillema is a FBI trained hostage negotiator, spending over 7 years as a negotiator with NIPAS-EST, the largest multi-jurisdictional municipal SWAT team in the United States. He is also a supervisor at the Schaumburg (IL) Police Department, where he has been a police officer since 2002.
Scott held the role of adjunct professor at Argosy University – Schaumburg, teaching multiple courses in both the psychology and criminal justice programs. Through his interest in policing, psychology, and negotiations, he has developed The SECRETS Model of Negotiation, and actively teaches crisis communication to police officers throughout the Chicago region.
Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin with a triple major in behavioral science, political science and sociology. He also completed a Master’s degree in forensic psychology through Argosy University.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at