“That all may live” is the standard that brought about the formation in March 2001 of the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team. The Crisis Negotiation Team (C.N.T.) is an integral part of the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office’s planned response to critical incidents. Its mission is the preservation of all life by seeking out a peaceful resolution to volatile situations through communication and understanding.

Currently the Crisis Negotiation Team is comprised of eight members who have been specially trained to interact with people in crisis during high-risk situations. Each member has a regular duty assignment and is on-call for the C.N.T. at all times in the event of a critical incident.   

The main responsibility of the C.N.T. to conduct and manage on-scene negotiations during any significant crisis event in which the Sheriff’s Office is involved it must also assist in establishing communication links, provide intelligence and background information of the person in crisis, and conduct witness debriefings. Even though the C.N.T. is a separate from the Special Response Team (S.R.T.), it works hand in hand with them when coordinating food delivery, the release of victims/hostages, and surrender of persons in crisis.