Crisis

We had been there for over 12 hours. The man was still 30 feet up a tree, balancing on a branch directly over one of the main railway lines out of one of the busiest train stations in the country. He refused to talk to us, threatening to jump if we came too close. To him, we were the enemy. My job was to preserve his life. The most dangerous time in any negotiation is when you think you’re winning. From kidnappings to terrorist incidents, violent armed stand-offs to talking someone back from the ledge: all these make up the day-to-day life of Nicky Perfect’s job as a crisis and hostage negotiator. One of the first on the scene in situations that most would run from, Nicky is deployed to defuse the most volatile and fraught situations imaginable. After two decades at the frontlines, confronting the extremes of human behaviour, these are the stories and cases that have shaped a career spent on high alert, where life often hangs in the balance. It’s about finding yourself and following your passion, and of a life lived to help others.

Nicky worked on the elite New Scotland Yard Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Unit, becoming the Deputy Head of Unit in 2016. She has travelled the world teaching negotiation and working with the Government on international operations. Nicky spent many years as the Director of UK Training of the National Hostage and Crisis Negotiation Course. She was responsible for training police officers across the UK and assessing their capability as negotiators. On retiring from the police Nicky purchased her local garage and converted the showroom into a coffee shop and gym, keeping the garage workshop, employing local people and creating a community hub. Her consultancy business specialises in communication and negotiation coaching. Her mission is to share the lessons she learnt as a negotiator to help others improve their communication skills and ultimately their relationships. She has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community, specifically during the pandemic.