Crowd Control
The Crowd Control topic focuses on the difficult task of controlling large groups of people with a limited number of police officers and resources. The police crowd control articles and tips in this section focus on strategy, policy, planning and tactics that can help quell a riled-up crowd and riot gear — helmets and shields — that will keep them safe in the process.
Law enforcement must be prepared for the worst when a controversial verdict is read, protestors become violent or a sports team wins a championship and the celebration spills to the streets.
Police departments must prepare to use proven team tactics for crowd control to ensure demonstrations remain peaceful and lawful assemblies
Be cognizant of what is working – and what is not – and be flexible enough to change tactics quickly as needed
Both the public and cops have many misconceptions about police crowd control
About 300 people hurled rocks and bottles at officers and set three fires to sides of the building, police said
Hundreds of protesters defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse
One officer suffered a concussion and third-degree burns, officials said
The violence started Sunday night and lasted into the predawn hours of Monday
The incident was captured on video, leading some community members to condemn the shooting as unjustified
At one point a standoff between demonstrators and officers took place along a planned march
The mayor ordered police to stop using plainclothes officers in unmarked cars and to stop wearing camouflage at protests
A group of about 100 hurled rocks and bottles at federal agents who were trying to disperse the crowd, police said
Supporters of the tactic say kettling helps police control a space, while critics say it can become dangerous if there’s no way for people to escape
A protest against the Seattle Police Officers Guild erupted into violence Sunday night
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised city police for “fairly quickly” settling weekend protests that devolved into violent skirmishes
Rioters threw “softball size” rocks, glass bottles and other objects at officers, police said on Twitter
U.S. Border Patrol Officers had to force their way through a crowd to get to two men detained by agents inside a bus
42 people have been charged with felonies in connection with looting along the city’s premier retail street overnight Sunday, officials said
The Oregon State Police was assigned to help protect a federal courthouse that’s been the target of protests
Some in the crowd set a fire and exploded commercial grade fireworks; several officers were injured
Police say they have made over 100 arrests since looters swept through downtown Sunday night
The crowd was protesting a series of fatal officer-involved shootings by the cop
Demonstrators threw objects and pointed strobe lights at officers
Police responded to shut down the party, which had between 300 and 400 attendees
Gov. Phil Murphy tightened social gatherings limits after the state saw an increase in COVID-19 cases among young people
It is difficult to watch agencies allow their elected leadership do things that violate established tactics
The Portland Police Bureau declared an unlawful assembly Saturday night when people gathered outside a police precinct and threw bottles at LEOs
Police obtained a search warrant for the van after they saw it following a group of protesters near where explosives were going off
The Trump administration agreed to start withdrawing US agents if local and state police stepped up their presence
A masked suspect seen smashing windows in Minneapolis was allegedly trying to rile a peaceful crowd, police said
Community members want to know why a driver who plowed through a crowd hasn’t been arrested
Local leaders said federal agents had left after being deployed to the city to protect federal buildings
Gov. Kate Brown announced that federal agents who had been guarding the US courthouse will begin withdrawing
The decision comes after a recent city directive ordered police to stop using tear gas to control crowds
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