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.
Automated less-lethal technologies may relieve officers of their most difficult decisions
Your eyesight may be at risk – do you know what to do in a laser incident?
An action that may be perceived as “mean,” yet doesn’t violate a clearly established constitutional right, will not lead to liability for an officer
Following violent protests, the chief of police in Portland suggested that the city ban the wearing of masks during protests
Supporters of an August 17 gathering have spoken openly on the internet about bringing weapons to Portland and desires to “exterminate” antifa members
Video footage showed people rushing out of the busy tourism and entertainment area, with some taking cover behind vehicles
Cophateists are people who, at their best, create difficulties for law enforcement and, at their worst, pose a deadly threat to officers in this country
The resolution, sponsored by Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, comes on the heels of a recent clash between competing demonstrators in downtown Portland
One of the largest protests in Puerto Rico’s history erupted into violent clashes late Wednesday night between demonstrators and officers in riot gear
The mayor also pushed back against the police union president, saying his recent criticism “crossed a line”
A private security officer shouted for bystanders to take cover, police said Friday
Police said a false report of gunfire set off a stampede that trampled more than a dozen people
Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said Wednesday the city, police and community need to take a different approach for violent protesters
The mayor also responded to a rebuke from the police union president that he has handcuffed officers from taking swift action against brawling demonstrators
Hundreds of teenagers and young adults massed in North Philadelphia late Sunday, damaging at least six police cars
Sen. Ted Cruz weighed in, calling for a federal investigation into the actions of both the mayor and the police
At least three groups had planned rallies or demonstrations at different sites in the city, including members of the so-called Proud Boys and antifa
The protesters were taken into custody after lying down on Eighth Avenue and blocking traffic
Thirty-six officers suffered injuries from flying rocks and bricks in the hours following the OIS of a fugitive
People in the crowd threw rocks and bricks, with 25 officers suffering mostly minor injuries during the tense clash
Encirclement is an American police tactic that might be viewed by the untrained eye as kettling
There are many management considerations for police response to protests, demonstrations and riots
The LEO alleged Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson was negligent for organizing and leading the Baton Rouge protestors to illegally block a public highway
The department is investigating an officer’s use of force on a woman while breaking up a fight during a festival
The motion seeks to end restrictions on when police can use chemical agents such as pepper spray and tear gas to break up protests
Many were treated on scene after reports of a possible shooting in Los Angeles’s Hyde Park
Police believe the suspect who drove into a crowd killing two and injuring seven others was impaired at the time
The plaintiffs have dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning the case could be filed again at a later date
Sophia Wilansky was injured during a violent clash between protesters and police during the months-long protest of the Dakota Pipeline
The unmanned eye-in-the-sky is the latest wrinkle in the NYPD’s ever-evolving plan to keep revelers safe
The jury sentenced James Alex Fields Jr. to life in prison for killing a woman when he rammed his car into a crowd during a white nationalist rally in Virginia
France deployed some 89,000 police but still failed to deter the determined protesters
A state jury rejected defense arguments that James Alex Fields Jr. acted in self-defense during a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville
