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.
Two recent examples demonstrated what happens when community and law enforcement leadership get it right and when they get it wrong — one disturbance occurred in Seattle, the other in Baltimore
A large disturbance is an opportunity for officers to look very good or very bad in front of millions; use the Madison Method to successfully police a crowd
If cops are stripped of the safety equipment and less lethal devices used for crowd control and other enforcement efforts, the scene on the street can quickly become dangerous
More than 150 were arrested as the crowd broke windows and knocked down fences
The celebration was largely accident free besides a few incidents
A police watch commander said early Tuesday that she didn’t know if any arrests were made
Demonstrators in the crisis prevented garbage trucks from unloading at the local dump for days
The department has been closely monitoring Facebook and other social networking sites to maintain a good grasp on Halloween festivities
Officers used tear gas to clear the demonstrators
No injuries were reported, but two people were arrested on charges stemming from the riot
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said officers would guard the controversial mosque site around the clock into next week
The 16-year-old entertainer is the one who’s all wet after water balloon toss on Md. trooper
Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered the dozens of protesters to disperse
Victims’ families said that supporters and opponents of the Islamic center should abstain from protest
Dozens of police officers heavily cordoned off the square where the rally was held and hauled away protesters as they chanted “Down with the police state!” and “Russia without Putin!”
Some Burning Man fans accuse overzealous officers of destroying the quality of an otherwise peaceful celebration
When a rally can become a riot, police officers are the men and women in the middle, protecting demonstrators’ right to assemble and maintaining peace in the community
Protesters were gathering in support of their freedom of assembly, which is guaranteed in the Russian constitution
NYPD cops keep the peace between one side shouting, “No clubhouse for terrorists” and the other side chanting, “Fascists go home”
Some threw beer bottles, patio furniture and other objects at police
Angel Alvarez wrestled the gun away from Luis Soto and then shot him, attracting the attention of police, who fired the bullet that killed Soto
The one police bullet that was recovered from the victim’s body is the bullet that killed him, according to an autopsy report
Several protesters called for the arrest — or deportation — of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio
The city of Phoenix filled with protesters, including dozens who were arrested for confronting officers in riot gear
The logistical challenge of dealing with 900 officers complicated policing after the Mehserle verdict
They declined to specify what the ‘civil disobedience’ would be, but emphasized it will be nonviolent
BART cop Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Oscar Grant
Oakland police release photos of people wanted on suspicion of looting, vandalism following Mehserle verdict
Since the Protestant Orangemen’s annual parade, there have been three nights of violence between police and nationalist youth
Destructive outsiders were responsible for most of the isolated violence
Small mobs formed after dark, smashing windows and setting fires
More than 80 were arrested as demonstrations turned violent after Mehserle verdict
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