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.
A veteran leader shares a framework for managing high-risk incidents and community expectations
Court affirms that tactics used to disperse unruly crowd did not violate protesters’ constitutional rights, dismisses excessive force lawsuit and grants officers qualified immunity
In Balogh v. Virginia, the court held police have no duty to intervene to protect protesters from third-party violence during a rally
The team members voted to disband over a perceived lack of support from City Hall, a lieutenant said
The driver was hospitalized for injuries after some protesters “began to strike” him, police said
Police officials said the suspect’s brothers arrived at the scene and “physically interfered” with the arrest
In the last 12 months, the department has shrunk by nearly 500 officers and specialized units have been cut in favor of patrol
Marchers lit fireworks, set a dumpster fire and broke windows at multiple businesses
The St. Louis Police Department is asking for help identifying the suspects
The device can direct sounds and messages up to 800 feet away while maintaining a safe decibel level, according to the company
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, at times using tear gas to disperse a crowd of 2,500 people
A report on the LAPD’s response to mass demonstrations in summer 2020 reveals how acts of violence against police and citizens, extensive property damage and looting caught police off guard
Training is a necessity and should be an ongoing priority at every police agency, but getting it done is not as simple as it may seem
The protesters had been in front of the station for nearly a week; eight people were arrested on charges
“This city feels like it’s occupied by the military,” said one citizen. “This is so weird”
The governor said the bill will also target calls to “defund the police,” which he said was an “insane theory”
With closing arguments set to begin Monday, police departments in cities nationwide are preparing for possible unrest
In a statement, police said the damage from the late-night violence “appears to be significant”
Demonstrators managed to get through the first set of doors, but were met by officers at a second set of doors, officials said
Police said the crowd broke windows, threw projectiles and tried to enter a police office building
Hundreds defied curfew during the second night of tensions in a Minneapolis suburb
The timeline adds another layer of understanding about the state of fear and panic while the attack played out
What began as a parking ticket quickly turned tense when officers found themselves surrounded
Officers tried to separate the groups but skirmishes broke out, including one moment when a man pulled a gun
Police had declared an unlawful assembly Thursday and began arresting those who refused to leave
Hundreds of protesters tried to block police officers who were tasked with clearing the area
Five outside law enforcement agencies have chipped in to help manage the unruly crowds
Two officers suffered broken bones and another suffered a punctured lung, officials said
After over 1,000 arrests, Miami Beach officials have imposed a curfew that could extend through the end of spring break
Video shows someone opening the unlocked back door of the SUV
“It has felt at times that the city is under a level of siege, simply from the volume of people,” the city’s mayor said
Every single aspect of the response to these events was negatively impacted by a lack of crowd control training for officers and supervisors
Among the demonstrators, officials said police found a crowbar, hammers, bear spray and firearms
