24. Crowd Management (2 hrs.)

1. 24. Crowd Management (2 hrs.) TCLEOSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES 08/01/04

2. Objectives • 24.5.11. Define crowd management. • 24.5.12 Procedures for responding to crowd control situations. • Unit Goal: 24.6. To prepare the student to maintain the peace and safeguard lives and property during situations calling for crowd management. • 24.6.1. Define selected types of crowds and mobs. • 24.6.2. List the elements of the offenses relevant to crowd control. • 24.6.3. Identify factors of responding to crowd control situations.

3. 24.5.11. Define crowd management.

4. Crowd Management: • When conditions or circumstances warrant a high level of awareness, departments should gather information and provide advanced warning for civil unrest.

5. Resources for gathering intelligence should include but not limited to: • Civic leaders and organization • Citizen and church groups • Street rumors • Arrestees, utilize information from all known offenders with criminal history in civil unrest, not just those known to patrol

6. Department should be aware of warning signs leading to civil unrest and take whatever action necessary to prevent or prepare for it.

7. Factors to be considered when organizing for crowd management: • Court verdicts • Union strikes • Police shootings or incidents in a tense community

8. 24.5.12 Procedures for responding to crowd control situations.

9. The first officer on the scene in response to any incident needing assessment of crowd management should consider the following objectives: officer safety first, the protection of life and property, request for any assistance from other officers or agencies and EMS/AFD if needed.

10. The first responder should assess the situation and advise the dispatcher as soon as possible

11. Information for the dispatcher: • Activity of the crowd (hostile or passive) • Size of the crowd • Weapons or objects known • Safest route for other officers to get to the scene • Most practical location for a command post and parking

12. The first responder should also establish secure perimeters and attempt to identify leaders or agitators of the crowd

13. Proactive plans should be forwarded through the chain of command for any needed approval prior to implementation. • After receiving approval from the departments chief or sheriff officers should then move in teams or squads to the troubled area and take the necessary steps to eliminate any problems.

14. Key objectives: • Disperse crowds • Arrest violators

15. Discuss the organization or summoning of a rapid deployment team

16. Unit Goal: 24.6. To prepare the student to maintain the peace and safeguard lives and property during situations calling for crowd management.

17. 24.6.1. Define selected types of crowds and mobs.

18. Crowds: • A crowd is a large number of persons temporarily congregated. • Generally, the members of a crowd think and act as individuals and are without organization.

19. Crowds may be classified as follows: • Casual crowd: Has no unity of purpose and no leadership, i.e.. shoppers, on-lookers, or watchers who come and go, and will usually respond to direction by police.

20. Cohesive crowd: • Usually assembles for a common purpose without leadership, i.e. spectators at sporting events, along parade routes, and other activities. They have a common interest but behave and think as individuals.

21. Expressive crowd: • Are assembled for some purpose. They have leadership and the intention of expressing an attitude for or against some person or idea, i.e., political rallies and picket lines.

22. Aggressive Crowd: • Is usually assembled for some purpose. They have positive leadership, are determined to accomplish a specific end, and move actively toward their objective. Usually high emotional tension is present. This type crowd can easily become a mob. Consequently, this type of crowd presents an acute police problem.

23. Seek student input on crowds/mobs they have seen or been a part of and what the circumstances were.

24. NOTE: • Most crowds the officer will routinely encounter include high school sporting events, music concerts, etc. • Students should refer to local policy for specific procedures. • Officers should remember that most persons in a crowd are not the "enemy".

25. Mobs: • A crowd develops into a mob when all or most members of the crowd have been instilled with a purpose and an intent to carry out their purpose, regardless of the consequences. • Transformation can be made, for example, by the urgings of a forceful crowd leader, the appearance of an individual of importance to the crowd, or the accomplishment of an act of violence. • A mob reaches the hot stage when acts of violence are committed.

26. Mob classifications:

27. Aggressive Mob: • An aggressive mob riots and terrorizes as in the case of race riots, lynching, political riots, or prison riots.

28. An Escape Mob: • A mob in a state of panic. In their attempt to secure safety by flight, members of an escape mob may lost their power of reasoning.

29. Acquisitive Mob: • A mob motivated by a desire to acquire something, i.e., food riots.

30. 24.6.2. List and identify the elements of the offenses relevant to crowd control.

31. Violations: • Trespass on School Grounds Texas Education Code, Sec. 37.107 • Disruptive activities Texas Education Code, Sec. 37.123 • Exhibition of Firearms Texas Education Code, Sec. 37.125 • Disruption of classes Texas Education Code, Sec. 37.124 • Disruption of transportation - TEC 37.126 (see also Penal Code 46.03 and 46.035)

32. Riot Penal Code, 42.02 • Obstructing highway or other passageway Penal Code, 42.03 • Defense when conduct consists of speech or other expression Penal Code, 42.04 • Disrupting meeting or procession Penal Code, 42.05

33. Dispersing riot CCP, Art. 8.04 • Officer may call aid CCP, Art. 8.05 • Means adopted to suppress CCP, Art. 8.06 • Officer may require aid CCP, Art. 8.01 • Officer may summon aid CCP, Art. 2.14 • Person refusing to aid CCP, Art. 2.15

34. The right of the people to peaceably assemble. (U.S. Constitution)

35. Note: Officers should refer to local ordinances.

36. 24.6.3. Identify factors of responding to crowd control situations.

37. Response factors for crowd control situation:

38. Agency policy concerning crowd control procedures

39. Manpower, equipment and tactical alternatives usable in crowd/mob management.

40. Recognize necessity of controlling crowd/mob with minimum use of force. Police objectives are different from those of the military in that police officers may use only that amount of force necessary to make an arrest. And this force cannot, in any case, be disproportionate to the degree of resistance offered.[Refer to CCP, Article 14.05.]

41. Identify factors which establish legality of a demonstration, i.e., political rally, spectators at sporting events.

42. Recognize factors which determine identity of leaders and agitators.

43. The front and center of the mob is usually the highest point of tension. The leaders and excited individuals who areexercising unusual influence upon the others will be located here. The show of force (if necessary) should beconcentrated at this point.

44. Identify proper procedures for communicating with crowd/mob.

45. Identify circumstances when arrest of violators is appropriate.

46. UNIT: CROWED MANAGEMENT • Recommended procedures • If an arrest is to be made, obtain an adequate number of officers to respond. • it may be best to ignore minor violations • physical harm to any person, including peace officers, cannot be ignored • enter the crowd/mob quickly and as unobtrusively as possible, affect the arrest, and exit quickly • do NOT get into verbal confrontations with those assembled

47. Dispersing a crowd/mob: • If possible, allow the crowd/mob to drain itself of energy and disperse by itself.

48. If dispersal is necessary, consider the following: • assemble an adequate number of officers • approach the crowd/mob as a unified group • Present an inverted “V” of officers to the group, whereby the crowd can be moved to either side as officers advance if arrests are made, those arrested are placed inside the “V”, and handed off to waiting officers. • Present a united line of officers placed diagonally to the crowd. As the line advances, the crowd is able to move away to either side of the line, much the same as the effect of a road grader on a dirt road • When approaching a crowd, ALWAYS allow its members an escape route. People who are told to move away, and then are not able to comply, will ultimately resist. • DO NOT give the crowd/mob an order that officers are not able to carry out. Similarly,allow the crowd adequate time to comply with orders/directions.

49. NOTE: • re-emphasize the right of persons to peaceably, assemble, and the officers duty to protect such rights as well as enforce the law.

50. Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Mark Twain