Crowd Management

Types of Disturbances

There are five (5) general types of disturbances and civil unrest, which may be confronted by law enforcement officers.

NOTE: Show slide, “Types of Disturbances.”

1. Mass demonstration

This type of demonstration usually involves hundreds or thousands of people, many of who may be nonviolent and within their rights to protest; but because of their numbers, they can overwhelm the capabilities of law enforcement agencies.

(Example: protest march)

2. Civil disobedience

This involves a group that is usually nonviolent and uses tactic and posture that place them in a position to be arrested by law enforcement agencies. This places the law enforcement agency in a very awkward position because of the nonviolent approach taken. It is usually a highly visible action and often has extensive media coverage. (Example: operation rescue demonstration, student takeovers on college campuses)

3. Labor disorder

Labor disputes involve a complex set of problems for law enforcement officers. Balancing the rights of strikers, who may have disgruntled employees among them and who’s aim is create or force confrontations during what is a lawful demonstration, creating a potential for disturbance requiring law enforcement intervention. Officers involved in these situating must preserve the rights of labor protestors and the rights of the company to operate.

1. Picket lines

Most unrest and violence relating to a labor dispute traditionally center on the picket line activity. The most common forms of labor violence are scuffles at picket lines between strikers and non-strikers. Violence may involve threats and intimidation as well as some physical form of attack. To help control activities, seek out the picket union representative, usually called the “Picket Captain.” Allow them to control members intervene only when there are violations of law or the imminent threat of public disorder.

2. Transportation dispute

In a labor dispute involving the transportation industry, the violence may be more widespread and incidents may occur incidentally or simultaneously in a very wide geographical area.

4. Idealistic protest

These usually involve fanatically dedicated participants, usually young males who are not deterred by the threat of arrest or use of force.

5. Riot

A riot is an uncontrolled and violent disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons joined together for a common purpose. (Example: recent L.A. riots)

1. Conventional mob riot

This classic type of riot is the climate of violence, which is caused by the rampage of a spontaneously formed mob.

2. Race riot

A true race riot is open warfare between those of different ethnic or religious groups. Rumor plays a key role in this type of riot--used to influence. Once the stage is set, only a spark (incident) is required to ignite the group into a bloody war. The target is the enemy group. It may even be the police themselves who are the target. Traditional crowd/riot control techniques have limited effectiveness in this setting because law enforcement is usually caught between groups who may be armed. Special tactics, using chemicals munitions, special impact munitions and anti-sniper teams are need to deal with this type of situation

3. Organized/Planned riot

A planned riot occurs when a mob is deliberately assembled and incited to riot. They utilize a key instigator with predetermined followers. They are used to enhance the ideas of the instigator and destroy the police department’s reputation. As a result, the public loses faith in the police, which hurts police morale and makes them hesitant and unsure of themselves.

4. Guerrilla riot

Their actions are not those of the mob but rather those of a guerrilla army or terrorist group. Their prime target is the police, and they use ambush techniques to accomplish their goals. Conventional riot control countermeasures are useless in this type of encounter. This is true urban warfare involving guns, grenades, explosives, etc.

5. Spontaneous riot

Confrontations just don’t happen. Some force or event must occur to set off a group. Officers responding to loud party calls or to gatherings outside night spots can become targets, particularly if the officers’ actions are viewed as improper by the group. Such actions may be a simple arrest, closing down a loud party, or clearing the street. Proper tactical approach to this type of situation maybe the only preparation time officers have before things spiral out of control. Remember the tactical saying, “It is better to have a plan and not need it, than to need a plan and not have it.”

Note: In 1964 and 1965, the Rochester, Pennsylvania and L.A. Watts Riots were all ignited from routine police arrests on busy streets where crowds spontaneously gathered and fused together. These incidents occurred rapidly; however, they did not erupt into widespread civil unrest for hours. In contrast, today’s incidents grow out of control in as little as 15 minutes. In the 1992 L.A. Riot that began at the intersection of 71^st and 77^th Street, the community was already upset about the “Rodney King” beating verdict and the on-scene arrest of local gang members became a riot that quickly spread rapidly through the city’s south side.⁶
NOTE: Show optional videos, Anatomy of a Riot (44 minutes), and/or St. Petersburg Riots/Crowd Control (39 minutes). Instructors may only have students view specific segments of the video to clarify issues in the lesson. Discuss the scope of attacks on people and how they changed from beating to killing those singled out for the attack. Remind them of the behavior discussed earlier and how they will see them in action in the video of an actual riot.

6.