PRINCIPLES OF CROWD

CONTROL
BY GURURAJ KULKARNI GUEST FACULTY POLICE
TRAINING COLLEGE NAGANHALLI KALBURAGI
 Proper crowd management is more important than
ever for law enforcement.
 It is imperative that each officer stays alert. Best
practices should be adopted to protect
 officers in all circumstances.
 Public demonstrations have increased in frequency
as a result of high profile incidents involving the
police.
 Although most have been peaceful, the chance of a
threat to officer safety is Imminent and law
enforcement agencies have an obligation to
prepare for a proper response for crowd
management, regardless of the type of
demonstration.
 During a demonstration, whether large or small, the
role of a law enforcement officer is to ensure the
public’s safety, protect lives and property, and also
protect the rights of all persons involved in the
event.
MEANING OF CROWD CONTROL
 Crowd Control (abbreviated to CC) is the term
used to describe an ability or spell that temporarily
reduces a unit's ability to fight. The term 'crowd
control' comes from the ability to control the enemy
team during fights, by either restricting their
contribution or means to escape
PRINCIPLES OF CROWD CONTROL
 Be Aware Of Your Audience's Characteristics.
 Control Access To Liquor.
 Keep Access Points To A Minimum.
 Screen For Contraband.
 Organize Your Staff, And Give Everyone A Clear
Role.
 Make Sure You've Got Trained Security.
 Correct police attitudes in dealing with different
classes of agitators.
 Collection of intelligence.
 Counseling and mediation.
 Use of force and less lethal weapons or methods to
control crowd.
 1. A crowd is a lawful gathering of people, who are
organized disciplined and who have an objective.
 2. A Mob have gone out of control because of
various and powerful influences, such as racial
tension or revenge.
Types of crowd
 1. Causal crowd ( e.g. Shopping mall)
 2. Sighting. ( sport events)
 3. Agitated. ( sense of unity and emotionality
involved.
CAUSAL CROWD
 Casual crowds are identified as individuals or small
groups with nothing in common to bind them
together.
 If they have an agenda, it is their own. They arrive
separately and leave separately.
 Casual crowds are made up of individuals or small
groups occupying the same common place, such as a
shopping mall where these
 individuals or small groups meet.
SIGHTING
 Sighting
 crowds are similar to casual crowds with one additional
element —an event.
 There are numerous events that cause people to come
together as a crowd, such as; sporting events, fires and
accidents, music concerts, labour strikes, demonstration,
and protests.
 Individuals or groups gather at these events for the
 same purpose.
 It is the event or one’s curiosity that compels a sighting
crowd to come together.
AGITATED
 Agitated crowds are generally casual or sighting
crowds with the addition of strong emotions
expressed verbally.
 As more people within the crowd become
emotionally involved, a sense of unity can develop,
causing changes in the overall demean or of the
crowd.
 Yelling, screaming, crying, and profane name-
calling are all associated with an agitated crowd
 .
THREE TYPES OF MOB
 1. The Mob who have a definite aim i.e to destroy,
damage private or public property or to kill.
 2. The Escape Mob who are escaping from a
perceived physical threat, such as guns, fire or CS
gas.
 3. The Acquisitive mob who are out to loot or rob.
 Extreme acts of violence and property damage are
often a part of mob activities.
 Mobs consist of (or involve) the elements of people
and groups being mixed together and
becoming fluid.
Mass Development
 Assembly Process, Gathering, Dispersal
 Assembly Process.
1. Spontaneous .
2. Organized.
SPONTANEOUS
PROTESTS/DEMONSTRATIONS
 Usually develops informally and is mostly done by
word of mouth (one person to another or one
group to another).
 Participants spread information by telling one
another when, where, and what ....
 Spreading information via electronic means Text
messages or social media.
ORGANIZED
 An organized assembly involves individuals and
groups passing on information to one another.
 In preparation for a long-term event, some group
organizers have the means to provide logistical
support, such as transportation, food, and water for
the participants.
 Rarely is only one group responsible for pulling
together a gathering.
 Organized assemblies rely heavily on established
groups that attract people to gather.
GATHERING (CROWDS, GROUPS,
INDIVIDUALS)
 Crowds :
 Not to be considered as an homogeneous groups.
 Not consisting of isolated individuals, but normally
small groups who may or may not be acquainted
with each other.
 Crowds are generally, not unique or distinguished
by violence or unlawful conduct.
 Groups:-
 Groups and individuals in the crowd are not
unanimous in their motivation.
 Groups within a Crowd will often act in unison in an
attempt to achieve their goals.
 Groups consists of individuals that usually are not
anonymous to each other.
 Presence of groups acting with different modalities
must be carefully considered.
 Individuals:-
 Tends to be considered as part of a group rather
then being considered individual actors.
 They do not participate in unique, emotional
displays.
Dispersal Process
 1. Routine:
 Routine: is when the crowd leaves on its own with no
outside influence-may be specified in advance and
can be included in the assembly instructions given
by the organizers of the event.
 Emergency: when people abandon an area as a
result of an unexpected crisis (fire, explosion, bomb
threat, terrorist act).
 Individuals in such an emergency quickly recover
from the initial shock and often find improvised
ways of extricating themselves and their
companions from the dangerous situation.
 Therefore, it is critical that Police on the scene
follows carefully the situation not to confuse group
dispersal from a violent act.
 Coercion: Coercion dispersal is characterized by use
of force. Therefore as to be considered as the last
resort.
 Consequently the police officers on the spot
Should carefully consider the negotiation option.
 This in fact is the preferred method to be
adopted and has proven to be highly successful in
creating the right conditions to anticipate the
potential for incidents.
Assessing Crowds/Mobs
 Take Account of:
 1. Size of Crowds/mobs.
 2. Behaviour or attitude of Crowds/mobs.
 3. Area of Occupation.
 4. Static or moving.
 5. Direction and Purpose.
 6. Weapons.
 7. Advice from other sources i.e. local authorities.
 8. Danger to persons and property.
Reasons for a Crowd to get out of
control.
 Trigger action.
 People are not sure what is happening or do not
agree with what is happening.
 There is a feeling that time is running out.
 The crow has not internal organisation.
 People are tired of waiting.
 There is deliberate sabotage.
 Poor planning/cultural insensitivity by organisers.
 Action of police or members of a counter
demonstration.
CROWD RESPONSE
 Motivations.
 Public disorder.
 Public disturbance.
 Riot.
 Panic.
CROWD TACTICS
 1. Non-violent.
 2. Violent.
 Non-violent:-
 Nonviolent actions of a crowd may create problems
to the authorities because they are in direct conflict
with what authorities want them to do, such as
refusing to leave when directed, locking arms, and
sitting in front of or around areas and buildings that
the authorities are attempting to clear.
 Violent:
 The transition from a crowd to a mob can be very
violent and destructive.
 Violent crowds strike out physically at bystanders,
others in the crowd, or members of the Police Forces
on the scene.
 They may destroy private and public property, set
fires, throw Molotov cocktails, or use other weapons
or projectiles at their disposal.
 Some violent tactics, are put in place to create
confusion or to distract the attention from another
activity.
 The only limitations for violent elements are given
by their capabilities, the ability of their leaders,
and the resources readily accessible.
CROWD COMMON TACTICS
 Constructing barricades.
 Using weapons and projectiles.
 Feinting and flanking actions.
 Participating in verbal abuse.
 Using vehicles and other objects.
 Setting fires.
 Perceived innocent or weak people.
 Barricades setting.
 Intense objects throwing.
 Car crashes.
 Devastation/debris rubble areas.
 Stabbing.
 Use of fire arms.
 Panic reactions.
 Suffocation .
 Crushing.
 Molotov Cocktail.
 Violence for sake of violence.
 Destruction of property.
 Looting.
 Running out of supplies.
 Sniping.
 Explosive.
MANAGING THE CROWD TACTICS
 Protect the rights of persons to lawfully assemble
and express their opinions.
 Maintain a peaceful situation
 Deploy officers to acquire information and
eventually to acquire evidences
 Facilitate event-related activities.
 Assist local authorities in providing a public safety
response
 Address unlawful conduct—either past, present, or
anticipated
 A pre-event assessment may include:
 Determining the time of assembly, duration of
event, location, and type of activities planned