State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Damage control

American City and County: Reactions to a polarizing election, publicized police-on-civilian violence and other political incidents provoked numerous protests and riots throughout 2016 and continue doing so in 2017.

Many traditional crowd management and control tactics continue to prove useful for police in quelling violence once it starts, and there are many ways to preemptively police such gatherings. However, in the heat of the action, some police departments are shifting towards more precision and restraint in controlling unruly crowds.

Sgt. Spencer Fomby, team leader of the Berkeley, Calif., Police Department (BPD)’s special response team and a certified use of force instructor, says that officers traditionally addressed unruly and violent protesters within crowds as a large group. The group of officers would stand in relatively static skirmish lines, while wearing protective armor informally known as “turtle suits,” equipped with appropriate weapons.

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