Crowd Control Tactics

• Tactical principles used in combat, crowd dispersal, and sports are similar, but crowds aren't the enemy and should be dealt with to minimize harm.
• Overcoming an opponent involves superior force, attacking weak spots, and demoralizing/disorganizing them by surprise.
• Police typically have superior firepower but are outnumbered, therefore weapons are generally avoided and police rely on surprise and disorganization.
• Combat is classified into attack, pursuit, defence, and withdrawal.

Attack

• In policing, attack is an offensive on the front and flanks to surprise and disorganize.

Pursuit

• Prevents the crowd from regrouping and attacking again.

Defence

• Is a protective cordon to prevent entry or protect flanks of a procession.

Withdrawal

• Involves leaving a shell to maintain contact while the main body withdraws, often used to extricate arrested individuals.
• Attacking a crowd's flanks and rear is more effective than attacking the front.
• The basic operating unit is a section, which can go up to a platoon, company, or battalion.
• In India, civil police at a police station are first to respond, followed by the district armed reserve.
• Para-military forces operate in sections, platoons, or companies.

Equipment

• At the police station, forces are equipped with shields, batons and protective clothing, while tear gas and riot control is available with the district armed reserve.
• Forces deployed should have canes, body protectors, shields, an armed contingent, and a gas contingent; plastic pellet guns can be used when crowds throw brickbats.
• .12 bore guns are used for specialized ammunition: tear gas, pepper shells, rubber batons/pellets, Tasers, stun grenades (not yet widely adopted in India).

Organization

• Dispersal tactics depend on the crowd size, militancy, force size and the available equipment.
• The force is divided into front and rear ranks; the front rank makes contact, while the rear rank acts as a reserve.
• Platoon formations have a front line of two sections, followed by the platoon commander and a third section equipped with tear gas and armed contingent.
• Mob control formations are based on standard infantry formations.

Column formation

• Is used for movement from one point to another; the riot area is approached in this formation.

Line formation

• Is used for blocking movement or as a show of force; tear gas is also viable in this formation.

Wedge formation

• Is best for clearing streets; triangles are created if there is a possible need for direction changes or withdrawal.

Diagonal formation

• Is well-suited for dispersing a crowd in a specific direction.
• Tactical principles can reduce the psychological resistance of crowds.
• Formation choice depends on topography and relative force strength.

Envelopment

• Should extend beyond crowd flanks, creating pressure from the rear and disorientation.

Turning Movement

• Is similar to envelopment, using bye-lanes against a determined crowd on the main road.
• Encirclement is the Japanese Kidotai standard practice.
• The crowd is attacked from two flanks while the head is firmly blocked.
• Pincer movement splits crowd factions with two wedge formations.
• Diagonal movement is suited to clear crowds into a particular direction.
• When dispersing crowds, provide escape routes; if not, even onlookers will defend themselves.
• No force should be sent into narrow lanes without appraisal (police cannot leverage tactics and become susceptible).
• Employ shields and gain access to rooftops to displace rioters.

Dispersal guide lines

• Movement must be as one unit, strength lies in formation and not individual prowess.
• Units should be drilled to respond to whistle commands.
• Each Formation must have a reserve for reinforcement, evacuation, and firing options.
• Officers must be to the rear to observe and implement actions and decision making.
• Neither the mob nor crowd should be able to get at the rear guard.
• Retreat must be in formation, to avoid making the crowd more aggressive.
• Avoid small formation deep in mobs (maneuverability, control, and retreat gets cut off).

Pursuit

• Should occur immediately after a mob has been dispersed to prevent regrouping.

Defence Tactics

• Cordon and mobile defensive tactics exist.
• Withdrawal leaves a small covering party in contact with crowd while the main body withdraws. Police handle two basic crowd types: spontaneous and planned.
• Planned crowds involve religious festivals, processions, sports, political events.
• Forewarning comes from intelligence or organizers, and permissions are required.
• Planned police strategy depends on intelligence reports or advertisements by the event organizers.
• Intelligence can facilitate planning for faction intervention, and untoward incidents.
• Planned crowd regulation reduces stampede risk and provides security.
• Intelligence should cover the event's nature, time, crowd strength, organizers' control ability, participant arrival/dispersal, militancy, possible disorder, public reaction/conflict, procession route, security of participants, public order/traffic impact, organizer intent, and counter-demonstrations.
• Crowd regulation depends on the event and purpose and can eliminate stampedes.
• Arrangements ensure public peace and security.

Public meetings

• Easy crowd dispersal, good speaker views, and security barriers.
• Areas are compartmentalized to prevent crowd pressure; arrangements resemble a horseshoe with sectors and gangways.
• Police in gangways control movement to prevent overcrowding.
• Cordon placed near the rostrum and reserves are kept at the rear and by the rostro.
• Access via radial gangways from the rear, then semi-circulars to sectors.
• If the space is restricted semicircles are reduced into cones.
• Gather detailed intelligence and pre-plan to suit the situation.
• Organize participants with vetted opposing groups.
• Use plainclothes to identify and remove trouble causers.

Processions

• Spectators should be controlled, and precisionists managed.
• Route lining of constables protects spectators.
• Barricade intersections with movable barricades briefly placed prior to the procession.
• Allow one way traffic.
• Erect barricades when a V.V.I.P. fleet is traveling an area in conjunction with large crowds.
• Constables face away from the road; posting along lanes; as the fleet approaches.
• Properly escort processions due to breach of peace and violence.
• Processions typically go through markets and congested areas so there is a risk of damage.
• High-risk processions should be escorted.

Advance notices

• On walls and in papers/posters applications and via intelligence.
• Routing: discuss beforehand; implement written route with alternate; procession one side or use of advisers.
• Processions by agitators: representative receives the petition.
• There is police liaison and information.

Police Strategy and Tactics

• Carry a high risk potential for large scale disorders
• Intelligence, white planning the event, police strategy and deployment should provide for containment of trouble; and dispersal of the crowd.
• Police may adopt a low profile or may be stationed at strategic spots.
• Operations should flexible, mobile, planned, objective.
• All personnel should clearly understand their duties; orders should be clear via IIMAC process. The purpose of the Act of 1861 was to reorganize the police for crime prevention and detection.

Police Responsibility:

• Maintenance of law and order
• Internal security of state
• Provide security to important persons & general public
• Security of vital installations (communications, roads, railways)

Public Peace and order includes all the areas policing

• Crime committed: Infraction of law, but also disturbs public peace/order.
• Act affecting security
• Breach of police order/peace results in breach of law/crime.
• Good state of public order.
• Peace depends on crime prevention detection, crowd/agitation handling.
• Good public peace/order depend upon each facet working in unison.
• Understanding of psychology is an important prelude to crowd control.
• Potential of problems arising.
• Essence of maintenance entails good crowd control. A crowd is a gathering of individuals in close proximity with a tendency to develop psychological interaction.
• The adage "a stitch in time saves nine" is very much applicable to crowd control.
• The quantity of force and the effort required to handle increase progressively with delay.
• Police officers need to understand a crowd & be able to disperse tactfully with minimal force.
• Force, when used not judiciously, will aggravate.

Crowd Formation

• Begins when curious people gather at an incident spot.
• The first stage of formation starts when a police investigation starts + legal action
• Crowd will disperse under direction.
• Opportunity to react/act arises when delayed
• Common emotion builds
• Resistance & disobedience are more likely.
• Psychological control methods have to subdue heightened tensions
• If not properly controlled at the psychological stage the crowd is likely to: Assume aggressive attitude/mob
• Not listen to reason+use force.
• Failure to contain will lead to riot.

Crowd Denotation

• Collection of individuals gathered for a specific purpose
• An at entertainment/attraction by incite
• Collective emotional state swells the group to holiganism (use becomes more or less unavoidable).
• Step away from a riot with violence occurs as emotional release.
• Classification group (intermingled/difficult to differentiate)
• Leaders stay in the rear; active at the center; passive along the outside.
• Psychological Contagion states "a crowd is numerically stronger than the police force".
• In physics gas increases with heat (greater) similar crowd is agitated easier for control (calm).
• Both psychological and physical means have to be used to control; never shout to avoid infection.

Psychological Control Methods

• To bring it down to a manageable stage:
  • Persuasive-appeals: feel like we're on their side/characteristics.
  • Regional culture/communities
  • Change over time
  • Sincerity
• Mark Antony's oration: good orator using appeal.
• French/Lebon: used "pitiless justice" to appease; arguments might have fueled riot.
• Brahmic CRPE: turn the bullock away from the riot to subside fear.
• Riot, can be defined + unlawful assembly of five, that accomplish person or property.

Riot essential ingredients entails: - Formation of unlawful assembly within the meaning of section 141 I.P.C.

• The use of force or violence

Crowd psychology is Collective Behavior in a mass (police understand effectiveness in many forms)

• Difference in behavior always and erode inhibitions An individual strong social norms due to fear (actions restrains due to socially unacceptable)
• Numbers looser + IQ level is under five. Has emotion through psychologically interaction
• Seek release and outlets (emotions even attack)
• Reason + order/propriety- alien.
• Losing leadership/hooligans will occur.

Lebon- "Advised theory 666 mind"

• Group influence Macdonal" "Group Mind" similar to collective mind theory. Sig mund evolved dormancy primitive sub-conscious with stirred behavior in a crowd.

Crowd Characteristics

Distinguishing Features

Heightened Emotions(preliminary-superficial) : Football Crowd Heightened susceptibility (hypnosis) Credulousness (nothing to improve for accept)

• (Nothing to group)
• (Alone to build) Types
• Casual
• momentary collection
• meeting
• sports
• express
• celebrations
• Aggressive crowds Politial/labor unrest

Aggressive and destructive types

Stages

• Incident
• Excitement By task to speed measure and quickly action success. Brings and blow up or hesitation.
• Psychological
• Resort tactics
• Most effective(removal Crowd) Can also use
• Humorous and witty Powerbreak example
• People acknowledgment/Influence
• (Influence)
• Calm silent
• action+behavior
• Exited complain/writings to lower.
• Unexpounded Diversion helps + accidents
• Making the crow wait may decrease. A tactic (used in some United States) and power+authoritative. Intensive crowd numbers and also provide evidence
• a confident police.