AJ 53 –
Police Field Operations
Chapter 8 –
Unusual Occurrences
Major Events
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Law Enforcement operates on a fairly
consistent, routine basis, but a major
event could occur at any time!
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Natural disaster, explosion, plane crash…
Planning and preparation are keys to
successful response
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Patrol officer likely to be first on scene
First-aid, evacuation, protection of property
Disaster Response
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Planning involves coordination of agencies
and resources
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Law Enforcement, Fire, Red Cross, etc.
Keep the Community involved/informed
Develop contingencies if initial plan fails
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Always have a Plan B, C, D…
Transportation, food, shelter, etc.
Disaster Response Procedures
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Identify Nature & Extent of Problem
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Communications
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Quickly and thoroughly as possible
First-Aid and Rescue
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Isolated event or continuing problem?
HAZMAT, medical needs, OAA
Preservation and protection of human life
Establish Command Post
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Safe distance, communications, facilities, etc.
Response Procedures (cont’d)
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Contain the Area
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Control Traffic
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Define scene/event parameters
Control ingress and egress
Media allowed access?
Evacuate Those in Jeopardy
Public Information Updates
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Media broadcasts, PIO
Response Procedures (cont’d)
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Notify Government Agencies as Needed
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Coordinate with Assisting Agencies
Restrict Access to Authorized Personnel
Record Event
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FEMA, FAA, NTSB, FBI, Homeland Security
Logs, reports, etc.
De-Brief and Evaluate Response
Responding to Disasters
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Non-essential tasks may stop or be delayed
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Mobilization of Personnel
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Routine calls, reports, etc.
SWAT, Bomb Squad, other special units
Off-duty officers, Reserves, Dispatchers for CP
Mutual-Aid requests
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City, county, state agencies
National Guard under Martial Law
Assignments and
Responsibilities
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Gathering Intelligence & Information
Logistics of Equipment and Supplies
Public Information Officer
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Press releases, updates, etc.
Identification of Disaster Victims
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Coroner, Medical Examiner
Fingerprints, photos, descriptions, property
Civil Unrest
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Many reasons for civil unrest…
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Political protests/demonstrations
Racial tension
Labor actions
Celebrations
May begin peacefully but escalate due to actions
of a few individuals
Law Enforcement must gather/maintain good
intelligence on major public gatherings
Unlawful Assemblies and Riots
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Warning Signals
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Types of gatherings, nature/goals of crowd
Police Purpose and Objectives
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Prevention, if possible
Protection of Lives and Property
Maintenance and Restoration of the Peace
Containment
Dispersal
Arrests, as needed
Psychological Influences
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Usually one or more agitators in the crowd
who “incite others to riot”
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Mob Mentality
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Everyone else is doing it!
Anonymity
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Rumors/propaganda of police-brutality
Entice officers to use force
Often hang out in middle or back of mob
Just another face in the crowd = hard to
identify later
Strength in Numbers
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Emboldens mob behavior
Stages of Mob Formation
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Stage 1
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Stage 2
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Crowd members lose individuality, begin to act as single unit
Agitators begin to take control of crowd mentality
Stage 3
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Crowd functioning as group of individuals
Milling about, isolated pushing/shoving, still possible to move
spectators/bystanders
Mob functioning as one, agitators in charge
On the edge of rioting, maybe at slightest provocation
LE response at each stage?
At what stage would LE declare an Unlawful Assembly?
Crowd-Control Procedures
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Prevention, whenever possible
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Assess/Communicate the Situation
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Face-to-face contact/communication
Size, motivation, agitators, resources
Containment
Command Post
Rescues, as needed
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Officers, bystanders, crowd members, etc.
Crowd Control (continued)
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Disperse the Crowd
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Allow Sufficient Time for Dispersal
Provide Avenue of Dispersal
Arrest Law Violators
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Unlawful Assembly Order protocol
Place “witnesses” in the crowd
Failure to Disperse & other related crimes
Evaluate and Assess LE Response
Using Squads
for Crowd Control
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Pre-Designated Roles and Responsibilities
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Squad Movement
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Squad Leader, Asst. Squad Leader, Linebackers, Hookers…
Special uniforms, protective gear/equipment
Single-file, column-of-twos, quick-time, etc.
Batons at “Port Arms” position
Squad Formations
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Skirmish Line
Diagonal
Wedge
Strikes, Demonstrations,
and Protests
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Maintain objectivity & impartiality
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Safety is primary concern
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Don’t take sides!
Participants, public, bystanders, etc.
Establish/maintain flow of pedestrian
and vehicular traffic
Protect freedom of speech
Arrest as necessary
Major Crashes and
Transportation Incidents
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Airplanes, trains, buses, etc.
May result in multiple injuries/deaths
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Hazardous materials concerns
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Fuel, chemicals, explosions
Evacuations
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Triage, first-aid, coroner’s investigations
Injuries, bystanders, surrounding area
Outside Agency coordination
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Fire, medics, FAA, NTSB, FBI, etc.
Bombs and Bomb Threats
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Why & How are bomb threats made?
Law Enforcement Response
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Treat every threat as real!
Contact person in charge of location
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Identify unusual occurrences, items, etc.
Evacuate building/area as needed
Caution with use of radio, cell phone, etc.
Do not handle/move suspicious objects!!!
Utilize Bomb Squad or K9 as available