Transforming American Policing: Mass Demonstration Recommendations
Law enforcement professionals protect and serve as ethical guardians of democracy for our communities.
The challenges to their profession is daunting. We
continually witness accelerating violence, apathy, distrust, cynicism, and
callousness throughout society.
Another challenge is when these numerous issues merge into a
mass demonstration.
The preparation and management of demonstrations demands
visionary leadership, as well as vigilance and collaboration.
These principles serve the interests of public safety. They also serve constitutional policing,
ensuring that rights are respected, and unchecked emotions do not cause
unnecessary havoc to communities.
Rethinking the Police
Response to Mass Demonstrations
In February 2022, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
released a compelling document titled Rethinking the Police Response to Mass
Demonstrations: 9 Recommendations.
The report spotlights numerous issues critical to policing,
especially with the thousands of demonstrations following the murder of George
Floyd.
The document deserves to be studied in its entirety and the
link is provided here for easy access:
Yet, for the purpose of this article, and particularly
because this report compliments many years of my published works for The Chief of
Police, the 55 page PERF will be summarized into a quick tip style format.
The two pillars of the report are based on these principles,
seeking to bring police and community engagements to a new level:
1. “Police should invite community leaders to
participate in police meetings and training sessions about planning the police
response to demonstrations. These meetings should discuss the police response
to demonstrations as a general matter, as well as planning for particular
demonstrations.
2. “Police should build trust during
demonstrations by inviting community leaders who have strong credibility among
the general public to serve as observers and partners on the streets.” [i]
The report continues with nine recommendations as follows:
RECOMMENDATION 1:
“Rethink the role of community representatives before and during protests.”
“1A. Engage your community
in discussions about all aspects of the police response to demonstrations,
including key issues such as use of force, less-lethal force options, and how
police make decisions in complex situations.”
“1B. Invite community members to observe and participate in
training courses and tabletop exercises on the police response to
demonstrations, and to provide input on policies.”
“1C. Train community leaders to be mediators and
co-responders.”
“1D. Maintain daily incident reports, and share them with
the public.”
“1E. Involve community representatives in after-action
reviews after demonstrations have concluded.”
RECOMMENDATION 2:
“Ensure that internal communications can flow promptly and clearly, up and down the policing chain of command.”
“2A. Begin by highlighting that police should see their role
as facilitating First Amendment rights, while ensuring public safety.”
“2B. Provide officers with clear guidelines for acceptable
and unacceptable responses to protest behavior.”
“2C. Reinforce key messages during daily briefings and other
recurring events.”
“2D. Ensure that officers on the ground are able to share
information to inform high level decision-making as protests unfold.”
RECOMMENDATION 3:
“Train officers and supervisors
adequately.”
“3A. Provide commanders with the necessary knowledge to
coordinate a proportionate, effective police response to mass demonstrations.”
“3B. Train officers in crowd management strategies that
facilitate peaceful protest.”
“3C. Train officers on how to handle demonstrations where
violent offenders are intermixed with peaceful demonstrators.”
“3D. Emphasize de-escalation.”
“3E. Write clear, specific policies on the use of
“less-lethal” tools, and provide training for officers, supervisors and
commanders on how to implement the policies.
RECOMMENDATION 4:
“Re-engineering the guidelines for use of less-lethal weapons.”
“4A. Establish clear guidelines for when various types of
less-lethal force are warranted or are prohibited, with details about their
capabilities and limitations.”
“4B. The National Institute of Justice, the research arm of
the U.S. Department of Justice, and academic experts should assist the policing
profession by conducting a wide range of new research on less-lethal tools. NIJ
and academics should aim to provide concrete information about the capabilities
and limitations of each tool, as well as recommendations about whether and how
each type of tool should be used in various circumstances.”
“4C. State in policy
who is authorized to make the decision to use each type of less-lethal force.”
“4E. Require the use of body-worn cameras when deploying
less-lethal force.”
“4F. Discuss the use of less-lethal tools with your community.”
RECOMMENDATION 5:
“Warn demonstrators before deploying
any less-lethal force, and provide clear instructions for the demonstrators’
response.”
“5A. Establish clear scripts ahead of time.”
“5B. Try to ensure that all warnings are audible to all demonstrators.”
“5C. Give demonstrators clear, reasonable instructions, and
provide adequate time to react.”
“5D. Play warnings in multiple languages.”
RECOMMENDATION 6:
“Minimize the use of mass arrests.”
“6A. Avoid the use of mass arrests whenever possible.”
“6B. Plan adequately for mass arrests in case they become
unavoidable.”
RECOMMENDATION 7:
“Prepare and activate mutual aid
agreements.”
“7A. Ensure that mutual aid agreements are specific and
clear.”
“7B. Have ongoing discussions with mutual aid agencies about
response protocols.”
“7C. Conduct tabletop exercises or other training with
mutual aid partners.”
RECOMMENDATION 8:
“Prioritize officer safety, health,
and wellness.”
“8A. Don’t neglect the basics, such as providing officers
with access to food and water.”
“8B. Issue adequate personal protection equipment.”
“8C. Keep riot gear out of sight.”
“8D. Plan for adequate rest time and incorporate mental
health considerations into risk assessments before mass demonstrations.”
“8E. Teach officers techniques for protecting their own
emotional well-being.”
“8F. Provide access to wellness support programs after mass
demonstrations have concluded.”
RECOMMENDATION 9:
“Ensure ongoing, robust review of policing practices.”
“9A. Debrief notable events at the end of shifts.”
“9B. Conduct timely internal reviews of body-worn camera
footage, use-of force reports, and other materials to understand what went well
and what can be improved.”
“9C. Invite community representatives to discuss their
perspectives with police leaders after demonstrations have concluded.” [ii]
Final Reflections
In my cover story for The Chief of Police, Summer 2015,
titled Principles of American Policing, I stressed these first three of nine
principles to build bridges of trust between the police and community.
They are being noted here because of their complimentary
character with the PERF document:
1. Being pro-police and pro-community is inseparable, indefatigable, and preeminent. Police must at all times remain fully committed to protecting and serving the public through character, ethics, and leadership that is total and whole-hearted. Police must be guided by a moral compass that honors the community, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
2. Respect must be the heart of
the police and it must be unwavering for the profession, colleagues, and
community. Respect can only be earned through integrity, accountability, and
transparency. These qualities build trust, legitimacy, and collaboration.
3. Police deserve that every
level of government provide the resources necessary for proper police staffing,
training, and community service.
Law enforcement will rise to the occasion with the moral
courage to find the way to continually enhance their profession during these
challenging times.
Our police deserve an iron-clad collaboration from all
privileged to call America home.
We must continually work together to find new ways to build
bridges of trust to better safeguard our communities, as failure is not an
option.
About the Author
For twenty years, Vincent has served as a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer. He is also a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor.
Resources:
www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove
Photos:
1. The Chief of Police, cover story, Spring 2022, Volume XL.
2. Killing of George Floyd protest, Pittsburg, PA, May 30, 2020. (Universal Public Domain Dedication)
3. George Floyd Killing protest, June 1, 2020, Philadelphia, PA (Creative Commons Public Domain)
4. George Floyd protest, June 2, 2020, Philadelphia, PA. (Creative Commons Public Domain)
5. Black Lives Matter protest, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC, June 9, 2020. (Creative Commons Public Domain)
6. Captain Zsakhiem James of the Camden County PD joining a group of Camden residents who came together to honor George Floyd, circa 2020. (Credit Camden County PD, NJ)
7. Vincent J. Bove Newest Book Reawakening America, with photos from PHAMA, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017, presentation America's Drug Crisis: Issues and Response. (Courtesy Reawakening America LLC, Photo by Lily Bove)
[ii] Rethinking the Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: 9 Recommendations (PERF), pgs. 19-50.
Labels: Civil Rights, Collaborative Policing, Community Policing, Criminal Justice, Emergency Preparedness, Law Enforcement, Leadership, Policing
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