NCJ Number
210481
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 30-32,34,36
Date Published
June 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses law enforcement crowd control management strategies and challenges.
Abstract
Crowd control management presents a complex set of problems to law enforcement officers responsible for keeping law and order within crowds of millions of people at rallies, sporting events, and concerts. The article begins by reviewing the terrible crime problems that were once commonplace in New York City during large events such as New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Crime has now diminished to near zero during New York events thanks to the implementation of a modified version of a Vatican City crowd control management strategy that divides the crowd into smaller units and creates safety lanes for police personnel to move about the crowd. Crowd control management failures and success in Boston are recalled and a textbox reports on a lawsuit brought by the NAACP against the city of Myrtle Beach, FL, for its crowd control management strategy implemented during Black Biker Week in the city. While good crowd control management policies and protocols are crucial to effectively managing a crowd, not all situations can be planned for and officers must be prepared to “strategically react” to unexpected events. In closing, departments are encouraged to share crowd control management techniques and strategies with other jurisdictions so that law enforcement officers may learn from one another. Exhibits