NCJ Number
189012
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2001 Pages: 91-95
Date Published
May 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes how Jasper County (Indiana) law enforcement agencies planned for the safety and security of persons and property during a planned Ku Klux Klan rally on the courthouse grounds.
Abstract
Law enforcement and county authorities were particularly concerned about protecting Klan members, since the Klan typically holds cities and counties liable for any damage or harm suffered by any of its members during a rally; this is a source of the Klan's income. The tactical plan not only involved law enforcement agencies throughout the county, but also 27 departments in northern Indiana. Included in the planning were mounted and canine units, counter-snipers, tactical teams, arrest teams, corrections search teams, traffic officers, riot control teams, bomb disposal teams, and a large number of officers. The units and teams were placed at strategic points. Prior to roping off the streets with crime scene tape, the city street department ran a street sweeper down any path the pro-Klan or anti-Klan pedestrians would walk, so as to ensure there were no stones or debris that demonstrators could pick up and throw. Two parameters were established: an outer perimeter two blocks on either side of the courthouse square and an inner perimeter on the clock surrounding the courthouse. No pedestrians were permitted on the streets or sidewalks around the square, with the exception of the two controlled viewing areas. All pedestrians were required to declare either pro-Klan or anti-Klan. No other so-called neutral observers or bystanders were permitted anywhere on the square. Traffic control points were established at intersections around the outer perimeter. This article provides details on how the police handled Klan arrival and transportation, the separation of the attendees, team deployment, and the management of the exiting of demonstrators after the rally ended.