Oakland Police Department Crowd Management/Crowd Control Policy

[The Straight Story]

Oakland Police Department Crowd Management/Crowd Control Policy

The purpose of this Training Bulletin is to set forth policy and procedures regarding crowd management and crowd control.

I. Policy

The Oakland Police Department crowd management and crowd control policy is to

• apply the appropriate level of direction and control to protect life, property, and vital facilities;
• maintain public peace and order; and
• uphold constitutional rights of free speech and assembly while relying on the minimum use of physical force and authority required to address a crowd management or crowd control issue.

II. Definitions

A. Crowd Management

Crowd management is defined as techniques used to manage lawful public assemblies before, during, and after an event for the purpose of maintaining the event’s lawful status. Crowd management can be accomplished in part through coordination with event planners and group leaders, permit monitoring, and past event critiques.

B. Crowd Control

Crowd control is defined as those techniques used to address unlawful public assemblies, including a display of formidable numbers of police officers, crowd containment, dispersal tactics, and arrest procedures.

C. First Amendment Activities

First Amendment activities include all forms of speech and expressive conduct used to convey ideas and/or information, express grievances, or otherwise communicate with others and include both verbal and non-verbal expression.

Common First Amendment activities include, but are not limited to, speeches, demonstrations, vigils, picketing, distribution of literature, displaying banners or signs, use of puppets to convey a message, street theater, and other artistic forms of expression. All these activities involve the freedom of speech, association, and assembly and the right to petition the government, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution (First Amendment) and the California Constitution (Article 1, Sections 2 & 3).

All persons have the right to march, demonstrate, protest, rally, or perform other activities protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the California Constitution. The government may impose reasonable restrictions on the time, place, or manner of protected speech, provided the restrictions are justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech, that they are narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest, and that they leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information.

D. Demonstration

Demonstration is used generically in this Training Bulletin to include a wide range of First Amendment activities which require, or which may require, police traffic control, crowd management, crowd control, crowd dispersal, or enforcement actions in a crowd situation.

As used in this Training Bulletin, the term, demonstration, means a public display of a group’s or individual’s feeling(s) toward a person(s), idea, cause, etc and includes, but is not limited to, marches, protests, student walk-outs, assemblies, and sit-ins. Such events and activities usually attract a crowd of persons including participants, onlookers, observers, media, and other persons who may disagree with the point of view of the activity.


---all 23 pages here:
http://publicintelligence.net/oakland-police-department-crowd-managementcrowd-control-policy/

[vets74]

1. Compare/contrast with U.S. Park Police in DC. Also, the Oakies get zip-zero realistic training.

Looks like bad/nonexistent police management. For example:

I. Policy

The Oakland Police Department crowd management and crowd control policy is to

• apply the appropriate level of direction and control to protect life, property, and vital
facilities;
• maintain public peace and order; and
• uphold constitutional rights of free speech and assembly while relying on the minimum
use of physical force and authority required to address a crowd management or
crowd control issue.

Improper grammar, sloppy thinking... not up to these top pros at crowd management:

U.S. Park Police

Mission

We, the United States Park Police, support and further the mission and goals of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service by providing quality law enforcement to safeguard lives, protect our national treasures and symbols of democracy, and preserve the natural and cultural resources entrusted to us.

Vision

We, the United States Park Police, strive to be the premier police organization within the Federal Government:

• Delivering professional full-service law enforcement to the National Park Service and neighboring communities, thus providing a safe haven for enjoyment of these areas without fear

• Serving people with respect and dignity

• Ensuring citizens are free to exercise safely their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly

• Providing all employees the opportunity to grow, receive recognition, and thrive with pride within our organization

Values

We, the members of the United States Park Police, believe that integrity, honor and service are the foundation of everything we do.

We insist on fairness and responsibility in all facets of our professional and personal conduct and demand the highest standards of ethical behavior. We are dedicated to protecting human life and to providing quality service to the public, the National Park Service, and the Department of the Interior. We meet community needs with sensitivity, professionalism, and we hold ourselves accountable to each other and to the citizens we serve.

http://www.nps.gov/uspp/mission.htm

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USPP in DC get training with workshops for all levels of crowd management. Of course, they are the best.

When was the last time USPP DC fired rubber bullets at a crowd ??? Well, the correct answer is a resounding "Never !"

Same for spraying MACE on non-violent fully-compliant First Amendment demonstrators. Never.

There's police professionals and there's paramilitary goons.

USPP, the best. Oakland and NYPD, not so much.