New Haven, CT (Oct. 19, 2020) – Today the Center for Policing Equity (CPE) released the set of guidelines designed to help law enforcement align their policies with best practices around de-escalation and use of force in crowd management for events.
CPE developed the recommendations in response to the mass protests that swept across cities and towns nationwide this year, spurred by the tragic deaths of unarmed Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. The protests, which called for justice and advocated against police brutality, remained largely peaceful; however, some experienced vandalism, arson or violence, which only fanned the flames of tension and distrust between protestors and law enforcement.
“In sharing these recommendations, our goal is to protect the lives and safety of demonstrators, counter-demonstrators, and the public, all of which have been at risk this year,” said Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Co-founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity and a Professor of African American Studies and Psychology at Yale University. “We hope law enforcement agencies and all of us committed to public safety will use this research to successfully manage future gatherings so people can exercise their constitutional rights to assemble and raise their voices.”
CPE’s recommendations, laid out in 27 detailed steps, were developed with two foundational obligations of law enforcement in mind: an obligation to protect the First Amendment rights of demonstrators and counter-demonstrators, and an obligation to ensure the safety of all involved in or affected by these protests, including law enforcement, medical personnel and bystanders, by implementing safe, responsible approaches to crowd management.
These recommendations aim to help law enforcement officers prioritize de-escalation, ensure mass arrests are not used as a crowd management strategy, highlight officer accountability by displaying nameplates and badge numbers on uniforms, constrain use of force, and protect officers’ and public health.
The Guiding Principles for Crowd Management Policy are for law enforcement agencies, state and local officials, and community leaders.