Crowd Control Techniques

Summary

During the 2020 Summer of Protest the Seattle Police Department (SPD) responded to the mostly peaceful crowd with violence. This reaction resulted in thousands of complaints to the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) against SPD. Many of these complaints were rooted in the crowd control techniques used by SPD, which included blast balls, flash bangs, kettling and tear gas. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. SPD has a history of abusing crowd control weapons. The ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of Black Lives Matter against SPD’s indiscriminate use of crowd control weapons.

SPD used a variety of questionable and egregious crowd control techniques during the summer protests:

  • Kettling involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who corral protesters within a limited area. This technique is used to prevent protesters from leaving the area so they can then be arrested, which can then escalate the situation to be unsafe for protesters, especially when used in conjunction with tear gas and other less lethal weapons. 

  • Blast balls are rubber coated hand grenades that when detonated generate a loud noise, bright light, and release a chemical irritant.

  • Tear gas is any group of substances that irritate the eyes, causing a stinging sensation and tears. It can also cause coughing and choking.

  • Flash bangs are explosive devices that emit a very loud bang and bright lights. Flash bangs can cause temporary disorientation, blindness, and shifts in hearing, typically lasting a few seconds.

Importance

In 2020 SPD showed the City they lacked judgment and discrimination when using less-lethal weapons and through inappropriate uses of force. Although SPD has adopted new crowd control policies in the interim, it has yet to be seen how these new policies will work when tested in real-world situations. The new Mayor will be instrumental in choosing a new Chief of Police, who will play a major role in shaping the future of SPD, as well as crowd control policies and tactics going forward.

 

Acronyms

OPA - Office of Police Accountability

SPD - Seattle Police Department