DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS MANUAL (Rev'd 1/2006)

The complete DPD Operations Manual can be located at www.denver.gov,
or by clicking here. These are the provisions regarding Crowd Management.
This document contains common terms and strategies used by the Denver Police.

108.08 Crowd Management Policy

(1) Policy

a. The Denver Police Department policy regarding crowd management is to apply the appropriate
level of direction and control to protect life and property, maintain public peace and order and
to uphold constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.

(2) General Principles

a. The Denver Police Department will seek to improve its ability to manage crowd control events
through study of its past experiences and evaluation of incidents occurring in other
jurisdictions. Training in crowd management is crucial and shall be an ongoing process. The
department's philosophy is to fine-tune procedures and training in order to improve preparation
for and response to future events. Consistent with this philosophy a manual will be developed
to address various scenarios that may arise in crowd control situations, as well as options for
dealing with them.

b. Though no single method of dealing with crowds can be universally effective, the principle of
establishing contact and communication with the crowd will be embraced by the Denver Police
Department.

When dealing with planned events, frequent meetings with sponsors and group leaders are
encouraged. In unplanned events, when possible uniformed officers will attempt contact with
the group. Despite this philosophy, it is understood that some situations are not conducive to
conciliation, and immediate control procedures must be employed. Incident Commanders have
the responsibility and discretion to evaluate a situation and act accordingly.

c. Police personnel must maintain professional demeanor, despite unlawful or anti-social behavior
on the part of crowd members. Unprofessional police behavior can inflame a tense situation
and make control efforts more difficult and dangerous. Strong supervision and command are
essential to maintaining unified, measured and effective police response. A team work-based
response with strong leadership is key to maintaining control and safety. Impulsive actions by
involved officers are to be avoided.

d. Identification of areas where the crowd is to be located should be done as soon as possible.
Rather than trying to move a large crowd, it is better to place them in the proper location from
the start of an event. When possible, police officers should be at their posts well in advance of
arriving citizens.

e. Lines of control should be established, especially in events that involve protestors. Whenever
possible, hostile factions should be separated.

f. Considering the type of crowd involved is an important factor in responding properly to its
behavior. Crowds may vary from cooperative or celebratory, to non-compliant and hostile or
combative.

(3) Definitions

a. Command Post:

An area designated for the overall control and management of a particular event or incident.
Generally it should be within a short distance of the incident, but not within view of crowd
participants, or so close as to be adversely affected by the event. Senior ranking officers shall
be stationed at the command post. When possible, the Incident Commander will manage an
incident from the command post, but is not precluded from responding to the scene to observe
the event.

b. Crowd Management:

Techniques used to manage lawful public assemblies before and during the event for the
purpose of maintaining their lawful status. This can be accomplished in part through
coordination with event planners and group leaders, permit monitoring, and past event
critiques.

c. Crowd Control:

Techniques used to address unlawful public assemblies, including a display of formidable
numbers of police officers, crowd containment, dispersal tactics, (Field Force and Mobile Field
Force), and arrest procedures, (isolated events or mass arrests).

d. Incident Commander:

The ranking officer at the scene or en route is responsible to take command of the incident.
The Incident Commander (IC) retains overall control of the scene until an announcement over
the police radio that a higher-ranking officer is assuming command. Any officer who assumes
command must be either present, at the command post, or en route. Personnel responding
from other districts, bureaus and units are under the direction and control of the Incident
Commander.

e. Inner Perimeter:

A line of control established to contain a crowd or special event to facilitate order maintenance,
crowd control and public safety.

f. Outer Perimeter:

The area surrounding the inner perimeter that provides pedestrian and vehicular traffic ingress,
egress and parking.

g. Planned Event Coordinator:

A police officer generally of supervisory or command rank designated to plan and coordinate
crowd management tasks for a given event. This officer may also serve as an advisor or
commander.

h. Spontaneous Event or Incident:

An unplanned or unforeseen event or incident that may create a risk to public safety, peace
and order, or damage to property. Such incidents may include but are not limited to crowd
disorders, incidents at schools, transportation accidents, bombings, explosions, disasters,
major fires, labor disputes, celebratory crowds and organized protests.

i. Scheduled Event:

An activity involving large numbers of people that requires a permit or is planned and
publicized beforehand. Such occurrences may include but are not limited to parades, concerts,
religious gatherings, parties, community activities, sporting events, and demonstrations.

j. Staging Area:

A site selected for the staging of police and emergency personnel. Generally, it should be a
short distance from the incident, but ideally not within view of the crowd or event participants. It
should allow sufficient space for cars, equipment, personnel, and security.

(4) Responsibilities of Planned Event Coordinator

a. Gather and analyze information about future crowd events, including review of information from
both internal and external sources.

b. Coordinate with the city permit department and various police department sections, including
divisions, districts, bureaus, and special units to prepare for a planned special event.

c. Meet in advance with event sponsors and group leaders to exchange information and to
present the police department's philosophy and intent. Details of the department plan and
preparation shall not be disclosed except when necessary to ensure success of the operation.

d. Coordinate affected divisions, districts, bureaus, and special units to prepare an operational
plan for a given event that details assignments, traffic and crowd flow, communications, tactics
and training.

e. Ensure that appropriate equipment is available.

f. Provide periodic updates to middle and/or senior command staff regarding the status of an
upcoming crowd event.

g. If present at the scene of a crowd event, evaluate the potential for violence and/or unlawful
behavior.

h. Gather post-event information from the affected department divisions, districts, units, and
bureaus. Prepare a written critique of the police department's preparation and performance in
a given crowd event, including a breakdown of expenses. Present findings and
recommendations regarding policies, procedures, training and expenses.

i. Maintain records of the police department's response to crowd events with the intent to revise
and fine-tune policies, procedures and training. When appropriate, arrange for the use of
videotape equipment to record crowd behavior and police response.

j. Provide or recommend and arrange training as needed to various sections of the police
department.

(5) Responsibilities of Incident Commander

a. The senior ranking officer in the district shall respond to the scene of spontaneous events when
practical, and take command of the incident. This person will be the Incident Commander (IC)
until relieved by a higher-ranking officer. The IC shall declare over the police radio that he or
she is in command. When practical, a command post shall be established as soon as possible.

b. The IC of planned events shall be responsible for the overall coordination of the event, as well
as crowd control.

c. The IC and supervisors shall make every effort to ensure that the police response does not
exacerbate the situation. The police response will be commensurate with the overall threat if
any, to public safety, order maintenance, life and property. The least police intervention
needed to address a particular incident shall be deemed most appropriate. This does not
preclude police officers from taking appropriate action to direct crowd and vehicular movement,
enforce ordinances and statutes and employ the physical force necessary to maintain the
safety of the public and emergency personnel.

d. An immediate assessment of the situation is essential for effective police response. The
Incident Commander must ascertain the following information at the earliest possible time.

1. The location and type of event

2. Are a large number of the crowd participants behaving unlawfully?

3. Are there a limited number of specific individuals engaged in unlawful conduct?

4. Is there a likelihood that the unlawful behavior will spread to other crowd participants?

5. Immediate threats to the safety of the public and/or police officers

6. The structure or vehicle(s) involved

7. The size of the involved area

8. The number of additional officers and police resources needed as well as requirements
for specialized units (Traffic, Metro/SWAT, Gang Bureau, etc.)

9. The manner of response (Code 9 or 10)

10. Location for a Staging Area

11. Location for a Command Post

12. Location for a media staging area controlled by a P.I.O. or designee.

13. Ingress and egress routes

14. Additional resources needed (paramedic, fire department, barricades, sheriff's buses,
command post van, etc.)

e. Purported First Amendment activities will be evaluated by the Incident Commander, to
determine lawfulness of the actions by groups and individuals. Specifically, actions and
speech protected by the First Amendment include such things as rallies, marches, parades,
and leafleting. Actions or behavior which involve trespassing, destruction of property,
disruption of transportation, unlawful use of amplification devices, assaults and disturbances of
the peace are not protected by the First Amendment. When appropriate, the City Attorney’s
Office may be contacted concerning First Amendment issues.

(6) Police Response

a. Spontaneous Events or Incidents:

1. Rescue: The rescue of endangered innocent citizens or officers is a priority. The
Incident Commander and/or supervisors must take necessary steps to effect the
rescue of trapped or endangered officers and citizens. Once accomplished, police
personnel may be directed out of the immediate area if their numbers are insufficient to
maintain control of a given crowd. Effective police action will be taken as soon as
adequate resources are available.

2. Isolation: A perimeter to contain the incident shall be established as soon as possible.
The Incident Commander and supervisors will ensure that responding officers have
clear ingress and egress. Clear instructions will be given via police radio to responding
personnel. Depending on the circumstances, both inner and outer perimeters may be
established.

a. Officers posted on perimeters must be given clear instructions regarding:

1. The movement of vehicles and pedestrians
2. Whether persons will be allowed to leave the secured area via a
designated route or method
3. How and where individuals or groups are to be evacuated

b. Ensure that sufficient resources (personnel, barricades, crime scene tape, etc.)
are on hand to maintain the integrity of a perimeter. Do not initially establish a
perimeter so large that it cannot be secured. As additional resources become
available, the perimeter may be expanded.

3. Communication with participants: In some crowd situations, contact with formal or
informal leaders can be established, either in person or by amplification. Police
personnel shall not penetrate an obviously hostile crowd solely for the purpose of
communication. When possible, clear instructions shall be communicated to the
crowd. Unless there is an immediate risk to public safety, or significant property
damage is occurring, sufficient time will be allowed for a crowd to comply with police
commands before action is taken. The Incident Commander and supervisors are
responsible to ensure that all orders given to a crowd are consistent, lawful, and
appropriate for the circumstances. Lower ranking officers may also issue individual
orders, consistent with the orders of the Incident Commander, to ensure the immediate
protection of themselves, others, or property.

4. Intelligence: Observation posts may be established at the discretion of the Incident
Commander and supervisors. In addition, plainclothes officers may be used to assess
the overall behavior and disposition of a crowd.

5. Control/Enforcement Actions: The Incident Commander shall make the final
decision as to what control action, if any, will be taken to address a given crowd
situation. The police response will be appropriate for the degree of violence, disorder,
criminal conduct, and perceived threat to public safety, order maintenance, life, and
property. Crowd size and available department resources will also factor into the
police response. Uncoordinated actions or actions by individual officers shall be
avoided. The below listed factors will be considered prior to determining a course of
action.

b. Will police action likely improve the situation?

c. Will targeting specific violent or disruptive individuals for arrest be more effective or appropriate
than applying control tactics to the entire crowd?

d. Are sufficient resources available to effectively manage the incident (personnel, tear gas, scout
cars, etc.)?

e. Have clear and secure escape routes been established for both the crowd and the police?

f. Has communication been established with the crowd (loudspeaker, personal contact, etc.)?

g. Have backup plans been considered in the event initial police efforts are ineffective?

h. What less-lethal crowd dispersal options consistent with the Use of Force policy are available?

(7) Scheduled Special Event or a planned special event involving potentially large crowds, the police
department will:

a. Planning: Upon notification, develop an action plan at the earliest possible time. The police
department's plan shall include input and participation from all affected districts, bureaus, and
units. This plan will be a written document approved by the Division Chief of the affected
division. Coordination of efforts is essential. A written event plan shall be completed and
distributed to the affected districts, bureaus, units, and outside agencies well in advance of the
event. The following factors will be considered and addressed by personnel developing the
action plan for a large crowd event. Information gathering is essential.

b. What type of event is to occur? Parade, concert, sporting event, community gathering, protest,
etc.?

c. Identity of the organizers. What is their past record of conduct (peaceful, violent, cooperative,
etc.)?

d. Will outsiders visibly and/or physically oppose the planned event?

e. Will the event involve the use or abuse of alcohol or other substances

f. Where is the event to occur? Consider the size, location, ingress, and egress points.

g. What is the optimal site for a command post as well as a staging area should personnel be
needed to quell a disturbance or control the crowd.

h. Have the appropriate permits been issued?

i. Have other agencies, bureaus and divisions been notified and included in the planning process
(paramedics, fire department, communications bureau, etc.)?

j. Will the EOC be needed?

k. Will off-duty personnel be involved? Has the commander of off-duty personnel been made part
of the planning process?

l. Is it possible and appropriate to coordinate with group organizers and explain the police
department's mission, preparation and potential responses? Information considered sensitive
or confidential shall not be released to group organizers if it will jeopardize the safety or
effectiveness of police personnel.

m. Have the proper number of personnel been scheduled to safely handle the event? Should a
reserve force be available?

n. Has an enforcement policy been formulated and communicated to affected personnel?

o. Training: When practical and appropriate, personnel preparing for a large event with the
potential for violence shall be retrained, to include physically practicing various aspects of
crowd management. Topics may include but are not limited to Field Force, Mobile Field Force,
mass arrest procedures, functioning in a tear gas environment, use of non-lethal weapons,
applicable ordinances and statutes, protected speech, etc. Drills may be scheduled to
measure the effectiveness of assigned personnel. The results will assist in structuring or
revising future training.

p. Briefing Report: A written briefing document will be prepared, detailing the objectives of the
operation, radio talk-groups, IC and CP telephone numbers, etc. Personnel shall be briefed on
their particular assignments before deployment. Instructions shall be communicated to all
officers so that confusion is minimized. Information shall be shared with police personnel as far
as possible. Specific instructions covering topics such as applicable laws, community
concerns, appropriate enforcement actions, chain of command, tactics, traffic patterns, etc.,
shall be clearly presented to officers. The duties and responsibilities of personnel staffing the
command post or OEM shall be defined and communicated. Duplication of efforts and the
resulting confusion are to be avoided. Personnel shall be given the necessary authority to
carry out their respective missions. Conflicting orders and violations of established lines of
authority are to be avoided.

q. Deployment: Personnel shall be deployed to their posts or staging areas with sufficient time
before the start of the scheduled event. Supervisors shall ensure that their personnel are
punctual and properly equipped. Equipment considerations may include portable radios,
batons, mace, helmets, face shields, etc. Supervisors shall also ensure that their personnel
are relieved at appropriate intervals.

r. Communication: Sufficient radio talk groups will be dedicated to the event. The
Communications Bureau must be included in the planning process, and a determination will be
made as to whether a dispatcher will manage or monitor.

s. Talk Groups: Commanders and supervisors shall ensure beforehand that all radios are
equipped with the necessary talk groups. Assisting agencies with a need to communicate on
Denver Police channels may be issued radios on an as-needed basis.

t. Scenario Options: Personnel creating a plan to address a large crowd event should anticipate
a variety of scenarios and devise a police response for each. Such scenarios and responses
should be made part of the final plan and communicated to the affected personnel.
Consideration should be given to potential worst-case situations.

u. Response to outbreaks of violence or disorder: The same considerations listed in the
spontaneous event section shall apply to outbreaks of violence and disorder at scheduled
events. The overall Incident Commander shall have the final decision as to what level of police
intervention is employed to address a large scale outbreak of violence or disorder.
This shall not preclude actions consistent with orders of the Incident Commander taken by
individual commanders, supervisors, and officers to defend themselves or others from
imminent harm.

(8) Crowd Control Methods

a. Preferred Response: The preferred police response is one of management rather than
control. Nevertheless, control plans should be in place with the option of immediate application
if the need arises.

b. Tactics: The following tactics are authorized to address crowd control situations. The general
order of application is fluid (escalation and de-escalation) and will change based on the control
required, consistent with the department policy of using the minimal police intervention needed
to address a crowd management issue.
1. Isolation of the crowd
2. Display of police officers (forceful presence)
3. Order for crowd to disperse
4. Selective arrests
5. Multiple arrests
6. Dispersal (Field Force, Mobile Field Force), tear gas, less-lethal weapons

c. Delineation: Lines of demarcation between authorized and unauthorized civilian areas should
be established.

d. Isolation of the crowd: To the degree possible, inner and outer perimeters will be established
to isolate the crowd from other geographic areas, persons and vehicle traffic.

e. Assignments: Generally, officers should be assigned to squads of sufficient size to be
effective. At larger events, the crowd can be divided into quadrants with a commander in
charge of each one.

f. Display of Police Officers: Once this tactic is selected, officers should be assembled in
formation at a location outside the view of the crowd. The formation may be moved as a unit to
an area within the crowd's view.
1. This tactic should not be used unless there are sufficient personnel to follow through
with dispersal. Do not bluff a crowd.
2. If a display of police officers combined with a dispersal order is not effective, more
forceful actions may be employed.

g. Orders to Disperse: A loudspeaker or public address system should always be used to
increase the likelihood that all crowd members can hear police commands. It is recognized
that some crowds are so noisy that loudspeakers may be ineffective. When confronting an
unlawful or dangerous crowd, orders to disperse should be made. An order to disperse should
not be made unless supported by an applicable municipal ordinance or state statute. The
order should be publicly announced as follows:

"I am (name and rank) of the Denver Police Department. All persons assembled are in
violation of (City ordinance or state statute - stated in general terms). In the name of the
people of the City and County of Denver, I command all of you to disperse. Failure to disperse
will subject each of you to arrest and prosecution. The time is ..." (Message does not have to
be verbatim)

Establishing points of ingress and egress are essential for the safe and efficient dispersal of
crowds. Once dispersal begins, the IC and supervisors must ensure, if at all possible, that
clear instructions are given to crowd participants regarding their movements. It is recognized
that some crowds may be so violent or uncooperative that clear communication as well as
points of egress cannot be established.

h. Arrests:
1. When the only violation present is unlawful assembly, the crowd should be given an
opportunity to disperse rather than face arrest. The IC should make an effort to
communicate with crowd leaders to explain the violation(s) being committed. If the
unlawful behavior is corrected and the Incident Commander is satisfied that there is no
longer a threat to public safety, no further action may be necessary.
2. When arrests are necessary, the IC shall ensure that sufficient numbers of police
officers are on hand to effect individual or multiple arrests. This tactic can be effective
in dispersing the remaining crowd members. Incident Commanders must use
discretion in committing arrest teams to penetrate hostile crowds. The safety of police
personnel must be considered.

i. Dispersal: The following physical tactics can be employed individually or in combination, to
disperse a crowd. The order of application is fluid, (escalation and de-escalation), and will
change based on the control required, consistent with the department policy of using the
minimal police intervention needed to address a crowd management issue.

A staging area must be established and officers must function as a team under the control of
the Incident Commander. The mission is to disperse the crowd as safely as possible.
Dispersal tactics may include:
1. Skirmish line (Field Force)
2. Deployment of tear gas
3. Deployment of less-lethal (pepper ball, bean bag, M-26 Taser, etc.)
4. Mobile Field Force

(9) Reporting
The Incident Commander shall ensure that an After Action report is completed for either a planned or
spontaneous event, in addition to any other required reports, (Use of Force, Employee Injury, etc.).
The Incident Commander shall also ensure that superiors are notified of the incident in a timely
manner. The severity and swiftness of the event may dictate when this can be accomplished.

(10) The Denver Police Department’s Crowd Control Manual can be found attached to Department Directive
04-05 for further tactics and strategies.