3.535 Protests Peaceful Demonstrations Civl Disobedience And Riots Flashcards
What is the policy of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department regarding protests?
To protect people, their property, and rights while providing public safety and service
The policy emphasizes the protection of First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble.
What types of protests are defined under this policy?
- Peaceful Demonstration
- Civil Disobedience
- Riot
These forms vary in degrees of action or disruption.
What is an anticipated event in the context of protests?
An activity involving large numbers of people that requires a permit or is planned and publicized beforehand
Examples include parades, marches, and rallies.
Define an unplanned or spontaneous event.
An unanticipated or unannounced public gathering where the department did not receive prior notice
This may require immediate police response without pre-planning.
What is a buffer zone in protest management?
A safety zone maintained by officers which creates distance and space between opposing groups
What are crowd management techniques?
Techniques used to address crowds, including:
* Communication with event organizers
* Display of police officers
* Containment
* Travel lane closures
* Buffer zones
* Mobile field force tactics
* Dispersal tactics
* Arrest procedures
What is a dispersal order?
A verbal announcement given to the crowd to inform them of the law they are violating and the consequences of such violation
What is field force extrication (FFE)?
The process of safely removing protesters from protester devices intentionally used to obstruct the law
What is the role of the Homeland Security Saturation Team (HSST)?
A team of officers who are a primary departmental asset to rapidly respond to a protest
What does the LVMPD emphasize in its response to protests?
The concept of de-escalation, aiming to slow down and stabilize any conflict as safely as possible
What is the Incident Command Structure (ICS)?
A standard tool for command, control, response coordination, and overall management of complex incidents
What responsibilities do department supervisors have during protests?
- Attempt communication with protest organizers
- Communicate with professional media and legal observers
- Maintain a fair and professional attitude
- Ensure body worn cameras (BWC) are utilized
What should officers avoid during protests to maintain impartiality?
Fraternizing with parties involved in the protest and accepting food or gratuities
What factors should be assessed during an unplanned or spontaneous event?
- Location
- Number of participants
- Apparent purpose of the event
- Identity of event organizers
- Initial indicators of unlawful activity
- Presence of counter-protesters
When declaring an assembly unlawful, how many orders to disperse must be given?
At least three times unless there is an immediate risk to public safety or significant property damage
If immediate physical harm is present, no order is required.
What is the primary role of police in peaceful demonstrations?
To assist in the safe movement of the crowd
What is the purpose of clear instructions communicated to a crowd?
To seek voluntary compliance for adherence to relevant public safety concerns
Fill in the blank: A protester device is a device that _______.
physically or mechanically connects a person or animal to a stationary object in violation of the law
What must happen if there is an immediate threat of physical harm or death to a person during a protest?
No order to disperse must be provided.
When is only one order to disperse required?
When there is an immediate threat of harm to property.
Who is responsible for determining the order to disperse?
The Incident Commander (IC) upon consultation with the on-scene lieutenant.
Isolated, nonviolent unlawful activity by individuals should _______.
not automatically form the basis to declare an assembly unlawful.
What is the required public announcement for dispersal?
This is the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. You are committing the unlawful act of (describe unlawful action). This gathering has been declared an unlawful assembly per Nevada Revised Statute 203.020.
What should be included in the dispersal announcement?
You may disperse by (give most convenient routes of dispersal).
What must happen if protesters fail to disperse after the order?
They will be subject to police action, which may include the use of force and/or tear gas.
What is the role of professional members of the media during a protest?
They have a constitutional right to report on a newsworthy event, provided they are not interfering with police operations or violating a law.
What is preferred when enforcement action is warranted during protests?
Selective arrests over mass arrests.
What must supervisors consider when making an arrest during a protest?
Timing, location, and method of the arrest and resources available.
What should be documented when making an arrest?
P#, location, and time of arrest communicated to any unit assisting in the booking process.
What must be ensured for each arrestee?
Individualized probable cause for the arrest and the elements of a crime must be clearly articulated.
What should be evaluated as options for some misdemeanor offenses?
Citations and Class II citations.
When should the arresting officer generate a separate event number?
For felony arrests or other unusual reporting circumstances.
What does LVMPD’s Use of Force policy dictate during protests?
It does not change during periods of protest.
What is the purpose of using aerosol irritants during protests?
To stop or disrupt unlawful activities and to reduce or eliminate physical confrontations.
When can aerosol irritants be used?
When individuals pose a threat of harm after orders to disperse have been given.
What must officers assess regarding aerosol irritants?
The effect that high-capacity OC spray has on subjects in the vicinity.
What must not be targeted with kinetic energy projectiles?
The head, pelvis, spine, or any other vital area of the body unless there is an immediate threat.
What should officers do if demonstrators use devices that physically connect them to objects?
Use de-escalation efforts as alternatives to extrication.
What is the responsibility of the IC regarding locked protesters?
Request HSST to respond and issue a dispersal order if necessary.
What must Dispatch do when locked protesters are present?
Notify the on-call HSST to respond and provide a dedicated radio channel.
What should officers confirm regarding locked protesters?
That protesters are locked in devices.
What happens if locked protesters refuse to release themselves?
They will be advised they are under arrest and given an additional chance to comply.
What should the Homeland Security Saturation Team do upon arrival?
Make contact with the IC and direct tactics for the safe extrication of locked protesters.
It is neither the intention nor the desire of the department to ____________________________.
suppress or restrain lawful activity
Under federal, state, and local law, governments are allowed to place reasonable time,________, and manner restrictions on the freedom of speech.
place
Reasonable restrictions may be applied only as necessary to maintain ___________________ and to facilitate uninhibited commerce and freedom of movement.
public safety and order
Protests can be _________________and liable to rapidly change.
unpredictable
An unanticipated or unannounced public gathering where the department did not receive prior notice or have time to preplan a response to address public safety concerns.
unplanned or spontaneous event
A large element of police officers specially organized to implement and apply crowd management techniques during protests through presence, maneuver, and enforcement
mobile field force
Techniques used to address crowds, including communication with event organizers, a display of police officers, containment, travel lane closures, buffer zones, mobile field force tactics, dispersal tactics, and arrest procedures.
crowd management
The affected Patrol Bureau and the ___________________ are responsible for acting as the liaison with LVMPD and event organizers who are planning a protest.
Office of Community Engagement (OCE) Captains
Patrol Bureau and OCE captains or designees will:
- Make every effort to contact the organizer(s) prior to a protest or an anticipated event to ascertain the particulars regarding the protest (e.g., permits, location, time, duration, scope, languages spoken and type of planned activities).
a. Communicate expectations and inform organizer(s) on
permissible and restricted actions during the event.
Provide a handout, outlining unlawful acts or other
public safety concerns. - Assist with the coordination of any planning meetings prior to the event between the group involved and the bureau(s) affected (e.g., Events Planning, Special Investigations, Public Information Office, Emergency Management, Detention Services Division).
a. Arrange for medical or fire department personnel to be
staged nearby when necessary - Research and assess information on past events.
- Forward information regarding the protest(s) to Fusion Watch and the Deployment Operation Center (DOC) if activated.
- Determine the appropriate response based upon the form or anticipated activities of protest (peaceful demonstration, civil disobedience, or potential riot) and complete an Incident Action Plan (IAP) with the assistance of the Events Planning Section and evaluate the need for larger distribution of the IAP with the intent to give other departmental resources notice. The IAP will outline the booking process for handling and care of arrestees. department members will utilize the protest IAP template maintained by the Events Planning Section
In addition to the conditions noted by the first-responding officer(s), the supervisor or IC will assess:
- Any evolving threat to public safety
- Protection and preservation of citizens’ civil rights
- Unlawful actions or violations of laws or ordinances, if any, of protesters
- Movement of vehicular traffic and pedestrian safety concerns
- Impact of protest on business and commerce
- Level of communication and cooperation with event organizers, legal observers, and professional members of the media
- Anticipated duration of the event
- Positioning of officers and crowd management tactics, including the need to designate units for overwatch
- Need for the authorization of police protective gear
- Need for additional units or resources (e.g., in-the-box squads, Traffic, Emergency Management, SWAT)
- Need for a scribe to record operational decisions and actions (including logging use of force by officers)
- Need to video record protest activities (either by BWCs or handheld recorder)
- Necessity for medical assistance to be staged nearby
- Environmental factors (e.g., weather and street conditions)
At minimum, ____________________will be made aware of the protest that requires continuous oversight. Dispatch will make appropriate notifications and requests for additional resources relayed by the IC. As circumstances warrant, the IC will provide periodic updates through the chain of command, relaying information to senior command staff regarding the event.
the area command captain
When confronting a dangerous crowd or a situation where public safety has been compromised, the department will declare it an unlawful assembly and attempt to provide orders to disperse ____________________.
at least three times
If there is an immediate threat of harm to property, then only __________order to disperse must be provided.
one
Isolated, nonviolent, unlawful activity by individuals _________ automatically form the basis to declare an assembly unlawful; those acts should be addressed independently.
should not
Once an order to disperse is announced, professional members of the media or legal observers _______ witness the event from a distance outside the area of the dispersal order that does not interfere with police operations.
must
The IC will:
- Coordinate and direct the process for the booking of an arrestee and their prisoner transport with DSD personnel to ensure it is completed in an efficient and timely manner.
- Assign additional officers to assist in the booking process if needed and verify all required documentation for arrests has been completed and collected.
- Request prisoner transport vehicles to assist if mass arrests occur.
In circumstances where SWAT uses multiple applications of force, SWAT _____________ create a new event number to report incidences against several subjects or a hostile crowd that have occurred within close proximity and time.
will
Whenever possible, aerosol irritants should be used __________and relatively ____________ to targeted subject(s).
upwind, close
When subjects refuse to release themselves from these protester devices,________________ will be advised they are under arrest and given an additional chance to comply ________ force is used to remove the devices.
each individual protester, before
IC will
- Establish ICS.
- Arrive at scene, determine if a criminal offense has occurred, and assess the need to have protesters immediately removed from the area.
a. Request the locked protesters to release themselves and
disperse. If they refuse, issue the dispersal order.
b. If protesters still refuse to release and disperse, request
the HSST through Dispatch. - Direct officers to create and maintain a buffer zone, ensuring inbound foot and vehicle traffic is diverted.
- Designate an arrest team to take custodial arrest and complete booking of protesters once released from their devices by HSST (consider notification to DSD if multiple arrests).
