Use of Bikes for Crowd Control and Crowd
Management
by Don Hudson, Los Angeles Police
Department
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Tactical Team. That is probably the
last image that comes to mind when considering police on bikes. When most
people think of bicycle mounted police officers, they think Kiddie Cop, Community
Officer, D.A.R.E. Officer, and other outreach positions. When the bike was
integrated into police work, it was for all of the above reasons. The bike
allows the police officer to get closer to the community, something all police
departments need. The bike has helped police officers get closer to their
communities, which has helped make them more effective in crime prevention.
As described elsewhere in this issue in the article by Kathleen Vonk, bikes
can be used for more than just community policing. They are great for drug
enforcement, traffic enforcement, pedestrian violations, and surveillance.
But what about crowd management and crowd control? Several agencies around
the country have recently begun employing bikes for this purpose. Almost
every police department has responded to a large crowd gathering - a football
game, a demonstration, a national sports championship party, or a large group
of gang members disrupting a peaceful picnic in a park. The goal in any
pre-planned event involving a large gathering of people is to manage the
crowd, maintaining order and preventing small problems from growing into
large ones. At times, however, the crowd "forces its hand," and the police
department is forced to take a crowd control stance. Most departments across
the nation have teams - mobile field force, horse-mounted, metro officers,
etc. - trained to handle crowd management and crowd control.
Such events can be a challenge because it is often difficult to get a tactical
squad to the source of the would-be problem before it becomes a big problem.
Movement is difficult because of the number of people, and oftentimes the
streets are blocked. By the time a team is moved to the problem on foot,
sometimes from many blocks away, the members are exhausted from carrying
the huge amounts of necessary equipment.
Past events, such as the demonstrations in Seattle and Philadelphia and the
aftermath of several professional sporting events, have indicated that an
agency could have the best-trained tactical squads in the world at its
fingertips, but if they could not get to the source of the problem quickly
enough, they were useless.
In 2000, Los Angeles was host to a major, politically charged event. No-one
wanted to see things get out of control. With the concepts of Mobile Field
Force Operations in mind, the idea of a bicycle mobile field force squad
was born. After weeks of sitting at a drawing board working on bicycle movements
and tactics, contacting vendors for equipment, and getting approval from
the department, the new bike squad, known as the Bicycle Rapid Response Team
(BRRT) was ready for training.
The first thing that the team needed was a mission. It was decided that the
team would assist mobile field force units with crowd management and crowd
movement through blocking maneuvers and escort. In addition, it would be
trained in and carry the equipment to perform crowd control operations if
needed.
All members of BRRT were seasoned bike officers who had been through countless
hours of mobile field force type training; many of the team members were
also less lethal munitions qualified.
Training included riding in tight echelons, both with and without gas masks
and assorted tools; and using bike mounted officers as mobile crowd diversion
teams. Team members learned to secure the bikes by rapidly weaving them together
using a strong length of steel cable, carried by one of the officers on each
team, and posting a protection team in case it should become necessary to
leave the bikes behind and confront the crowd in a skirmish line on foot.
The team was first deployed during the 2000 Democratic National Convention.
As testament to the recognition of the rapid deployment capability and
maneuverability of bikes in crowded areas, the units were positioned where
demonstrations were most likely to take place. The team consisted of two
eighteen-officer squads working together as a platoon. Each squad was comprised
of the following:
10 officers on skirmish line
2 officers less lethal (bean bag shotgun)
2 officers less lethal (37mm)
1 supervisor
1 communication
2 equipment officers (lock-down)
The officers were outfitted with long-sleeved shirts, long pants, motorcycle
helmets with riot face shields, and back-mounted personal hydration systems.
They also carried other special equipment on their persons, such as portable
fire extinguishers and fire retardant solutions.
The police bicycles required few modifications. Heavy-duty downhill type
rims replaced the existing daily patrol rims; the tires used were Kevlar
belted with a liner and fitted with downhill tubes, to prevent flats caused
by tacks or finishing nails.
The BRRT was deployed throughout the Democratic National Convention to head
off protesters before they could disrupt traffic and business and engage
in violent acts. The team was successful even beyond the expectations of
the organizers. Once the supervisors became aware of the wide range of tasks
the bike officers could handle quickly and efficiently, they found it unnecessary
to call into action many of the tactical teams stationed inside and outside
the convention.
Following the convention, the BRRT received the following commendation from
the command staff:
The Bicycle Rapid Response Team (BRRT) training, developed by Bicycle
Coordination Unit (BCU) personnel, has paid off. More than 70 bicycle officers
from throughout the LAPD underwent rigorous mobile field force-type training
specifically designed for the bicycle patrol officer. The bicycle officers
called their skills into action numerous times during the week of the Democratic
National Convention (DNC), proving themselves to be a valuable asset and
a key force. With the ability to move quickly from assignment to assignment,
the BRRT provided the person-power by pedal-power to protect businesses,
community members, and protesters during the demonstrations. The command
staff, field officers, and rest of the Department are extremely proud of
the professional service these bicycle officers provided during this highly
publicized world event.
Since its debut at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, the Bicycle
Rapid Response Team has been called into action for many situations requiring
crowd management in downtown Los Angeles and continues to be met with success.
Please note that successful crowd management and control is best achieved
through a joint operation of many department entities, including metropolitan
divisions, mobile field force teams, motorcycle strike teams and mounted
units.
Although it may seem that this type of bike deployment is suitable only for
large departments in cities that are likely to face potentially troublesome
demonstrations, the concept is actually adaptable to a wide range of situations.
The principles of bicycle rapid response are applicable to most crowd management
situations, from demonstrations and parades to high school football games
and college parties, to politically-charged speaking events. The escort,
blocking, diversionary, and dispersal techniques utilized by the BRRT may
be scaled to fit departments and crowds of all sizes.
The training will be introduced at the national level during the 12th Annual
Conference of the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA),
May 4-8, 2002. It will be instructed by original and current members of the
Los Angeles Police Department Central Division Bicycle Rapid Response Team.
Officer Don Hudson is a 20-year veteran of the LAPD and has been on bike
patrol since 1993. He is the founder and lead instructor for the LAPD Bicycle
Rapid Response Team. He currently serves as the Vice President of the
International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA.) Comments and questions
may be directed to him at
ridemtbs@aol.com.
This article originally appeared in the April 2002 issue of Law and Order
magazine, www.lawandordermag.com.
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