CIVIL DISTURBANCES TRAINING

CROWD CONTROL FORMATIONS

B. LINE FORMATION ON BOTH FORMATIONS ALL EVEN NUMBERS TO THEC. WEDGE FORMATION RIGHT' ALL ODD NUMBERS TO THE LEFT,

D. ECHELON LEFT ON BOTH FORMATIONS THE NUMBERS WILL BE INE. ECHELON RIGHT NUMERICAL ORDER.

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'■ ’• u‘w' . SKIRMISHER LINE

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Diagram (right) shows deployment of officers in a squad skirmisher line. Designed to move people along open ground or along streets between buildings and for dispersal, as many additional squads as necessary may be added to this formation. That this formation is practical as well as useful may be seen (above) as officers move demonstrators without any violence in recent Los Angeles action.

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The wedge formation (right diagram) was originally designed to gain passage through a crowd but now it is used by some departments to enter a mob and extract agitators. It has several disadvantages. It is difficult to maintain, provides little opportunity to capture ringleaders and affords a minimum of maneuverability. Oakland police are shown (above) facing anti-draft demonstrators.

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DIAGONAL FORMATIONThe diagonal, or oblique, formation is used for the purpose of "peeling'’ demonstrators away from the side of a building and may be formed in any desired direction. Where the greatest possible strength is needed (along the wall), this formation tends to be the weakest. As with others, the diagonal may be augmented by additional personnel. As with formations shown on opposite page, the leader's hand signal indicates the for­

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To facilitate rapid ingress and egress from a doorway, the ‘L* formation is valuable and very practical. A distinct advantage over the diagonal is that this system, while not call­ing for an abnormal number of officers, concentrates its strength where it >s most needed.The L is particularly efficient against the type of demonstrations currently in vogue at draft-induction terminals, college administration buildings and the like.

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The inverted 'L' formation serves a dual pur­pose in that it not only gives more perma­nent access to a doorway or entrance to a building, but keeps a crowd contained against a wall and away from the area being protected. This formation also provides the greatest amount of strength in the desired area and tends to thoroughly discourage attempts by the demonstrators to reach target areas. This formation, again, may be supplemented in depth, where the occasion demands.

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