NCJ Number
125360
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 12,14-16
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police departments nationwide may be ill-prepared for civil disturbances that erupt quickly and are highly destructive in terms of both property and human lives.
Abstract
Police departments often find themselves without adequate training, equipment, and communications gear to handle a riot. This article describes such an event in Cedar Grove, Louisiana. The shooting of a black man by two white women in a drug-related incident was the impetus for the riot. The chief of police assessed the situation and determined that deadly force was not warranted. Likewise, calling in additional support troops to assist in suppressing the riot was not seen as desirable, especially since there was no place to which the crowd could be dispersed. The police themselves quickly became targets for the crowds. Police were removed from the immediate area to diffuse hostility and avoid life-threatening violence. As a result, the crowd made property, rather than people, its target. Considerable property damage was sustained, but personal injury was minimized. An 8-member committee was appointed after the event to analyze the department's handling of the riot and make suggestions for improvement.