Police Executive Research Forum
Prev MonthPrev Month Next MonthNext Month
Managing Demonstrations: New Strategies for Protecting Protesters and the Police
Thursday, April 15, 2021, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Category: Events

On Thursday, April 15, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (EDT), PERF will host a webinar examining the challenges police agencies face today with managing demonstrations and strategies for improving the police response in the future. 

Click here to register for this free online event: Managing Demonstrations: New Strategies for Protecting Protesters and the Police

 

Why We’re Holding this Webinar

Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, communities across the country and around the world experienced wide-scale protests over police use of force and calls for racial justice. While the majority of these demonstrations were peaceful, many turned violent, with looting, property damage and frequent attacks on police officers. How police agencies responded to these protests has been documented in numerous after-action reports, many of which highlighted issues related to planning, training, tactics and the deployment of less-lethal tools.

With the trial of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin under way, and the potential for new protests following a verdict, it is an important time to review the lessons learned from recent demonstrations and consider strategies for the future that can protect both protesters and police officers.

 

What the Webinar Will Cover

PERF is assembling a diverse group of police executives, human rights and community leaders, elected officials and researchers. Panelists will discuss various scenarios and how police agencies can manage these events more effectively. Audience questions will also be fielded.

Following are some of the issues we plan to address:

  • How can agencies better plan for these events (many of which are spontaneous)?
  • How should agency personnel be equipped and trained?
  • How can agencies distinguish between peaceful protesters and violent individuals who often use other demonstrators as cover?
  • What are the most effective tactics and tools for these evolving situations? What are some of the challenges and limitations police face with the use of less-lethal devices?
  • What are the community’s expectations around demonstrations, and what can police agencies do to help meet those expectations?

 

Additional Details

The webinar will be held on Zoom, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (EDT), on Thursday, April 15. You can register for the event by clicking here.

This webinar is part of PERF’s Critical Issues in Policing series, which is supported by the Motorola Solutions Foundation. PERF will assemble information collected from the webinar, as well as other research and analysis, to produce a Critical Issues report later this year.

If you have any questions about the webinar or information you think will be helpful to PERF as we study this issue, please contact Kevin Morison at [email protected].