Crowd psychology, public order police training and the policing of football crowds
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to examine what theory of crowd psychology is being applied within public order police training in England and Wales and what accounts of crowds, police strategies and tactics subsequently emerge among officers who undertake this training.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a multi‐method approach including observations of public order training courses, interviews with students and instructors, and the dissemination of questionnaires.
Findings
The analysis suggests that a form of crowd theory associated with the work of Gustave Le Bon has become institutionalised within police training. This in turn is leading to a potentially counter‐productive reliance on the undifferentiated use of force when policing crowds.
Practical implications
The study illustrates that such training outcomes not only are counter to the recent developments in evidence, theory and policy but also undermine the police's ability to develop more efficient and effective approaches to policing crowds.
Originality/value
The study provides a systematic review of public order training which demonstrates how crowd theory is used as a rationale and justification for the use of tactics based on undifferentiated force. It makes suggestions for improving police training so that updates in policy and theory can be translated into operational practice.
Keywords
Citation
Hoggett, J. and Stott, C. (2010), "Crowd psychology, public order police training and the policing of football crowds", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 218-235. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511011044858
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited