Riot control, crowd management training for policemen to deal with emergency situations

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 19

Realising the need for capacity building to deal with riots, the Punjab Police have started taking steps to prepare each cop on the lines of member of special contingents like Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

SHOs and beat officers have been advised to ensure that all police personnel under their jurisdiction were conversant with technical methods to control crowds and combat any aggressive move of protesters gathered on various pretexts.

Cops posted at various wings of the Mandi Ahmedgarh and Amargarh subdivisions are being given fundamental tips on handling crowds and controlling rioters without harming them and preventing injuries to members of uniformed force.

The Mandi Ahmedgarh DSP, Harvinder Singh Cheema, and the Amargarh DSP, Sandeep Vadhera, supervised the orientation sessions held at various places in Malerkotla district.

Line, V, roof and circle formations were among other strategies illustrated to participants to tackle situations on varied occasions of emergency nature.

The DSP, Harvider Cheema, said the SHO, City, Gurpreet Kaur, and the SHO, Sadar, Sikandar Singh, had been advised to ensure that cops working under their jurisdiction were equipped and well versed in crowd management and riot control techniques.

“Though we all are given intensive training in riot control and crowd management during various mandatory courses, mock drills are arranged to check preparedness of members of our force to avoid last minute embarrassment during emergencies,” said Cheema.

Cops were updated about the significance of straight line conformation to work as an obstruction to contain the movement of protesters and V conformation to prevent conflict between two groups. Roof conformation with policemen carrying shields and sticks was vital to defend a mob resorting to pelting the force with stones and circle conformation was cited as a technique to make arrests of the target group.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.