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### Lessons from the Police Response to the Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri

On  September 3, 2014, the COPS Office released the *After-Action Assessment of the Police  Response to the August 2014 Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri*. The  After-Action Assessment focused on the 17-day period starting immediately after  the shooting of Michael Brown at 12:02 p.m. CDT on August 9, 2014, through  midnight on August 25, 2014, the day of his funeral.1 The COPS Office—with its technical assistance provider, Institute for Intergovernmental Research—led a  team of subject matter experts “to examine the police response to the mass  gatherings, identify significant findings about critical decisions and  practices, and develop lessons learned that law enforcement agencies nationwide  can use to help build trust, improve relationships, and protect civil rights in  the communities they serve.” 2 Specifically, the assessment team evaluated the St. Louis County Police  Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Ferguson Police  Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

     The 188-page report,  which includes an eight-page executive summary, provides background on issues  ranging from use of force to incident command and management to communications  and community engagement and provides the assessment team’s 48 identified findings  and 113 associated lessons learned. The report, especially  the lessons learned, is intended to be used as a guidebook for agencies across  the country on how to prepare for and respond to mass demonstrations. The  report provides a description on a topic, which is then followed by the  findings and lessons learned specific to that topic. Key findings are listed in  the executive summary, and below are some of the highlighted lessons learned  associated with those findings:
        - Law enforcement agencies should develop  comprehensive operational plans that include short-term response strategies  that directly support long-term operational goals (Lesson learned 2.2, page 39)
        - Law enforcement agencies should use the NIMS [National  Incident Management System] model for a critical incident, particularly when  there is a multiagency response. Agencies should not only adopt the NIMS  operating model and meet certification standards but also regularly train and  exercise with participating agencies (Lesson learned 4.1, page 39)
        - Police policy and procedures guiding the use of  canines should prohibit their use for crowd control (Lesson learned 7.1, page  51)
        - For the very limited circumstances when tear gas  is used, law enforcement must deploy tear gas only when people have a means of  safe egress and after appropriate warnings are clearly announced and sufficient  time is allowed for individuals to leave the area (Lesson learned 8.1, page 51)
        - Use of equipment or weaponry should be  restricted to limited situations that clearly justify their use. Policies and  procedures should clearly state the limited situations for their deployment (Lesson  learned 13.1, page 59)
        - While law enforcement must meet its duty to  protect people and property during mass demonstrations and protests, it can  never do so at the expense of upholding the Constitution and First  Amendment-protected rights (Lesson learned 18.2, page 64)
        - Law enforcement agencies must ensure operational  and tactical training is balanced with training that provides officers with  tools to evaluate and de-escalate law enforcement encounters prior to resorting  to use of force (Lesson learned 22.1, page 68)
        - The process of public policing should be open  and transparent. As such, policies of law enforcement agencies should be  publicly available and easily accessible except for those narrowly defined and  special orders whose disclosure may jeopardize sensitive police operations (Lesson  learned 25.1, page 72)
        - Law enforcement agencies must invest time to  establish trusted relationships with all segments of the communities they serve  to promote ongoing, effective communications that can be leveraged during  challenging times (Lesson learned 33.1, page 88)
        - Law enforcement should establish a practice to  release all information lawfully permitted as soon as possible and on a  continuing basis, unless there is a compelling investigatory or public safety  reason not to release the information. A “compelling reason” should be narrowly  defined and limited in scope (Lesson learned 37.1 [truncated], page 95)
        - Law enforcement agencies should have some  capacity to use social media during emergency situations. They should develop a  social media strategy along with policies and procedures that align with the  agency’s mission and culture. Critical response policies and procedures should  be included (Lesson learned 39.1, page 103)
        - Agencies and local governments should develop  technologically based preventive strategies as part of both policy and training  to ensure the security of all personnel records containing personally  identifiable information to prevent theft and to monitor attempts to access the  information (Lesson learned 41.3, page 107)
        - In times of prolonged and stressful duty, law  enforcement agencies should closely monitor officers’ emotional and physical  well-being and develop a resilience support program that includes peer support  (Lesson learned 43.1, page 112)
        - The response in Ferguson demonstrates the  importance of law enforcement agencies engaging in dedicated and proactive  efforts to understand the communities they serve and to foster strong trust  between officers and the community (Lesson learned 46.1, page 116)
        - Law enforcement agencies need to enhance police  legitimacy and procedural justice in every interaction officers have with the  public. By enhancing these principles, law enforcement can foster and maintain better  police-community relationships (Lesson learned 46.4, page 116)

Altogether, the lessons learned in the *After-Action Assessment of the Police  Response to the August 2014 Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri* represent important steps for law  enforcement agencies to evaluate in their own agencies. Moving forward,  Ferguson and subsequent demonstration and protests should be used as learning  moments to help prevent and respond to similar incidents.

In addition to this report,  there are other COPS Office resources that can be useful to an agency:
        - *Building Relationships of Trust Toolkit*
        - *Collaborative Reform Initiative: An  Assessment of the St. Louis County Police Department*
        - *Crisis Management Strategies: Fostering  Communication between the Public and Private Sectors*
        - *Final Report of the President’s Task Force  on 21st Century Policing*
        - *Identifying and Defining Policing Problems*
        - *Legitimacy in Policing*
        - *Planning and Managing Security for Major  Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement*
        - *Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement: An  Overview*
        - *Resource Guide for Enhancing Community  Relationships and Protecting Privacy and Constitutional Rights*
        - *Social Media and Tactical Considerations for  Law Enforcement*
        - *Strategic Communication Practices: A Toolkit  for Police Executives*
        - *Strengthening the Relationship between Law  Enforcement and Communities of Color: Developing an Agenda*

Nazmia E.A. Comrie     Editor-in-Chief and Senior Science AnalystThe COPS Office

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### References

1 Institute  for Intergovernmental Research, *After-Action Assessment of  the Police Response to the August 2014 Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri,* COPS Office Critical Response Initiative (Washington, DC: Office of Community  Oriented Policing Services, 2015). http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P317.

2Ibid

 

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