From Negotiated Management to Command and Control: How the New York Police Department Polices Protests

Beginning with the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999, American police have been confronted by numerous large demonstrations focusing mostly on international trade issues and the war in Iraq. In most instances, both demonstrators and police have avoided large-scale confrontations. In some demonstrations, however, high levels of police force have been used against both violent and passive crowds. As the number of these protests continues to rise, police departments need to make important decisions about the strategic orientation they bring to them. This article reviews the policing strategies employed by the New York Police Department (NYPD) over the last six years by focusing on their handling of a major anti-war rally in February of 2003. It will explain why the NYPD's tactics on 15 February were so different from the way other police departments around the world deal with their major protests. To do this, three case studies of large demonstrations held in New York City in the past six years are provided to show that there is a consistent set of practice in use based on the “broken windows” theory. This new style of protest policing can be called “command and control” because of its attempt to micro-manage demonstrations in an effort to prevent disorder and the disruption of everyday life.