Police forces differ in the methods of intervention used to maintain law and order in major events that endanger public order, like high risk soccer matches and certain public demonstrations. Traditionally, the emphasis on police performance and training is put on riot control tactics and use of nonlethal weapons, from batons and chemicals to water cannons and rubber bullets. Most studies generally fail to consider the perspective of the police and ignore the fact that the events of public order are intergroup processes and a consequence of interactions in development. In this paper, we present the results of some empirical research on the role of police in maintaining public order, which put into question the traditional perspectives of behavior of the masses.
public order; policing of football matches; riot control tactics; dynamics of crowds; crowd control