Civil Unrest and Shared Biases

This Course is designed to create a better understanding of the Implicit and Explicit Biases often held by both: police and citizens.

BACKGROUND

Civil Unrest is not a new or recent occurring phenomenon. It’s also not an occurrence that always ends in violence or aggression. For the most part, protest are often peaceful, though some exhibit high emotions and strong verbiage, they are still nonviolent in nature. History also shows, that protestors are not always the aggressor. However, over the past three years, the worse side of protest has started to rear its ugly head, with Law Enforcement Officers seeming to be the focal point. When this occurs, Law Enforcement Officers are put in harms way. Generally speaking, nearly 99% of these officers had nothing to with the originating incident itself. Many leaders, and citizens are facing the inequitable balance of police intervention and those communities who are most affected by it. Today, the country is in one of the most divided times since the Civil Rights Moment. The entire nation is impacted by is appeared shootings of unarmed minorities. Though public opinion can often try and convict prior to due process, the reality is, the sentiment to automatically find the actor guilty paramount. Unfortunately, there is no remedy in sight. The cry for police reform is a simple, but misleading remedy. Simply put, police re form does not change a bad actor’s decision making, it simply changes policy and evokes training. The remedy to this phenomenal time is our current reality is a little more complex than that. We have to address the biases of not just law enforcement, but our citizenry as well. You can’t just address one part of the problem (out of fear and backlash) and not address an equal part of the problem. If we do it that way, we will create more bias and resentment. This course presents the opportunity for both, police and citizenry, understand the problem as a shared concern. We will address the causal factors of unrest, bias, deteriorated police-citizen relationships. We will also suggest potential remedies to addressing these concerns as we work together to make equitable solutions. 

Civil Unrest, Triggers, and Scope

Civil Unrest, according to Merriam Webster, is a situation where many people, in a country are angry and hold protest or act violently.

Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe unrest caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance can include a form of protest against major socio-political problems, but also can simply be an expression of antisocial values. (Babylon Free Dictionary,2016)

Civility (Civil) – Politeness, Courteous, Respect, Gracious, Consideration, and Good Mannered. 

Unrest –Discontent, Anxiousness, Turbulence, Strife, Conflict, Disturbance, and Disorder

Civil or Civility promotes a normal or usual state of being.  The assumption here is, that the majority of people follow the expected order-operating within the set of rules.

Unrest refers to adisruption in order or that it refers to civility turned upside down.

Civility returns as unrestis resolved or exhausted.

Triggering Violence – How peaceful protest can become violent; every peaceful protest, which turns violent, is usually precipitated by an event or set of events.  Examples include: use of lethal and non-lethal ammo, zealous force being used when arresting protestors, inciters within the crowd of protestors, and imposters (those who seek to disrupt the protest from the onset of protest).

Law Enforcement must be aware, that if they are perceived to be the cause of protest, their ability to bring about order is weakened. Even when an incident is justifiable, the ‘bad actors’ are far less concerned about the perpetrator’s role in the incident than they are concerned about getting at the police, destroying property, and destabilizing the right to peacefully protest by causing chaos.

Both citizens and law enforcement must be mindful of ‘the process interrupted.’ One of the goals, of bad actors, is to turn the protest towards their agenda.  When this occurs, looting, burnings, and injury (even death) follows. 

Why Does Civil Unrest Occur?

Civil Unrest is caused by significant events, that appear to be unjust, causing individuals to organize.

It also occurs for wrong reasons like when individuals who pose a threat to Law Enforcement, are seen as victims, even though their actions/behaviors warranted a significant response.

It also occurs for justifiable reasons, which usually involves an egregious assailant who has acted against an innocent individual or an individual that may have violated the law but poses no threat to the officer.

Stages of Unrest

1.    Public Awareness and Shared Loss.

2.    An idea to gather or the contagion of gathering

3.    A rally cry or organization towards direction and purpose.

4.    Gathering and growth of Unrest.

5.    Voice or Violence

6.    The peak of Unrest

7.    Climax and De-escalation

Understanding Unrest

• Who’s the Target of the Unrest- who or what caused the event? 

• How egregious was the cause- can you anticipate the behavior or actions based on what happened?  Whether you are law enforcement or a citizen, you should have an idea of what you are about to face.

• Is the remedy within sight- is this something that is temporary in nature or will this be an event that could linger and evolve?

• Is the unrest about voice or anger or both- some individuals simply protest to bring awareness to a cause, but some are more about vengeance or reparation, do you know the difference?

• Anticipating Distractors- you already know that protestors are individuals with similar concerns, but as much as they are alike, they are different.  You should be able to identify the potential threats. 

• Mental empathy-whether you agree with the concerns of the protestors or not, you should, at least, understand that their concerns are meaningful to them, and with that, passions unrecognized can evolve into anger and aggression.

• Limits of Response- as a responder, you are limited in what you can do or even say.  Unlike dealing with individuals on the street, protestors can incite other protestors; therefore your interaction with them could ignite a crowd in a way that doesn’t favor you.

• Law and Order are not just the responsibility of law enforcement, citizens do share in this concept and practice.  So, the responsibility for order is shared and expected. 

  Types of Protestors

  According to the FBI, there are 7 types of protestors (we’re adding an additional one):

• The Street Fighting Man: Impulsive- These short-tempered people are always spoiling for a fight and only need a fancied insult or slight provocation to excite them to violence or incite others to violence.  These individuals or groups can be the most dangerous to law enforcement, they are less afraid of the consequences of their actions because of the overwhelming nature of the crowd and the protest.

• The Punctual Henchman: Suggestible- These people get into he action early and are easily influenced to follow the lead of the more violent. Often times you will see these individuals on the fringes of violence, throwing a bottle or a sucker punch.  They tend to echo the worse of chants towards their target.

• The Give a Man a Mask and He’ll Tell you the Truth: Cautious- These individuals wait for the cloak of anonymity to give them the courage by hiding their identity.  These individuals do not want to be discovered though they are known by some of the participants of the protest.  The protection of the mask emboldens them and they are less reserved than they would be without the mask.

• The FOMO “Fear Of Missing Out:” Yielders- Those who don’t join the action until a large number of participants give the impression of universality. In other words, “Everyone is taking part in this, why shouldn't I?  These individuals are the ones who impact the growth of the crowd. At the moment where there is enough people, they join in and are followed by those like them.

• The Got Work in the Morning, so I can’t get Arrested: Supportive-People who don’t actively join the mob, but who enjoy the show and may even shout encouragement.  These individuals are neither in nor out of the protest. They are the ones who are watching the events unfold, and are often harmless.  However, these same individuals can get caught in the mayhem if the aggression overwhelms their‘ safe distance.’

• The Miranda: Resisters- People whose standards of judgments are not swayed by the emotional frenzy of the mob and remain level headed. They can disagree with the actions of the majority. The individuals participate in the protest because they support the purpose of the protest. However, they have their limits as to what occurs during the protest and are often disgusted by the violence and recklessness of other protesters.

• The Some Men Just want to Watch the World Burn: Psychopathic- These are individuals with a Pathological Personality Structure and are angry at the world and seek to use a riotous situation as a means of getting even with society. These individuals are the most dangerous of all protesters.  The risk here is: arson, destruction, injury, and death. 

• The Peaceful Protester. Nonviolent- These individuals are people who see the cause for protesting as a peaceful means of free speech, an opportunity to be heard.  Often times, and depending on the nature of the protest, these individuals represent the majority of most protest, but are often drowned out by the other groups who need to be more expressive with their intentions. 

   

  Understanding ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and Applying Intelligent Policing

  Though some of the BLM membership and surrogates appear to be educated, their approach is certainly not. They are tapping into the very root of ignorance and promoted violence.  At times, they are seeking a response, as opposed to a voice.  If Law Enforcement reacts to the taunting and aggression, with aggression, they win, and they grow.

  Though some believe, that many of the tactics of the BLM movement are staged, and some are paid-to-play tactics, BLM has become a political force to be reckoned with.  If this organization is continued to be seen as evokers of riots, and ‘haters’ toward law enforcement, there will be no remedy in sight.  Organizations, including BLM, can be a part of the solution. 

  If you desire peace, calm, and civility, then who are you going to create this balance with?  You have to get to a point, that black lives do matter, not more, and certainly not less.

  We are at a new juncture in this troublesome journey.  We competing tragedies (Covid-19), so we have to find a way to bridge the gap in resentment and conflict to create equitable solutions for both: citizens and police.

  The best way to deal with BLM is to stay the course and not break, don’t react.  See them for what they are, opportunistic individuals who have an agenda outside of what they represent.  (How much of the private donations have they afforded to those they protest for?)  Record your own video, don’t rely on the media, make sure your body cams, and more, is recording your interactions.  Have a plan, don’t simply say don’t react, have a plan, be strategic and forward-thinking to stay ahead of the game. 

  Advice on Dealing with BLM

  Ask the ruthless protester, what would you like for the police department to do?  This is pertaining to their rants in the officer’s faces.  They are looking for a reaction.  So, “How can I help you achieve your goal, or what do you want me to do?  They may say, “Leave!” The response is, you know I can’t do that.  Some theorists say, “If someone is yelling at you, you should lower your voice.” The silent treatment seems to be the norm, I think it works, but the duration is exhausting. 

  They may also say, “Stop killing Blacks!”  The response is very simple, “I haven’t been in that situation before, so I don’t quite understand what you want ME to do differently.” Some experts may say that’s too much dialogue, but if it’s true, it lets them know that they are barking up the wrong tree.  Sooner or later, the protesters must realize that the anger they portray is misguided and they are targeting someone who is there to protect them.

  Here’s the ugly truth – BLM doesn’t march or protest against Blacks killing Blacks. The reason for it is because there is no enemy here, not anyone worthy of blaming. Racism is a term reserved for White Americans, and the police departments, no matter how diverse they are, they are considered to be a part of White America.  This holds truth because the engagement between LEO’s and Black America has always been contentious.  No matter where you stand on the issue, African Americans have a higher incident rate when it comes to these interactions.

  Psychological Reasons Behind Protests and Revolutions

  Keep in mind that these points don't describe people who started protesting, to geta lost right back, but it describes those who joined them for different reasons: (according to M. Farouk Radwan)

  1)To find an identity: Some people never believed they are worthy. They did their best to find anything to be good at but they failed then all of a sudden they found a golden opportunity to feel worthy.

• Those people go to protests in order to build the identity they were always searching for and to feel worthy. What can make a person feel more worthy than changing the fate of his country?

• Of course if you asked any of those people about the reason that made them protest they will reply saying that saving the country was their ultimate goal (see also Psychological identity problems)

  2)Peer pressure & Pleasing others: In the Solid Self confidence program I said that people who have a low self esteem do their best to please others just to get their approval.

• During revolutions and protests people start judging and criticizing those who don't participate in the events.

• Under the effect of peer pressure the ones with low self-esteem find themselves forced to take a direction just to please others and not because they really believed in what was going on.

  3)The ones who have external locus of control: 

• Some governments are really corrupt that they hardly allow people to succeed but even in these countries we see successful people emerging.

• Some people have messed up lives and as a result they want to find anyone to blame for their misery in order not to declare that they didn't hard enough.

• After all it willhurt less to blame the government than to admit that they were incompetent.

  4)The ones who had nothing else to do: Some people have boring lives.

• They have nothingto do nor they can find excitement anywhere.

• When something as exciting as a protest happens those people might join it just to reduce the boredom in their lives.

  5) Opportunity hunters: Some people join revolutions right before they turn successful.

• Those people are the ones who wait on the sidelines then decide whom they are going to be with based on the final result. If for example, the protestors were about to force the government to resign then many people might join the protest at this time just to claim that they were among the ones who did it.

  Practical Solutions in Managing Unrest and Bias   

  Biases in Law Enforcement- Implicit and Explicitbiases in law enforcement exist in everyday practices and are rooted in presentand past experiences.  Training andretraining are necessary to create consist nonbiased interaction.  Just because someone has a bias, it doesn’tmean that that bias has to surface.     

  Biases in Citizenry- Most Citizens,especially people of color, do not believe that they are biased.  However, there is plenty evidence to thecontrary.  Often time, a denial of one’sbiases Is passed down from one generation to the next.  For example, the fear of police, is a truefeeling, but it is also a bias.  Becausethe truth is, that not all police officers target people of color, in fact,most don’t. 

  Consensus on Share Biases- When a communitycan recognize shared biases, then the possibility of healing is realized.  However, recognizing shared biases is only asmall step in the right direction, because the biggest gap is between thedifferences in biases and the authority and power that law enforcement holdsalong with those biases. 

  How to create a forum for discussion and resolution- Police leaders, and successful officers (who are responsible for community policing) can initiate the process, that begins with trust, which is easier to accomplish prior to a significant event.  Leaders in the minority community, who are more neutral than antagonistic, can also be pivotal in the healing process.  There must be joint ventures of concern and agreement to initiate this process.