The first thing that struck me as we motored down the road in a convoy, was how well the people we passed where driving, no one seemed to be going to quickly everyone wore a seat belt and all mobile phones where safely tucked away. The second thing that struck me was how heavy the rain was, and the fact that very soon 150 colleagues and I would be standing out in it.
PSU level 3 training is, the basic crowd control training for all officers, no riot shields no crash helmets and no long batons, just normal everyday kit and should the worst happen a grim determination to hold the line until the cavalry arrives.
Our training took place at a bleak and windswept disused army barracks about 30 miles from HQ, a rather forlorn looking place in an advanced state of decay. After some basic training in the fundamental tactics of different styles or cordons, and some fantastic lunch we were split into two groups, one to be the crowd and the other to control them. Suffice to say, crowd behaviour was bad and armfuls of ‘stolen’ kit had to be returned after each session. Although obviously miles away from the prospect of a genuine hostile crowd the event gave us a taster of the noise, aggression, and problems of containment we would be up against in a real situation. Each of us learned a lot and hopefully took something positive from the day other than wet trousers aching limbs and the odd missing collar number.
As a slight footnote It made us realise how the lack of 'uniforms on the street' may effect our ability to control such situations, it took 40 or so people to mount an effective cordon across a normal width road. When did you last see 40 bobbies down your street?
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