In 2012, POST staff created the Crowd Management, Intervention and Control Guidelines document. The document was created through collaboration with more than 20 subject matter experts. 

In the past year, instances of unlawful and inappropriate uses of force by on-duty, uniformed law enforcement officers in the United States, have been recorded and widely played on social media. Regardless of the frequency, such instances are unacceptable, tarnish the credibility of law enforcement, hamper relations between the law enforcement and the communities it serves, and degrade the hard work, commitment and sacrifice of California's law enforcement profession. Such videos have sparked widespread demonstrations that have sometimes transgressed into unlawful assemblies and even riotous behavior. 

California legislators have introduced bills altering law enforcement’s response to crowd management. 

POST staff have carefully monitored the relationship and attitudes of the general public toward law enforcement. These changes appear to demonstrate a reduced lack of trust and respect for law enforcement within some communities, which has led to large-scale demonstrations. Some of these demonstrations have, unfortunately, devolved into unlawful assemblies and riots. Law enforcement responses to the unlawful behaviors have often been captured on video and played through social media. Some of the law enforcement responses, including non-lethal uses of force to manage crowds and unlawful behaviors, have sometimes been interpreted by the public and by legislators as inappropriate.  

POST staff are currently in the process of assembling a diverse group of subject matter experts as well as other stakeholders to provide input, direction and careful review of these guidelines. Time is of the essence for these guidelines and staff is accelerating as much as possible this process in order to create a contemporary, up-to-date, and useful guide for all California law enforcement agencies to use as a model for the review and update (if necessary) of individual agency policy. 

POST staff is working to complete the revision by December 2020, and intends to provide updates of the Crowd Management, Intervention and Control Guidelines and to the Commission for approval at the February 2021 meeting.