Blog Assignment 7

The tragedy at Charlottesville was made possible days before the event itself took place. An independent review that recently released indicated several major problems. A lack of sufficient preparation meant that officers did not have gear when it was needed. Overly complex planning led to there being no well-designed plan amongst several. State and local police did not effectively coordinate their plans with each other, and on the day of the event remained on separate radio channels. Inaccurate information on the legality of several actions led to the possession of more dangerous weaponry by the protestors. And perhaps worst of all officers were encouraged to allow violence to escalate so more extreme force could be used to disperse the protests. These facts worked together to create a situation were violence broke out and escalated rapidly, many officers were not positioned or equipped to restore order, and conflicting methods caused an increase of disorder and conflict, directly pushing protestors and counter-protestors together. This cannot be allowed to happen again, and I view 3 key points as needing addressed in the future to prevent similar tragedies. The first is communication, law enforcement must be prepared beforehand to communicate between agencies in an effective, efficient, and accurate manner. The second issue is preparation, officers must be properly equipped, plans must be direct and kept relatively simple, and everybody needs to be operating from the same playbook from start to finish. The third issue is ego, the higher ups assumed they had control of the situation, right up until it became blatantly obvious that no one had control. Law enforcement must be ready for these situations, prepared for the worst, and willing to put forth all effort to ensure the situation remains stable. The governments duty is not to use the easiest method or cut corners for conveniences sake, it’s to use the method that protects the people, ensures their safety, and safeguards their rights.