Comments on: Police Legions

By: R.

R. — Thu, 14 May 2015 15:31:21 +0000

This seems to be a US problem.

Hereabouts, the police are quite picky about whom they take in, affirmative action is unconstitutional, the physical standards are higher, and no one would even think about sending *female* cops do riot duty, unless the situation was extremely dire, or the cop in question was of male-like physical* ability.

*such are rare though, I’ve only met one woman who would be more than a match for 95% of men, by virtue of being about 6’5″, 200 lbs and fond of fighting. Mutant offspring of two tall university athletes.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Wed, 13 May 2015 14:15:11 +0000

Ah, a perennial favorite…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkwR8H3Oksk

By: A.B. Prosper

A.B. Prosper — Wed, 13 May 2015 08:05:59 +0000

If they are lacking enough money for high end training budgets in Baltimore a bunch of guys and gals from the Society for Creative Anachronism could give them a few pointers on discipline and how to hold a shield wall pretty cheap.

Send a few cops to Pennsic and that’ll give them experience with crowds far bigger than any riot sometimes thousands of people on both sides equipped approximately the same as the riot cops.

Leslie Fish can provide the inspirational music or of course they could play the March of Cambreath at the next riot, maybe the bloodthirsty lyrics would scare some sense into the thugs too

By: AAB

AAB — Tue, 12 May 2015 15:38:35 +0000

Those police certainly haven't heard the phrase shield wall before. A Roman centurian would've whooped them, as would an Anglo-Saxon. Lots of expensive equipment is no subsitute for effective tactics.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Tue, 12 May 2015 14:35:54 +0000

Certainly not, Edwin, except maybe in extremis. It’s more the fact that they couldn’t even complete a short movement to the intersection without falling apart into little cowering clumps that was drawing comment.

By: Edwin

Edwin — Tue, 12 May 2015 12:00:09 +0000

The goal is not to meet the rioters in hand to hand combat but merely to contain the rioters in one locale so they cannot spread the merriment. A phalanx of cops prevents further movement of the rioters but is never intended to move in for close quarters combat.

By: Cassander

Cassander — Tue, 12 May 2015 05:16:53 +0000

I’ve seen videos of riot cops doing their job properly, and they do fight vaguely like roman legionaries. Hardly surprising that the Baltimore PD isn’t exactly a crack team of ninjas though…

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Mon, 11 May 2015 21:30:46 +0000

I’m fascinated by how they broke up during the advance. Everything I’ve read about close-order formations advancing under skirmishing fire (and this includes quite a lot written by participants and observers, so not theoretical) indicates that the typical instinct is to tighten up and take cover among your fellows.