He added: “Police training across England and Wales currently teaches a theory of crowd dynamics that assumes all protesters are irrational, dangerous and open to easy exploitation by agitators. The scientific work we have been conducting has shown that the reality is very different.”
His research forms part of the second phase of the Policing of Public Protest Review, conducted by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
HMIC have recommended that, if tactics of containment are used, a more sophisticated approach is adopted to differentiate between those who are and are not intent on causing violence.
Dr Scott is now working with the European Commission to create an international training programme for police forces put forward by Liverpool University.
