Can Dialogue Policing Help Address Street Disorder? | Skinjo

Can dialogue policing help address street disorder?

Skinjo draws a line between peaceful public assembly and aggressive street disruption. People gathering, speaking, or marching are not, by that fact alone, a disorderly crowd. Intimidation and destructive acts call for attention on their own terms, without treating everyone nearby as responsible.

An article titled “The Columbus model: crowd psychology, dialogue policing and protest management in the U.S.A.” raises a useful research question: could communication between police and people in a public space help prevent escalation while protecting the right to assemble? The available journal page gives the title, not the article’s findings. It cannot establish that this approach works. The distinction between assembly and aggression remains important whatever the answer.