NDLERF An empirical basis for the ratio of crowd controllers to patrons Dr Robert Harris & Dr Deborah Edwards University of Technology, Sydney Peter Homel & Georgina Fuller Australian Institute of Criminology Monograph Series No. 54 Funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund An Initiative of the National Drug Strategy An empirical basis for the ratio of crowd controllers to patrons Dr Robert Harris Dr Deborah Edwards University of Technology, Sydney Peter Homel Georgina Fuller Australian Institute of Criminology Funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, an initiative of the National Drug Strategy Produced by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund (NDLERF) GPO Box 2944, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601 © Commonwealth of Australia 2015 ISBN: 978-1-922009-80-7 ISSN: 1449-7476 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth available from the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, GPO Box 2944, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund (NDLERF) Board of Management or the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The research on which this report is based was funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, an initiative of the National Drug Strategy. v Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................viii Executive summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Results ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Future directions ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1. Background ........................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Project objectives ................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Literature review ..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Factors influencing crowd behaviour in venue and event settings ............................................................ 8 2.2 Approaches to controlling event and venue patron behaviour ............................................................... 12 3. Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Literature and document review ............................................................................................................ 18 3.2 Interviews ............................................................................................................................................. 18 3.3 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 20 4. Results ................................................................................................................................................. 22 4.1 Alcohol and other drugs ....................................................................................................................... 22 4.2 Crowd controllers ................................................................................................................................. 24 4.3 Environment and location ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.4 Collaboration ........................................................................................................................................ 31 4.5 Practices used to mitigate risk .............................................................................................................. 32 4.6 Patron profile and event types .............................................................................................................. 35 4.7 Gangs ................................................................................................................................................. 37 5. Developing a Crowd Control Assessment Tool ................................................................................... 39 5.1 Overview of the CCATs ......................................................................................................................... 39 5.2 Underlying assumptions to the CCATs ................................................................................................. 39 5.3 Trialling the CCATs ................................................................................................................................ 41 6. Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 42 7. References ............................................................................................................................................ 44 8. Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 48 Appendix 1: Key risk variables for events and festivals ......................................................................... 49 Appendix 2: Key risk variables for venues and stadiums ....................................................................... 51 Appendix 3: Crowd Control Assessment Tool Guide .............................................................................. 53 Appendix 4: Risk rating categories for VSCCAT ..................................................................................... 57 Appendix 5: Risk rating categories for ECCAT ....................................................................................... 62 Appendix 6: Feedback on the CCATs ...................................................................................................... 67 Contents vi Tables Table 1: Major themes affecting the management of crowds at venues and events that serve alcohol ������������� 2 Table 2: Project Reference Group ................................................................................................................... 7 Table 3: List of interviews conducted with national, metropolitan and regional key stakeholders �������������������� 19 Table 4: Data-coding structure ...................................................................................................................... 21 Boxes Box 1: Considerations linked to crowd management .................................................................................... 24 Box 2: Considerations linked to crowd management ................................................................................... 28 Box 3: Considerations linked to crowd management .................................................................................... 30 Box 4: Considerations linked to crowd management .................................................................................... 32 Box 5: Considerations linked to crowd management .................................................................................... 35 Box 6: Considerations linked to crowd management .................................................................................... 37 Box 7: Considerations linked to gangs .......................................................................................................... 38 Figures Figure 1: Risk ratings for CCATs .................................................................................................................... 40 Figure 2: Visual Representation of the Risk Rating ........................................................................................ 41 An empirical basis for the ratio of crowd controllers to patrons vii This report was prepared in accordance with the project purpose outlined in the Research Agreement dated February 2012. The methodology adopted and sources of information used by the authors are outlined in this report. While all care and diligence have been exercised in the preparation of this report, the authors assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions. No indications were found during our investigations that information contained in this report as provided is false. This report was prepared between August 2013 and July 2014 and is based on the conditions encountered and information reviewed at the time of preparation. This report should be read in full. No responsibility is accepted for use of any part of this report in any other context or for any other purpose or by third parties. Contents viii Acknowledgements This research was supported and funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund (NDLERF). The