Fair or Foul: An Analysis of Police Response to Fan Aggression

Abstract

Policing spectator sports comes with a unique set of challenges and can result in various consequences if handled improperly. Officers who work spectator sports events are often faced with unpredictable behaviors during high stress situations which could lead to difficulties maintaining safety and order. It is important to understand that officers experience heightened stress during these events and finding the right way to mediate it can be difficult. This study seeks to answer two research questions. First, what factors contribute to fan aggression in spectator sports crowds from a crowd members perspective? This applies to policing sporting crowds because understanding these factors helps law enforcement develop safer crowd management strategies. Second, does the standard model of procedural justice and police legitimacy apply to the context of spectator sport crowd management? This question relates to policing in a broader field, as the invariance thesis suggests that procedural justice and police legitimacy can be applied similarly across contexts (Bolger,2019). However, this has never been tested within the realm of crowd management during sports events. Understanding how police can manage crowds during spectator sports is important because officers must know what is required to manage crowd dynamics and prevent collective chaos.