PART IV.  POLICING SITUATIONS on that. However, the plan should include an assessment of what conflicts may arise, for example through developing a number of scenarios, and how this can be dealt with. Based on a sound risk assessment, the tactical plan should spell out the policing objectives for the event, and how these will be achieved and with what resources, including: • What units to deploy, such as horses, riot control units etc. • How many police officers to deploy, the uniforms they wear and the equipment they will carry or display, including self-protective gear. • Communication techniques such as negotiations, persuasion, when and how to deploy them, and by whom (is there a need to deploy specialized unit?) and ensure that the commanding officer on the ground has the right tools, such as loud speakers. • Use of barriers to block certain roads to channel the protesters to their destination and back through clear corridors, preferably manned by officials who can explain the reasons for re-routing the protesters. Posting police vehicles and mounted officers strategically can also help to direct crowds in a certain manner. • In cases where there is an anticipated situation in which life and limb of person may be under imminent threat, and provided that measures have been put in place to meet the criteria reflected in Basic Principle 9, where to have the officers with appropriate firearms on standby (should their presence be needed). Wearing normal uniforms conveys a very different message than being dressed in riot gear, and will invoke a different response from the protesters, depending on their background and their previous experiences with law enforcement in general and during assemblies in particular. In general, law enforcement agencies should be reluctant to deploy large numbers of officers in riotgear. This should only happen when based on a sound risk-assessment. When it is expected that they might be needed, they should be ready in the vicinities, but not immediately visible to participants. This still does not mean they should actually be deployed, as indeed sometimes situations that might turn violent can be resolved through a “show of force”, reducing the need for actual force. It is necessary to find the right balance, one that suits the situation encountered. Rather than always opting for a “high profile—heavy-handed” approach, law enforcement authorities should reflect on what is the most appropriate approach for the situation at hand. The tactical plans should also detail how information will be collected during the assembly that can be used as evidence in court in case criminal offences are committed. For example, camera surveillance may be used in order to identify those instigating or committing violence for future prosecutions but this must happen in accordance with national privacy legislation, which itself should be in accord with international human rights law. An element of the tactical plan should be how to engage the organizers and establish dialogue prior to, during and after the assembly. 111