Communication, Observation, and Reporting
Communication in crowd work is structured and redundant. Candidates must know the components: a clear radio protocol (call sign, location, situation, requirement), plain language over codes where interoperability matters, and closed-loop confirmation (the receiver repeats back). Traps include assuming a message was received because it was sent, using slang or codes that other agencies do not share, and overloading a channel during an incident.
Observation is a trained skill. Use systematic scanning rather than staring at one point: sweep the crowd in a pattern, look at the edges and the backs of crowds where problems start, and watch for baseline changes - a change in noise, density, posture, or movement direction. Note the signs of escalation: clustering, fixed staring, removal of outer clothing, picking up objects, and sudden silence.
Reporting must separate fact from inference. Write what you saw, heard, and did, in time order, with times, locations, descriptions, and names. Avoid conclusions ("he was drunk") in favour of observations ("smelt strongly of alcohol, unsteady on feet, slurred speech"). Reports may be read in court; write them as if they will be.
Rule of thumb: if it is not written down contemporaneously, it did not happen. Note the time when you write, not when you remember.
Worked example: "At 21:14 I saw a male in a red jacket push a female near the north bar. I radioed 'Alpha 3, north bar, assault in progress' and moved to separate them." - factual, timed, and actionable.