Public Entity Industry: Risk Management & Civil Unrest

In this session at RIMS 2024, a panel of experts discussed current public entity risk management challenges related to civil unrest and their related approach to them.

Speakers included:

• Mark Walls, Vice President of Client Engagement at Safety National
• Karen Caterino, Senior Vice President at Alliant Risk Management Services
• Dawn Watkins, Chief Risk Officer at Los Angeles Unified School District
• Steven Robles, Assistant Chief Executive Officer / County Risk Manager at the County of Los Angeles (retired)

An issue that is currently top of mind for public entity risk managers is protests and civil unrest. When approaching this issue, there are several tactics risk managers can apply to help manage this risk. All public entities have existing response plans, but it does not mean this issue is not a huge disruptor. It is. An advantage is that law enforcement and other resources are prepared for any type of civil unrest and they are close to any incident, so can respond quickly.

It is important to note that this is not solely occurring at higher education institutions. It is occurring at high schools as well. These protests are often in the form of walkouts, and the teachers are instructed to accompany the students during the protest to keep them safe. On-site security is on notice and calling law enforcement is always a last resort. At times, the students leave campus as part of the walkout, which can create a separate liability issue. To stay ahead of the student’s protest plans, school administrators can monitor social media where the plans are communicated ahead of time. Teachers need a detailed plan to know their responsibilities related to accompanying students during protests, including how to keep the students safe whether they stay on or off campus. All in all, this is risk management, so it is important to manage all of the risks from every angle.

Another consideration is potential lawsuits that could accompany these protests. Property insurance coverage will respond to damage to premises. Liability around free speech rights and potential clashes between protestors is also a concern, especially when agitators attend the protest who are not students. Entities are researching if their insurance will cover claims as a result of these non-student agitators. In the instances in which law enforcement responds, the riot line is specifically trained not to react to agitation. This is measured in stages and police response to it is determined and ordered by a high-level officer. If a co-worker gets injured, they are trained to remove any members of law enforcement that are close to the injured party so that they do not act on emotions. This practice needs to be part of your training so that it occurs during high-stress situations.

Media relations is also another important aspect of this issue. Lean into your policies because your insurance carriers often have media resources that you can utilize. It is important to let the professionals with crisis communications experience handle the media. It is a specialized practice, so use your resources to your advantage.