Page 8 - F&E Blue Spring 2018

Slaying the (Sleeping) Dragon

Inter-agency training Focuses on Maintaining Safety

While Defeating Attempts to Block Highways

by Lieutenant Bob Leverone
The Massachusetts State Police was recently assisted by Trooper Gene Lawrence, where the
invited to participate in a multi-agency training events of January 15, 2015 were recounted. On
event in Rhode Island focusing on protester lock- that morning, protesters snarled in-bound Boston
down devices, colloquially known as sleeping traffic on I-93 in Milton and Medford by using
dragons. These devices, constructed of PVC or cast sleeping dragons. The main take-a-ways from this
iron tubing, allow protesters to lock themselves final presentation were training, preparedness,
together, thereby forming a human chain to and multi-agency cooperation.
block roads, entranceways, and other targets.
The Rhode Island State Police hosted the event at After a brief respite for lunch, a quick review
their Headquarters in Scituate, RI. In attendance of tactics and safety considerations was given at the
were police officers from the Rhode Island State outside training venue before officers fired up their
Police, Providence Police Department, Burrillville power tools. A composite group of officers from
Police Department, Harvard University Police, and each agency started the training by taking on a very
twenty members of our own Special Emergency difficult-to-defeat sonotube containing a sleeping
Response Team. dragon encased in concrete. Within minutes, after
considerable effort using angle grinders, rotary
The day started with a brilliant presentation hammers, a jackhammer, and various hand tools,
by Rhode Island State Police Detective Adam the dragon was slain. The rest of the attendees then
Kennett highlighting recent events and trends in split into teams and commenced to live training on
the use of sleeping dragons. Lieutenant William various sleeping dragons constructed of PVC, cast
Lacey of Burrillville then gave a presentation iron, and concrete. By day’s end, a four foot high
focusing on events in their community, where rubble pile lie in the middle of the training venue
activists have been utilizing sleeping dragons in an ready for a front end loader to remove it.
effort to stall construction efforts on a natural gas
pipeline project. He presented several examples of The take-a-ways from this training were
devices seized from demonstrators, and presented many. Various tips and tricks garnered through
on the tactics used to neutralize the devices. The experience and training were presented. Just
final presentation was given by this writer, deftly as important, were the face-to-face networking
opportunities, which lend themselves to
strengthened regional response through inter-
agency familiarity and cooperation.

I wish to thank Detective Adam Kennett of
the Rhode Island State Police for organizing and
hosting this training event. I wish to also thank
Sergeant Marty Igielski of the Special Emergency
Response Team for his logistical assistance, and to
all members of the team who made it a successful
training day.

F r en c h·a n d·E le c t r ic·B l ue·S p r in g 2018·p a g e·8