A snatch squad refers to two tactics used by police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 in riot control

Riot control

Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...

 and crowd control.

Snatch squad in riot control

The snatch squad in riot control involves several police officer

Police officer

A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...

s, usually in protective riot gear, rushing forwards, occasionally in flying wedge

Flying wedge

A flying wedge is a configuration created from a body moving forward in a triangular formation. This V-shaped arrangement began as a successful military strategy in ancient times when infantry units would move forward in wedge formations to smash through an enemy's lines...

 formation to break through the front of a crowd, with the objective of snatching one or more individuals from a riot they are attempting to control or demonstration at which they are present. The target may be a leader or a speaker, or someone who is displayed to be leading the crowd.

In one British form of the tactic, 3 or 4 officers rush at a group of violent or disorderly people with two of the officers carrying batons

Baton (law enforcement)

A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...

 and the others a shield

Riot shield

Riot shields are lightweight protection devices deployed by police and some military organizations. Most are a clear polycarbonate, though some are constructed of light metals with a view hole. Riot shields are almost exclusively long enough to cover an average sized man from the top of the head to...

. The officer with the shield rushes the most violent in the group and forces the subject between the shield and a fixed object, while the other officers either arrest the others or escort them out of the crowds.

Undercover snatch squads

A snatch squad may also refer to undercover police officers apprehending individuals, often in a looting situation. Often the undercover police officer(s) will mingle with crowds intent on causing trouble and appear to be a bystander. The undercover officers can arrest any individual attempting to break or loot a store, often in an isolated scenario with few crowds as not to provoke retribution against the officers.

This tactic was used in the 2011 England Riots, most notably by Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police

Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...

 who deployed this tactic in Manchester city centre

Manchester City Centre

Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...

 on 9 August 2011.

Images

• Police snatch squad who have grabbed a photographer and dragged him over the railings, Seattle, 20 June 2002
• German police snatch squad ready for action (6th image on page)