The Police Tapes

0 Reviews

While the influential style and unfettered access of the Raymonds' iconic police documentary portrays the action-packed and dangerous daily work lives of the NYPD with a sympathetic lens, the unfortunate nuances of the American justice system are not neglected in the filmmakers' poignancy. It is best summarized in the film's interview with Bronx Borough Commander Anthony Bouza, who attributes a police presence in poverty-striken neighborhoods to worsening the crime rate of the 44th Precinct, explaining, "We are manufacturing criminals... we are manufacturing brutality."

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Release Date:	Jan 3, 1977
Running Time:	88 minutes
Country:	United States
Language:	English

synopsis

This groundbreaking experimental video revealed the life of a police precinct in the South Bronx during one of the most tumultuous years in the history of New York City. In dramatically raw scenes, the officers of the 44th precinct let the camera in on every secret of society capturing explosive footage of a hostage situation, gangs strutting brazenly down the street, and murders impossible to solve. At the squad station and in the patrol car, cops speak candidly about the role of policing a neighborhood living with constant levels of rage and frustration due to poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing, drugs and street crime.