Los Angeles Police Department is the center of a documentary exploring the prolonged history of hostility between law enforcement and local minorities, delving on a chronology of conflicts but also showing a currently renewed, more effective agency.
The film shows a period of time and history when inequality and segregation ruled the land through the police force, and at the same time, the production attempts to explain the role of police officers in the society and the struggle they have faced to reduce crime ratings in a period of 100 years.
The film, to air Sunday on ABC, shows the evolution of law enforcement in the city by taking a look back at the department’s harsh relationship with people of color -including events as the two historic riots- and up to date, also featuring the police brutality against immigrants at MacArthur Park occurred on May 1, 2007, when Chief of Police William Bratton, said: “as I chief of police I am embarrassed for this department, embarrassed before the city that we serve.”
As many remember, Los Angeles May Day rallies made headlines in 2007, when approximately 600 LAPD officers fired foam-rubber projectiles to protesters gathered at MacArthur Park, injuring 27 marchers and 7 members of the media. Lawsuits were filed based on allegations that police officers gave the command to disperse in English to a crowd of mostly Spanish speaking demonstrators and followed by use of violence. Local news coverage said protesters were demonstrating peacefully, and left when the order was given. Video footage of the rally shows police striking with their batons at protesters as they were running away; precise evidence for the argumentation that the new documentary now exposes.
Featured on the film, is also LAPD’s new chief, Charlie Beck, who explains the renewed philosophy of the organization, and its new rules of engagement. The film by Pierre Bagley, it’s a must see for those interested on the history and ethnic transformation of the city of Los Angeles.
The one-hour film, “LAPD … Transforming The Dream,” will be broadcasted at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, on the ABC network.
See below the trailer of “LAPD … Transforming The Dream.”