The Police Tapes
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.
From Hill Street Blues to Cops, the immediate and uncensored style of Alan and Susan Raymond continues to influence a generation of police drama and reality shows.
90 min 1977
Emmy Awards for
Directing, Photography and Editing
Alfred I. Dupont Award
George Foster Peabody Award