I never thought I would write that about the city's understaffed, 100-officer police outfit, but Netflix's new tell-all documentary "Flint Town" exposes to the masses the hyper-aggressive nature of policing prevalent in the City of Flint, and does little to distinguish the department from national concerns that Black Lives Matter . Over a two-year period, filmmakers embedded with cops in Flint, Michigan, reveal a department grappling with volatile issues in untenable conditions. FilmmakersZackary Canepari,Drea Cooper and Jessica Dimmock co-directed the documentary series that covers a period fromNovember 2015 to early 2017,the same time frame as the 2016 presidential election. The quiet young manbrushes his uniform carefullywith a lint roller on his first day with the squad and thinksthe tactical driving lessons are the fun part of training. Over the course of the episodes, the copswill face a crucial millage vote andcity governmentwrangling over funding. He shouldnt have been promoted to seargent. The officers react to tragedy in Dallas. 'The Last of Us' Episode 7 Ending Explained: Does Riley Die in 'The Last of Us'? Especially if youre the type of person who likes to always be on the move and your adrenaline is going. Watson of the C.A.T.T (Crime Area Target Team) task force talk about his skepticism of the tough on crime policies of Chief Johnson, who by comparison seems to be stuck on old broken windows zero tolerance policing tactics, even when his colleagues scramble for new answers, even when the change in crime he trumpets is neither statistically significant nor outside of the normal trends of the city. Totally and transparently destined to failure. He needs to be investigated but we all know that he wont be because people that were put through what i was and cant pay a real attorney just are happy to get out of that hell hole and you leave not trusting the police. Its disgusting. The charge is punishable by up to life in prison. The documentary follows the Flint Police Department over the course of one trying year filled with budget cuts, local and presidential elections, and, of course, a water crisis. . The page states that she worked as an intern for five months in 2012 at One Stop Housing Resource Center in Flint, which, according to its website, is a program among non-profit groups that works to provide housing placement for people who are homeless, at risk of being homeless, or have special needs. Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning. are receiving. I personally think Sergeant Frost is a good person and a great Officer. Right from the beginning, he was up for the conversation.". Officer Frost is among the most egregious; rarely does he break free of the hyper-masculine, overaggressive, and self-centered officer archetype that has come to define the cultural atmosphere of police departments across the country. You are by far more ignorant than you claim these police and other people who arent black to be. Here Are Their Net Worths, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Their reaction has included some trepidation over how they will be received by the wider public. "We were, at the same time,interested in exploring police in general and understanding the other side of the conversation," says Cooper. I went ahead and let the filming proceed because I felt it was important to show how the community felt when the man-made water disaster occurred, how the residents were impacted and how the Flint Police Department policed through this historic time, given the limited amount of resources we had to work with., It is, and the water crisis is still not solved, but but Mayor Weaver is hopeful. There areeight episodes of "Flint Town," which has been available to subscribers of the streaming service since March 2. I agree with Ryan that it is not the job of law enforcement officers to address the systematic, socioeconomic causes of crime. "She makes me happy, and we make each other happy. She lived in the Fresno area until her death from breast cancer in November 2000. Thanks for writing this article. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. According to the budget, there are 118 full-time police officer positions and 24 full-time civilian personnel positions budgeted for 2022. A young cadet navigates training, while veteran Frost recalls a painful incident. You still cannot do what these individuals are alleged to have done.. 212, Mays said. Documentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated w Read allDocumentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated water crisis.Documentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated water crisis. He is definately racist in my opinion He totally will not listen to u. 2,595, This story has been shared 2,250 times. (Photos courtesy of Netflix). When youre just victimizing yourself! I was supposed to go elsewhere I was told. Youre a fool who has clearly never been in a violent situation. Their sole responsibility is, you guessed it; enforcing the law. And if we get the recruitment packages together, I just believe well get our numbers up, and we can fix the patrol and or the detective unit. ", The results are reminiscent of the classicHBO drama"The Wire," especially in terms of the complexity of its characters. We know this series does not tell the whole story. Officer Robert Frost makes me cringe. Rather, this city must deal with its poverty. Police Chief Terence Green said he wasnt sure why the number of full-time police officers decreased in the budget. Like he said in the video, hes tired. Production was solid. FLINT, MI -- A pair of Flint Police Department officers whose budding romance was featured as a part of the Netflix series "Flint Town" has married. In the opening episode of the series, Frost talked about coping with the overwhelming number of calls for help, and Balasko was shown responding to an assault the day after it happened, an attack that left a victim with more than a dozen stitches. Watching the documentary series as someone based in the UK, I found the hyper-aggressive manner in which police officers dealt with the public totally abhorrent. Or get your ass a second job, you welfare piece of shit. How about instead of preaching your racism to let all social media believe that black people are victims. Please share #viral #wizkid #selina #viralvideo #government #humble #Tested #goviral #machalatte #machalaeloro #justice #wizkids #Lovers #wizkidfc #machalacity #gistloversblog #wizkidvideos #Mourn #mchala #Machala #machalarestaurantes #wizkidnews #justicecourt #nigeriafood #nigeriaweddings #Dehumble #God #asuu #as #viralvlog #As . Oh and please SOMEONE SLAP THE SHIT OUT OF THAT BIG SLOPPY LIP BIG MOUTH BLONDE CUNT OF THE CATT SQUAD TO STFU NO ONE IS SCARED OF YOUR DORT HEWY BACKPAGE LOOKING ASS! YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Does the Flint police get compensated for allowing the documentary crew film them for so many months? She has written for multiple local newspapers in her hometown before becoming a full-time reporter for Flint Beat. In the first episode of "Flint Town," police officer Bridgette Balasko talks frankly about just how understaffed the cops in . Balasko echoed these sentiments in her time onscreen. Dion has his first shift on the job. I think there was some interest in continuing to giving us access to work in the city," says Canepari by phone. He said that the department ordered 12 cameras using a grant but is still waiting for them to be delivered so they can be deployed. Ive just finished watching Flint town and disagree with the ops comment. "We're just scraping the bottom of the barrel, just trying to keep up. 932, This story has been shared 919 times. Its also not surprising that there is so much violence etc when you as a people feel that you are being overlooked and/or treated unfairly. Film examines systemic issues while giving a glimpse into the lives of Flint cops, FLINT: Who Can You Trust documentary to screen in area May 6, One year after her death, Flint residents take to the streets for Breonna Taylor, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. I spent almost 4 days in Genesee county jail where they roughed me up and I had never been to jail before and I seen so much corruption. But they dont, and we need to respect them for the work that they do. The New York Times reported in 2017 that there were an estimated 20,000 lead-tainted water pipes in Flint, and that the water crisis began when the city started to source its drinking water from the Flint River instead of the Detroit water system in 2014. Music. Mario Perez/Walt Disney Television via Getty; Craig Sjodin/Walt Disney Television via Getty. Downloads only available on ad-free plans. in the movie. Flint Town, Netflix's docuseries chronicling a year behind the scenes of the Flint Police Department in the poverty-stricken Michigan community, is an unflinching look at a city still reeling . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Presidential candidate Donald Trump visits Flint. The filmmakers say they have shown the series to some of the cops who appear in "Flint Town." The result is predictable, with Johnson's CATT (Crime Area Target Team) squad hassling poor people just as often as it takes guns off the streets. The civilian staff, he said, are the ones doing the internal work like answering phones and taking complaints, freeing up officers to patrol and respond to calls. A pair of Flint Police Department officers whose budding romance was featured as a part of the Netflix series "Flint Town" has married. Green said wanting higher pay and smaller workloads are the most common reasons officers give for leaving the department. They are certainly deployed in a severely violent area. There is no medium- or long-term ambition with law enforcement in Flint just short term, over the top, macho shock-and-awe tactics to strike fear into the hearts of residents. Subjecting the poor and non-violent to the worst prison system in the developed world can't be allowed to suffice as an acceptable side effect in addressing a city's violence. 100% agree. Mays said he wasnt excited about the prospect of 12 additional cameras. He said the equipment is already at the facility. Johnson clashes with the city council over the budget as crime stats head in the wrong direction. For more than a century, the Flint River, which flows through the heart of town, has served as an unofficial waste disposal site for treated and untreated refuse from the many local industries. The systemic, socioeconomic reason, for crime is NOT the duty of the department. Instead, they fight its symptoms, often with tactics and metrics that further alienate residents. "They're basically a Shonda Rhimes show brought to life and you wouldn't even need to recast the photogenic subjects," the review says. 4,673, This story has been shared 3,127 times. The decision was a move to save money, but officials didn't "enact proper corrosion control, causing lead to leech from the city's pipes into its water supply," the same article states. Heres What Happened To Riley In 'The Last Of Us' Video Game, Tom Hiddleston Is Officially Returning For 'The Night Manager' Season 2, 'The Tourist' S2 Will Take Jamie Dornan To An Exciting New Setting, Who Is The Richest 'Schitt's Creek' Star In 2023? When Burton Mayor Duane Haskins visited him in the hospital after the incident, he said Christie "still had a . Its illegal but thats all I saw in the documentary. Officer Frost is just a loud mouth who just would NOT listen to me about what was happening. "As a New Yorker and someone who is coastal, I thought I had it figured out about the police, and I don't think that anymore," Dimmock said. Tiffani Thiessen turns 49: See your favorite '90s TV stars then and now. When I made a complaint I was told tgat I should not even had been taken there to begin with. Flint Town humanizes the police and their often thankless work, but also exposes just how inadequate a response policing is in the first place. Leyton says that Tierney asked the woman he knew from the gym to bring a friend with her. Flint mayor-elect Sheldon Neeley planned to fire Police Chief Tim Johnson, after he was sworn into office on Monday. Winner of the Roger Ebert Award at the Traverse City Film Festival, "T-Rex" was applauded for its portrayal of Shields inside and outside the sport. I agree, any hypothetical Officer nice guy would get ignored and have zero effect in Flint. Flint Town, Netflixs docuseries chronicling a year behind the scenes of the Flint Police Department in the poverty-stricken Michigan community, is an unflinching look at a city still reeling from its water crisis. Flint PD or FPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in the city, led by Chief Terence Green. So all the administration has to do is tell us yes, were doing this and were going to use ARPA dollars to do it, Green said. Theyre called ARPA funds, Mays said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Documentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated water crisis. As a water crisis erupts and a new mayor is sworn in, the understaffed police department faces uncertainty while struggling to protect the city. But he said he didnt feel those cameras were efficient enough, so the department ordered more high-tech cameras. The truth. The amount of racism in this show is disgusting, with the social and economic difficulties that flint has the police should be fixing them not hunting down black people. 'Flint Town' is an American documentary television series that airs on Netflix and takes viewers to Flint, Michigan, where it explores the problems like rising gun violence and the state of policing in America. We can decide how big a budget we need for advertising because that advertising can be seen from Flint to Bay City to Midland, Saginaw, he said. I was just in the wrong place and wrong time and I am literally so messed up with PTSD from what occured that I am fearful to even leave my house. 'Dawson's Creek' premiered 25 years ago! Any cop that attacks a woman who you just told to leave so I went to leave and I think my purse may have just bumped him on accident and there was no stop, your under arrest I was just going to get off the property at my drivers car that was not on their property but I guess if my purse just touched him then he has the right to whip me down and slam me on his hood and I mean hard! The finance department was not present at the hearing to answer questions council had about various aspects of the budget. According to Balasko's LinkedIn page, she joined the force in February of 2013, and prior to that was a police recruit at Mott Community College. I feel so much empathy for Flint. The amount of racism in this show is disgusting, with the social and economic difficulties that flint has the police should be fixing them not hunting down black people. It will never simply be about weeding out the bad cops and keeping the good. Yunjin Kim as Sun-Hwa Kwon. Despite political grandstanding at every level of government, the crisis is ongoing, with an estimated 12,000 Flint area children exposed and thousands of homes awaiting pipe replacements. All rights reserved (About Us). No respect for community, no want to better themselves. Flint's problems are poverty and government corruption with its residents as the victims. He said that nine sworn police officers are eligible to retire by July 1. [9] [10] At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 81,252, [5] making it the twelfth largest city in Michigan. David Koch and Melissa Doyle host Where are they Now, a show that takes a nostalgic look at television stars, musicians and sports stars of the past. In the first episode of "Flint Town," police officer Bridgette Balaskotalks frankly about just how understaffed the cops inthis gritty Michigan city are. This has not been the case under Chief Johnson. After an election shakeup, however, some six months later, we meet Mayor Karen Weaver and Chief Timothy Johnson, who we stick with for the remainder of the series. That was where I wanted to be when I got out of college, but right after I graduated out of the police academy, Flint PD hired me.". You must be a cop or related to one and anyone else strongly commenting in there favor or turning a blind eye to blatant misbehavior by police. Green told the council that the police department has been talking with the administration about returning control of 911 to the city instead of the county. According toThe New Yorker, Johnson preached zero tolerance and sought to crack down on minor offenses and enforced proactive policing in an attempt to stop crime before it happens. He needs to go ASAP! Additionally, he said Flint officers responded to 58,000 calls in 2021, and Mt. Musicals That Rock. Green said both of these resolutions helped to improve officer morale. 1124 N Flint Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744 is a 8 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 3,835 sqft single-family home built in 2020. Frost was the most,sort of, raw about it. Sgt. For years, state regulatory officials downplayed the threat to public safety, overrode fixes proposed by the Flint City Council and allegedly buried contamination studies, eventually leading to a state of emergency, national outrage, resignations and criminal charges, including manslaughter and obstruction of justice. Two city managers have since been charged with felonies for their role in the situation, according to the Times. Completely agree with this opinion piece. If citizens are breaking the law, then it is THE JOB of law enforcement to take the appropriate actions granted to them by the law itself. Im from Flint and I saw the police in the movie as trying to take care of a struggling town while having their arms tied behind their back from the uppers who live in safety at their desks all day. Be VERY careful! They had different camera angles on cop cars, interviews by cops were very open & emotional, they got to get footage of proper city council meetings and editing was top notch. 2,005, This story has been shared 1,979 times. While some of the cast from 1994's The Little Rascals have continued acting, others have ventured out towards other career options. You can also change your preferences at any time by clicking on Cookie Preferences in the footer of each page. This is the dumbest thing I ever read.. youre more racist, and you are stereotyping a group of people. The police in this show make groups of officers to roam neighborhoods like a gang and harass black people. I like officer Kevin of C.A.T.T. You just dont see it on the news because black people use the instances of their innocent black person who wasnt armed (sarcasm) being gunned down by police. 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