Original subtitles

This is the city.

Los Angeles, California.

Twenty-five miles from the heart of the Civic Center

lies the Port of Los Angeles.

It's the largest manmade harbor in the world.

With a fleet of over 700 fishing boats,

it's become the most important commercial fishing

center in the nation.

It's a bustling port,

which handles goods coming in to the country

from all over the world.

There are agencies set up to handle most of the harbor's problems.

Occasionally, things get out of hand in the city.

When they do, I go to work.

I carry a badge.

The story you're about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It was Monday, October 7th.

It was fair in Los Angeles.

We were working out of Community Relations Division.

The boss is Captain Walton.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

It was 8:40 a.m.

We checked in with the Captain.

He handed us an assignment.

The Los Angeles' Police Department's Community

Relations Conference at Lake Arrowhead.

Its purpose, a vital one.

To find ways to improve the Department's relationship with the public.

It's goal, less crime in the streets.

Yeah, that's it.

The conference coordinator asked each bureau

and division to send two to three men.

I picked you two.

Nice up at Lake Arrowhead this time of the year.

We didn't select it for its scenic beauty.

The University of California has a residential conference center up there.

And they were good enough to let use their facilities.

Besides, it's away from everything.

Quiet, secluded... a place where you can think without interruption.

Kind of a retreat.

You might call it that without the religious overtones.

Know anything about these conferences?

No, sir, just what we've heard.

It's your chance to let your hair down, speak your peace.

If you've got any ideas how we can get the

policemen and the public to cooperate more fully

than they do, Arrowhead is the place to get them off your chest.

The brass won't be there?

The brass will be, but rank has no privileges up there.

Everything's off the cuff and informal.

- Well, it sounds interesting. - It is, and important.

You know how great the need is to improve

communication and relations between the police

and the public. We can't do our job without their help.

And we won't get it as long as they think of us as the heat, the fuzz.

We've got to change that image.

- That's where the conference comes in? - Right.

To reevaluate old methods and develop new ones which will bring the public and the

department closer together.

Well an open discussion is the place to do that.

Some good ideas came out of the last four conferences.

We expect some good ones this time too.

We'll do our best, skipper.

You'll do more than that. You're not just going to take part.

- You both got specific assignments. - Yes, sir?

You've got a meeting with the conference coordinator tomorrow.

He'll give you a full briefing. But I'll tell you this much.

Joe you're going to be in charge of one of the discussion groups.

- Bill, you're going to be the group's recorder. - Yes, sir.

That doesn't mean you won't be called on for ideas. You will.

- We'll be ready with them. - Good.

- Be ready to change them too. - How's that Captain?

You're being sent to Arrowhead to learn something.

Tuesday, October 8th 9:20 a.m.

We went upstairs to meet with the conference coordinator.

You know Joe I'm looking forward to Arrowhead.

- Pretty country up there. - Yeah, it is.

It'd be nice to get out of town for awhile. We ought to do it more often.

Yeah, I guess.

Eileen is always asking me to take her and the kids up to the mountains.

- Is that so? - Yeah.

But it's hard with my hay fever.

You've got hay fever? I never knew that.

Oh, yeah, for years. Jimson weed gives it to me every time.

I use an old family remedy my grandmother handed down, never fails.

Well, you're going to bring some up to Arrowhead aren't you?

Couldn't go without it even this time of the year.

Going to make a fresh batch before we leave.

Nothing in it but pure water and a half dozen herbs.

- Is that so? - It's a combination of the herbs that does the trick.

- Well, that figures. - Bet you can't guess what they are.

No. What are they?

Sorry, Joe, can't tell you. Family secret.

9:30 a.m.

The conference coordinator was Sergeant Ron Nelson, Community Relations Division.

He outlined the duties of discussion group leaders and recorders to us and several

others chosen for the job.

And that brings us to the discussion groups themselves.

There'll be 14 in all.

Each will have a leader and a recorder.

Besides taking part in the discussions,

the leader's main job is to keep the discussion going.

You mean in case nobody has anything more to say?

That's it. It's your job to, well, draw them out.

Ask questions and don't concentrate on just a few, involve everybody.

If you see somebody just sitting,

drop the ball on his lap.

What about the recorder? What's his job? Taking minutes?

No. Not exactly.

We don't expect you to be secretaries,

you've just got to keep a record of any worth while suggestions made.

If the majority is for them, well they're worthwhile.

Now, let me say one more thing, the topic of

the conference is as you know involving the line

officer and the department's community relations program.

Sounds like a simple subject, but it's not.

It's more difficult than you think.

It's loaded. It treads on toes and well, it goes against the great.

Once your group gets into it, expect fireworks and don't discourage them either.

They're good. The best ideas come from arguments.

But at the same time, don't let arguments sidetrack your discussions.

Keep your people on the ball, focused on the

topic even if you have to shout them down.

- Sergeant, I'm puzzled about something. - Yes, sir?

The topic concerns line officers in particular,

yet only a few of them are going to the conference. Why?

That's a good point.

There's been confusion about that before, but there's a good reason.

We're not going to teach anybody anything at the conference... not directly I mean.

And that's not its purpose.

And that's why line officers aren't invited.

Well, how do you mean, Ron?

Well, many of you meet the public that's true,

but actually it's the line officer who serves

under you who makes the initial contacts.

It's the patrol officers you supervise who make the regular everyday associations.

So as their superiors, you will go to the

conference to consider their problems and hopefully

find solutions for them.

And then when you come back, you will see

to it those solutions are put into practice.

Well in other words, after we come up with

some answers, we come back and pass them on.

- Is that it? - That's it exactly.

- If we come up with any answers. - You will.

You're experienced men. You've all been line officers, nobody's better qualified.

That's why you were chosen to go to the conference.

In short, we're going to have our brains picked.

I wouldn't say picked sir. I'd say explored.

Now, how's that Ron?

You'll be surprised by what you discover about yourselves.

October 14th 8:50 a.m.

We left Los Angeles and drove east along the San Bernardino freeway towards

the Lake Arrowhead conference.

11:20 a.m.

Since there are almost 5700 men in the Los

Angeles Police Department, we knew only a few

of the others who arrived at the University

of California's residential conference center

at Lake Arrowhead.

First item on the agenda, registration.

Among those chosen to attend the conference

were officers from every bureau and division in

the department.

All present to search for methods by which

we could more effectively involve both police

officers and the public in the Department's Community Relations Program.

11:55 a.m.

After registering, we went to our quarters to unpack and settle in.

- Hello. Welcome to Gatehouse Cottage. - Is that its name?

Yeah. I guess we'll be sharing it. Keith Barrett, sergeant, patrol.

Joe Friday. This is my partner Bill Gannon.

- Good to know you. - Same here.

I stowed my stuff in the bedroom.

- It's kind of small but if either of you want it. - No. Anyplace will do.

- Nice twin beds right here. - Fine.

Oh, I better take this one Joe. It's farthest from the window.

You do that.

- I got hay fever, you know. - Oh, is that so?

Oh, yeah.

Nice up here, isn't it? It's the kind of duty I really like.

Never been to a conference before?

No, but I'm looking forward to this one... this community relations thing.

I've got a lot of ideas I'd like to put across.

Well, that's what we're up here for.

Now, if you ask me, there's only one reason we got a communication problem

- We play too many favorites. - Favorites?

Sure. And the rest of the people resent it, you can't blame them.

- What kind of favorites? - The minority groups, all of them.

- We've got them on our minds. - Are you saying we shouldn't?

No, not all.

But we shouldn't forget the rest of the world either.

I didn't know we were.

You're CROs aren't you?

- That's right. - Then that's the reason.

How's that?

You're not in a patrol car cruising the streets.

- What's that stuff? - That's my hay fever remedy.

- Got it bad? - Real bad. Jimson weed.

But this fixes it. Just mix it with a little water.

Yeah, it's kind of a shame it doesn't work as well on other things isn't it?

Yeah? Like what?

Misconceptions, they can be dangerous.

1:45 p.m.

The conference began with a keynote address by

Chief Thomas Reddon in which he stressed two

things... the importance of the Community Relations

Program and the necessity for line officers

to bring its policies to the public.

Afterwards, we were divided into our discussion groups.

As discussion leader, I began by asking the

members of my group to introduce themselves.

Sergeant Tom Benson, Traffic.

Lieutenant Phil Johnson, Vice.

Sergeant Tom Wallen. I work Wilshire patrol.

John Rue, lieutenant, Central Jail Division.

Sergeant Sam Hunter, Training Division.

I'm Captain Carl Fuller, Homicide.

Sergeant Keith Barrett, Hollywood Patrol.

Bill Gannon, Community Relations.

All right. Thank you gentlemen.

I have a suggestion Friday. Rank's not important here. Let's not even use them.

- Call me Carl. - All right, sir.

Now you all know why we're here... to search

for and to explore methods by which the line

officer can be more effectively involved in

the Department's Community Relations Program.

It's a good title but they'll never make a movie out of it.

I read it and re-read it but I'm still not sure I understand it.

Well here's how it was explained to me.

Now, it's one thing for the Department to have a Good Community Relations Program,

but it's useless if the officer on the street

who deals with the public isn't able to use it.

Police participation and things like community

councils, youth programs, school and church

functions all make the public aware of our problems.

Involve them in our aims and our goals.

But if the line officer who actually deals firsthand with the citizens isn't able to

relate to them and gain their cooperation,

nothing good at all is accomplished now is it?

In other words, we've got to search for and

explore methods by which the line officer can

put community relations under practice.

That's it.

Methods by which residents and radio car

officers can get together and understand each

other's point of view.

There are a lot of people who don't want to understand that point of view.

There are people like that sure, but only because they're resentful and suspicious.

And that's exactly what we've got to change.

How do we change it? We won't get their cooperation by simply asking for it.

I say in time, we will. In fact, in certain cases, I have.

It wouldn't have if you worked in Vice like I do.

All right. Anybody else have an opinion?

Sure. I do. I agree with Phil, but he doesn't go far enough.

There are all kinds of people who don't want to see our side of things.

- Name some. - Well, minority groups for a start.

Whenever anybody says minority groups, they usually mean Negros.

Now, come on now that's not really true.

True or not it doesn't matter.

Let's talk about the Negro population as an example.

You say they don't try to understand our point of view?

Or how can they when they think of the laws we enforce as white man's laws,

when they think of us as the other side?

Whose fault is that?

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

I repeat. That's exactly the sort of thing we've got to remedy.

- It's their attitude. - We created it.

All right. Now, that's past history gentlemen.

We know the condition does exist and it's got

to be changed. Now, any suggestions on that?

Sure. Stop leaning over backwards. Treat the minorities like anybody else.

Nobody I know leans over backwards.

And you can't lump people together like that.

Each minority has its own problems.

Sure. That's what I mean. It's their problem, not ours.

That's where you're dead wrong fella.

- How do you figure? - It is our problem.

Yeah.

We're policemen.

6:30 p.m.

No evening session was scheduled.

We had an early dinner and returned to the cottage.

I saw you two leave the dining room. No room for seconds?

Promised the wife I wouldn't put on weight.

Some of the boys are planning to walk off the meal.

- But me, I always like to relax after dinner. - Is that so?

Interesting afternoon wasn't it? Certainly, a lot of different points of view.

They didn't seem to think very much of mine now did they?

About minority groups, leaning over backwards?

Yeah. But I'll swear to it. I've seen it done a hundred times. I've done it myself.

- Why don't you give us an example Barrett? - Sure that's easy.

Just last week, a couple of kids in an old hacked

up hot rodder turning along Sunset and piled

- into a tree. - Uh-huh?

One was Negro, the other white. The Negro was driving.

- Now you figure out which one gave me the most trouble? - The Negro.

You know it.

And you figure it was because he was Black?

Why sure. He was throwing me a challenge, daring me to do my duty.

I had to play it down.

- Possible that you misread his motives? - How do you mean?

- Maybe there were other reasons for the things he said. - Yeah.

He was the driver, the accident was his fault.

He could have been frightened couldn't he?

He knew he was the one in trouble, he was reacting maybe.

- There could have been another reason too. - Yeah? What's that?

Your attitude.

October 15th 10:30 a.m.

The second session was in progress.

Bill acting as the recorder noted all suggestions made.

After the conference, these and all those

made by the other groups would be presented to

the Chief for consideration and possible action.

Anyway, that's my suggestion. New type uniforms, something different, you know?

Look smart, be smart.

Well, that's worth considering. It's the kind

of thing these kids notice and respond to.

Yes and that's the purpose of community relations isn't it... to get that response?

I think the uniforms we have now are about as sharp as you'll find.

Tell me something.

Have you ever taken a good look at your badge? I mean really looked at it.

Now that's the best designed shield I've ever seen.

A lot of thought went into this badge before they old one was discarded.

Now, gentlemen in my opinion, I don't think we need new equipment designs.

I believe the purpose of this conference is to see if

maybe we don't need to redesign ourselves a little.

I'd like to have something put down... promotions.

What's that got to do with community relations?

Everything. If a man's happy it shows and people respond to it.

And the best way to make him happy is by making it easier to step up in rank.

Or by raising his pay.

Well, that's a good idea too.

Carl, what do you say?

Well, it's going to come up in every discussion group here.

Since it never does a ny harm to ask, you might as well put it down.

But I doubt it's going to do much, community relations wise.

I think it will.

Promotions could get certain old timers an apartment off the streets?

Old timers?

Most of us here are old timers.

Well I'm not talking about any of you necessarily.

You'd rather have recruits on patrol?

We can teach recruits. They're willing to learn.

We wouldn't be here if we weren't.

I know one or two who aren't.

Sam, tell us your point.

All right. But I've got several. I'm in Training Division.

We take new recruits and teach them the new concepts and we do a pretty good job.

But then when they go out in the field,

they're naturally teamed with experienced men,

the old timers.

And in some cases at least, everything

we've taught them goes right out the window.

The old timer contradicts most of it and ignores the rest.

Like community relations?

Yes. Maybe they don't realize it but they're outlook is old fashioned.

They need to take a fresh look at things, a fresh look at themselves.

Keith you're in patrol, would you say Sam is right?

No, I wouldn't. I don't know what's bothering him but he's wrong.

Am I? You're a good example of what I mean.

Well, yesterday you said we'd lean over backwards to cater to the minority groups.

That's the kind of mixed-up outlook I'm talking about,

a typical attitude of an old timer.

But it's not the old timer who does it, it's

your recruits and I'll give you an example.

One of my men had one of your new graduates in the car

with him when they picked up a liquor store 211.

And when they got there, the senior man went inside to talk to the store owner,

the new man talked to the four bystanders.

Oh, he was nice and polite, good community relations all the way.

He explained the situation and asked for their cooperation,

he wrote down their names and addresses.

But the only one he held was white and he turned out to be clean.

What does that prove?

The other three were Negro.

They could have been clean too.

Two of the three addresses they gave were false.

White men give false addresses all the time.

Yeah, but don't you see? That recruit should

have talked harder to those three men.

He should have stayed with it until he got their right IDs.

All I see is a mistake in judgment.

Maybe he figured the white man looked more like a criminal.

All right. I'll give you another example, a street fight Hollywood and Vine.

By the time I got there a motor officer had separated the two men,

one a Negro and he was the one who admitted starting the fight.

But the officer had the white man in cuffs.

So what?

Maybe the white man was a hothead, maybe he wouldn't stop swinging,

maybe you don't know all the facts.

What's this got to do with community relations? Our topic is a line officer.

Dozens of people saw what that line officer did.

How do you think they're going to feel about cooperating

with us now after seeing him cuff the wrong man?

How could he know it was the wrong man? He was stopping a fight.

I don't know what you're getting at, but it sure doesn't sound good.

Not to you maybe, but that's no surprise.

All right, all right. Let's settle down.

We're not here to argue.

But, Joe, this is important. He's got it all wrong.

I've worked with a white partner and whenever

we investigate a traffic accident involving a

Negro and a white man, the Negro talks to me, not my partner.

What does that show?

It shows the Negro feels he'll get a fair shake from me than from my white partner,

not the other way around as he says.

You mean you lean over backwards for your own people?

Sure. Well, yeah.

It's kind of human nature, isn't it?

I understand him better and he's bound to get a fair shake.

Sam, was wrong about the old timers.

How do you mean?

You said some of them needed a fresh look at themselves didn't you?

That's right.

Shouldn't you have said, we all do?

4:05 p.m.

The discussion groups reconvened and continued until early evening.

Community relations is a two-way street.

Sure our topic is how to get the policeman involved,

but we've got to get the citizen interested in him as well.

I have a feeling that's a separate topic.

Well it might be but it's a part of this one.

Would you phrase that as a suggestion?

Sure. Increase public interest in the individual policeman.

Use all the methods possible, television, newspapers, radio, and so on.

Got it.

- I've got another suggestion to make. - Go ahead.

Well, I think the line officer would be more

involved with the community if he knew more about

what's going on in the neighborhood he patrols.

It's his job to know, any good policeman would.

I'm not talking about crime, I mean civic things.

Now if line officers were told at roll call which schools were planning dances,

which stores are having sales, which local teens we're leaning... things like that.

- They'd be more involved. - That's a good idea.

Make the line officer feel that he was a part of things.

And when a school gets a new principal or a church a new minister,

he could be asked down at roll call to meet the man.

That's it.

Makes sense. Put it down.

- Right. - Now anymore suggestions?

What about you Tom?

Can't think of anything off hand.

Keith, you should have one.

You know my ideas.

That's right, but not your reasons.

- I told you my reasons. - Not really.

You simply told us that you feel unfair preference

is being given to minority groups such as Tom's.

That's a laugh.

To you maybe but I've seen it time and again.

Like those examples you told us.

Look I can quote a hundred more.

Like last month for instance, Highland Avenue.

We were called to investigate a 459.

We found the door to the apartment smashed.

Every drawer and cabinet rifled.

The owner was away when it happened, but he'd seen two men watching the place.

He knew their names. We went to talk to them.

They denied everything. They were Negros.

So what?

My partner was ready to back off to believe him.

Now he'd never do that with Caucasian suspects.

But with them, he took their word.

Well, I didn't. I knew they were guilty.

I kept checking and I found evidence.

Now what a minute, how did you know they were guilty?

I just knew!

Because they were Black?

No, not because they were Black because of the way they acted!

- How did they act? - I can't remember exactly.

Why didn't your partner see it?

How should I know?

You said you knew they were guilty.

A lot of suspects act nervous, confused, worried. You know that.

How were they different?

Yeah. How could you be so sure?

Hey, look what is this an interrogation? What are you trying to prove?

That story you told us the other night, the traffic accident on Sunset.

The driver who gave you a hard time, the Negro?

Well what about it?

Any driver in that spot would have acted the same way.

Now what made you single him out?

Hey look, lay off me will you?

What about the example this morning?

What bugged you about the officer putting the cuffs on the white man?

Was it because he was innocent or because he was white?

Think about it.

It's hard to be sure.

Because he was innocent.

But you didn't know that at the time.

What is this? What are you trying to get me to say?

And what about that 211 you told us about?

When the new recruit took the phony IDs from the

three Negros, what really bugged you about it?

The fact that they were innocent or the fact they pulled a fast one?

Wait a minute. You're trying to say that

I've got it in for your people, that I'm prejudiced?

You've said over and over again, we bend over

backwards too much to please the minorities.

That could be just another way to of saying we're not hard enough on them.

Well no. That isn't what I meant.

Man look at him. That idea doesn't go down so well does it?

Maybe now you know why you don't get any

cooperation from the Black people in your area.

What about the White people in yours?

How's that?

This morning, you said you favor your own kind.

Human nature you said.

Maybe that's just another way of saying you don't play fair with the rest.

Are you saying that I'm like him?

I'm not saying that at all, Benson. I don't have to.

Yeah?

You did.

October 16th 2:20 p.m.

The conference was over.

We spent the morning discussing ways of implementing our suggestions.

Now we were getting ready to drive back to Los Angeles.

We hadn't seen Keith Barrett or Tom Benson all day.

You know, I may just decide to put this stuff on the market.

- Is that right? - And if I do, I got the perfect slogan for it.

- I'll bet you do. - Not a sneeze in the bottle.

Hey have you got room for this in your bag? I'm all locked up.

Yeah, I could squeeze it in.

Well, Joe, you've got to admit this sure had been an interesting experience and it's

a great spot up here.

Hey, we've been hoping you'd get back. Wanted to say so long.

Yeah. We've been looking for you all morning Barrett.

Yeah.

I went for a walk early.

Been walking ever since.

Trees, the water kind of help a man see himself.

I guess we all need to take a good look at ourselves once in awhile.

I did. I didn't like what I saw Joe.

You guys were right to lean on me the way you did.

Funny how a man can think he's one thing and be another.

You may not believe this but I always thought I

was one of the least prejudiced people around.

A lot of us think that.

It's quite a thing to see yourself as you really are, kind of shakes you up.

I wonder if Tom Benson feels that way too.

Oh, he does.

Yeah?

That long walk? We took it together.

Well let's see. Did I forget anything?

I think a lot of us did.

3:40 p.m.

We were packed and ready to return to Los Angeles.

Certainly a shame to leave this mountain air.

Got to bring Eileen and the kids up here sometime for sure.

Yeah, you should. It's real pretty.

Do them a world of good.

They suffer from hay fever?

No. It doesn't bother them at all.

Of course, I'd have to take my remedy.

You didn't think it would work.

Well, most home remedies don't as a rule.

- You noticed I haven't sneezed even once? - Yeah. What's that?

- What's what? - These pills.

Oh, something my doctor gave me.

- For what? - My hay fever remedy.

- Your hay fever remedy? - Oh, yeah.

I'm slightly allergic to it.

The Los Angeles Police Department's

Arrowhead Conferences

engage 350 key department personnel

in the identification of barriers to understanding,

confidence, mutual respect,

and the development of plans

for effective two-way communication

between the department and all segments of the community.

From those meetings came the beginning

of an awareness and concept, which have developed

into one of the most effective and comprehensive

police community relations programs.