All language subtitles for Dragnet S03E13 Community Relations (DR-17).DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

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.