SQUARE ONE - Feature Screenplay

SQ
" SQUARE ONE "
A Documentary Feature
(Draft Version Three)
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Written by Christopher Templeton
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ON
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COPYRIGHT
JONATHAN COREY WILLIAMS, TWELVE12CO PRODUCTIONS, USA.
1 TITLE SEQUENCE. NEWS ARCHIVE. FERGUSON UNREST. 1
Fast paced montage of events surrounding the Ferguson unrest

in Missouri in 2014, after the fatal shooting of Michael
Brown by police officer Darren Wilson.
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Protests, riots, press conferences by several law enforcement
figures, political interventions, police marksmen on top of
armoured vehicles. The complete conflageration.
At its apex, the title: ‘SQUARE ONE’ cuts in full frame.
DISSOLVE TO:
2 SQUARE ONE. WAREHOUSE SETTING. 2

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A HIGH CAMERA aspect of a large, suspended square platform in
a warehouse studio, representing a square slice of the city
of Ferguson.
This is the setting for our drama documentary, ground zero

for the film, the sacred turf where interviews and background
action take place.
The setting is an abstract mix of half finished buildings

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with the facia of a convenience store, chairs and a
blackboard from a school, a random high wall with ‘City of
Ferguson Police Department’ write large, isolated street
lights, a living room with no walls but an elderly couple
watching TV. On the ground marked out like a town planners
sketch, street names familiar to the city of Ferguson.
One small street is labelled ‘Canfield Drive’, at the end of

which is the small iconic memorial to Michael Brown and a
board that reads ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot, RIP.’ Running down
the main middle street, ‘Shaw Neighbourhood.’
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During the course of the documentary, the square will
populate with police figures and community members relevant
to each theme in the documentary.
With the CAMERA still high, our PRESENTER enters THE SQUARE.
Throughout the documentary, he will continue to choreograph

his way through the imaginary streets, finding people to
interview as he develops a complete picture of policing in
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America. After each chapter theme, THE SQUARE is re-set with
different people.
The HIGH CAMERA slowly descends. As it does so, the PRESENTER

walks through this slice of history.
1.
PRESENTER
Today, for the very first time, we
are questioning the role of
policing in America.
In many ways, as the criticism has

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grown, so too has policing evolved
its own defence wall.
It’s hard not to discuss the tragic

stories of how bad it can get -
because as we shall see, these
incidents are far from isolated.
To many eyes, the police are at war

with its own. We are left with only
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questions:
CAMERA reaches ground level.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
Do the police help to promote our
sense of happiness?
Are they an integral part of

society or not?
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Do they help unite us?
And setting aside restraint of the

violent as a necessity:
Why are the police viewed as

‘punishers’, not ‘patrons?’
The word on the street is that the

police have lost their way, fallen
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foul by acting as both judge and
jury.
Surrendering a sense of protection

for a ‘quick-draw’ attitude that
kills far too quickly.
For great swathes of America, the

police do not promote a sense of
security but are the actors of a
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government that has ignored the
honest heart that whispers:
‘Sometimes, rules are less

important than kindness.’
(MORE)
2.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
As America continues to redefine
itself – the grip of the policeman
should loosen and somewhere along
the line, relax his trigger finger.
Isn’t it in the greatness of

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America to spin on a dime when it
wants to?
Now might be the right time to pull

off that trick.
DISSOLVE TO:
3 ANIMATED CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘BROKEN WINDOWS’. 3

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Stylised, well conceived graphic which acts as a descriptor
for the new theme of ‘Broken Windows.’
CUT TO:
4 SQUARE ONE WAREHOUSE SETTING. 4
The warehouse setting is populated with characters from the

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Ferguson community. Perhaps a young child skipping. Mothers
interacting. A small handful of police officers ranged around
the aspect.
Occaisionally, there are out of focus confrontations and

hints of violence, in the background.
PRESENTER
There is no question that the
American police use their weapons
more than any other mature
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democracy.
Largely speaking, police in America

think of themselves as ‘soldiers at
war’ - not as ‘guardians of
safety.’
They’re a force that has come to

dominate every aspect of American
life.
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It should be a golden rule to
remind ourselves that when society
works, it’s because of community -
not because the police know how to
enforce law and order with a heavy
hand.
(MORE)
3.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
Reform debate that focuses on new

training and enhanced
accountability - misses the point
entirely.
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5 CELLPHONE SEQUENCE. ERIC GARNER. STATEN ISLAND. NYC. 5
July 17, 2014 cellphone sequence of Garner tackled by police,

leading to his line “I can’t breathe.”
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Eric Garner’s killing was a
particular low blow to the national
gut - but at least the desire to
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‘discover why’ is now part of our
journey to dust off and start again
- from square one.
PRESENTER
The first step should be to review
‘Broken Windows’ style policing,
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which targets low level infractions
with invasive and aggressive
enforcement.
The PRESENTER walks down the main street marked ‘Shaw

Neighbourhood’ to MICHELLE ALEXANDER.
MICHAEL RENDER stands nearby next to a wall with ‘City of

Ferguson Police Department’ writ Large.
ON
7 INT. INTERVIEW MICHELLE ALEXANDER. DAY. 7
MICHELLE ALEXANDER
(Interview on case studies and the
‘failure of police officers to
understand ‘proportion.’
In her own words along the lines

of):
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‘Broken Windows’ policing led to
the deaths of Tamir Rice and John
Crawford who were both shot because
a police officer’s first instinct
was to shoot.
4.
8 SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF TAMIR RICE. 8
2014 incident of 12-year-old African-American boy, killed in

Cleveland, Ohio, by Timothy Loehmann, a 26-year-old white
police officer.
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Surveillance screenshot of Rice shot by the police, based on
the enhanced video sequences released to the grand jury.
9 SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF JOHN CRAWFORD. 9
Crawford was a 22-year-old African-American man shot and

killed by a police officer (2014) in a Walmart store in
Beavercreek, Ohio.
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MICHELLE ALEXANDER (V.O.)
Anthony Hill outside Atlanta,
Antonio Zambrano-Montes in Pasco,
California and Jason Harris in
Tulsa were all shot “...by mistake”
because the police officers in
question, did not exercise enough
care when handling their weapons.
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10 MONTAGE. PROFILE IMAGES OF MONTES & HARRIS. 10
Personal images from the family album of the two men.
11 CELLPHONE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF WALTER SCOTT. 11
Brief highlight from witness's video, showing Officer Michael

Slager shooting Walter Scott.
MICHELLE ALEXANDER (V.O.)

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North Charleston, South Carolina
and Police Officer Michael Slager
shot Walter Scott in the back for
fleeing a traffic stop and
potential arrest for missed child
support - then planted evidence on
him as part of a cover-up.
MICHAEL RENDER joins the debate on the board.

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12 INT. INTERVIEW. MICHAEL RENDER. DAY. 12
Interview with the rapper, actor and activist.
5.
MICHAEL RENDER
(Interview on the theme of
‘questioning police authority.’
In his own words along the lines

of):
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Those who question police authority
it seems, even in the mildest
terms, are frequently subjected to
verbal threats and physical
attacks.
In 2012 young Harlem resident Alvin

Cruz - who had been repeatedly
stopped and searched by police
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without justification, taped an
encounter with a police officer in
which he questioned the reason for
the stop.
In response, the Police Officer

cursed him, draged him out, twisted
his arm behind his back and said:
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13 CELLPHONE RECORDING. ALVIN CRUZ FEDERAL COURT TAPE. 13
Secret recording of the ‘stop-and-frisk.’
POLICE OFFICER
(Verbatim):
“Dude, I’m gonna break your fucking
arm, then I’m going to punch you in
the fucking face.”
ON
The presenter moves on.
PRESENTER
Saying that communities should
reconcile themselves to police
behaviour is laughable when you
hear the violence of the language.
E
What was this police officer hoping
to achieve?
The PRESENTER moves across THE SQUARE to COREY PEGUES. In an

adjascent street next to the convenience store front, stands
SETH STOUGHTEN.
6.
15 INT. INTERVIEW. COREY PEGUES. DAY. 15
Interview with retired NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues.
COREY PEGUES
(Interview on the theme of the
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‘ineffectiveness of police
training.’
In his own words along the lines

of):
It’s hard to get into the mind of

that particular police officer.
There are advocates for cultural
sensitivity training, designed to
UA
reduce this kind of racial and
ethnic bias.
The principle being that most

people have at least one unexamined
stereotype bias.
Training such as the ‘Fair and

Impartial’ program used role
playing and simulations to help
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police officers to accept and
consciously adjust their biases.
Most officers have already been

through some form of diversity
training but some describe it as
“politically motivated, feel good
programming, divorced from the
realities of street policing.”
As you can imagine, these programs

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weren’t terribly effective.
The issues persist even though the

US Police are arguably the best
trained in the world.
All pass through a highly organised

academy and many have prior
military experience and training on
top of that.
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Despite this training it’s clear
that many officers retain
inadequate knowldege of the laws
they are tasked to enforce.
(MORE)
7.
COREY PEGUES (CONT'D)
Police regularly disperse young
people from street corners without
a legal basis, conduct searches
without probable cause, and in some
cases take enforcement action based
on inaccurate knowledge (etc).
SQ
16 DASHBOARD VIDEO SEQUENCE. 76 YEAR-OLD TASERED IN TEXAS. 16
Dashboard camera video shows a police officer from Victoria,

Texas using a stun gun on a 76-year-old driver he had pulled
over for driving a car with an expired inspection sticker.
COREY PEGUES (V.O.)

In Victoria, Texas, a police
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officer assaulted an elderly man he
had pulled over for not having a
registration sticker on his licence
plate.
The man tried to explain that the

vehicle had a dealer’s plate – when
the officer refused to listen, the
man attempted to summon his boss at
the car dealership.
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Rather than working to resolve the
situation, the officer attempted to
arrest the man and in the process
crippled him with his taser so
badly, he needed hospitalisation.
Interview with retired NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues on

ON
the board.
COREY PEGUES
It’s clear that despite the very
defined process of training, some
officers still graduate with a poor
instinct for common sense.
Why is this?
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SETH STOUGHTEN joins the debate from a side street.
18 INT. INTERVIEW SETH STOUGHTEN. DAY. 18
SETH STOUGHTEN is a former Police Officer.
8.
SETH STOUGHTEN
(Interview on the theme of ‘police
training.’
In his own words, along the lines

of):
SQ
In some ways, training is actually
part of the problem.
In recent decades, the emphasis has

shifted almost entirely towards
officer training, that training
alone will be sufficient.
The point is, officers are so

UA
ramped up to use lethal force that
they’re willing to tackle and taser
a 76-year-old man.
You don’t know whether to laugh or

cry.
19 DASHBOARD VIDEO SEQUENCE. 76-YEAR-OLD TASERED IN TEXAS. 19

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CLOSE SHOT. Hyper digitalised sequence of police officer
Nathanial Robinson’s ‘ramped-up’ face during the
confrontation with the 76-year-old man, reflecting the
officer’s own self-doubt and confusion.
SETH STOUGHTEN (V.O.)

When every officer comes into a
situation thinking it will be their
last, they treat the encounter with
fear and attempt to control rather
than communicate.
ON
The faultline lies in the rise of
independent training companies that
specialise in service training.
These entities work in tandem with

their military and police client
bases, as a result, there is an
over-arching military stance
approach which induces a ‘warrior
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mentality’ in the recruit.
In fact, they use that very phrase

in the training.
9.
20 CORPORATE TRAINING SEQUENCES FROM CQB VIDEO. 20
Clips from the CQB Police Training Videos.

The dominant company, CQB boasts of
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training thousands of local, state
and federal police as well as
American and foreign military units
such as the US Marines, Navy Seals
as well as Special Forces around
the world.
It emphasises “battle-proven
tactics.” This ethos is
particularly acute with SWAT
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training.
Initially created in the early

1970s to deal with rare acts of
extremist violence, today these
units deal almost exclusively with
issuing drug warrants, armed with
automatic weapons and body armour.
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21 NEWS ARCHIVE. FERGUSON UNREST. 21
News archive imagery from Ferguson, Missouri and the protests

and riots beginning on August 10, 2014, the day after the
fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren
Wilson.

There’s no doubt in my mind that
this militaristic, knee-jerk
rection to the Ferguson protests,
ON
exacerbated that situation, here in
the city (etc).
DISSOLVE TO:
22 ANIMATED CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘DIVERSITY’. 22
Stylised, well conceived graphic which seperates the previous

theme, acting as a descriptor for the new theme of
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‘Diversity.’
CUT TO:
10.
THE SQUARE has been re-set and slowly populates with a wide
variety of community figures who slowly interact with
eachother. An African-American police officer mingles.
SQ
PRESENTER appears from Canfield Drive.
PRESENTER
Shall we continue with the model we
have – or do we try to fix it?
Reformers tilt towards the argument

that employing more officers of
colour will secure the level of
sensitivity required.
UA
Unfortunately, within these current
community programs - there is
little evidence that working with
Black or Latino police officers
makes any difference.
Their behaviour, it has been shown,

is in lock step with their white
counterparts.
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As it happens, the current racial
make-up closely mirrors the
national population.
24 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. US POLCE FORCE RACIAL MAKE UP. 24
This animating graphic, rendered in the same style as the

chapter headings, demonstrates the current racial make-up of
the US police force.
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RACIAL MAKE UP OF US POLICE FORCE.
US Population 72% White
US Police Officers 75% Nationally
are White.
DISSOLVE TO:
RACIAL MAKE UP OF US POLICE FORCE.

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US Population 13% Black
US Police Officer 12% Nationally
are Black.
11.
25 INT. INTERVIEW ONE. COMMUNITY STREET SCENE. DAY. 25
Interviewee TBC but off THE SQUARE within a community street

scene.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
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‘maintaining a racial balance in
police numbers’.
Along the lines of):
The evidence actually demonstrates

that a racial balance has no effect
on the use of force.
UA
More distressingly, some evidence
indicates that black police
officers are more likely to use
force or make arrests, especially
of black civilians.
In fact, the consensus is, small

increases in diversity produce
worse outcomes (etc).
RE
CUT TO:
PRESENTER
So, our system is consistently
missing the point.
By conceptualising the problem as

being about training,
ON
professionalisation or even race,
they leave the nature of policing
today, unchanged.
In fact, in an attempt to produce a

colour-blind law and order system,
they place people of colour at a
structural disadvantage, deepening
their social and legal
entanglements.
E
Coming out of Ferguson, the Justice
Department made the same mistake in
its report.
12.
27 INT. INTERVIEW JAMES COMEY. DAY. 27
The PRESENTER stands with JAMES COMEY outside the DoJ

building.
JAMES COMEY
SQ
(Interview on the social/political
fall out of Ferguson and the
questionable conclusions of the DoJ
regarding the Ferguson Police
Derpartment.
James Comey in his own words, along

the lines of):
JAMES COMEY (CONT'D)

UA
It’s one thing to pursue non-
punitive interactions with people
to build trust and you can try to
improve police efficiency and
community dialogues but the fact
remains that their outcomes are
racially disparate.
That’s because even racially

neutral enforcement of every day
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events, let’s say of traffic laws,
will invariably punish poor
residents who are least able to
maintain their vehicles and pay
fines (etc).
Our PRESENTER back on THE SQUARE. He meets ALEX VITALE by a

fictional street corner.
ON
PRESENTER
It also appears that policing in
America is an action of last
resort.
The nexus point where conversations

and dialogue don’t matter.
This all flies in the face of the

E
myth of the ‘urban policeman,’ the
benign, all-seeing eye that knows
and respects his community and is
willing to listen.
13.
29 INT. INTERVIEW. ALEX VITALE. BROOKLYN COLLEGE. DAY. 29
Alex Vitale is an author and professor of sociology at

Brooklyn College. Writer of the seminal book ‘The End of
Policing.’
SQ
ALEX VITALE
(Interview on the limitations of
any single police officer.

of):
Whilst we need policemen to follow

the law and be restrained in their
use of force, we cannot expect them
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to be significantly more friendly
than they are, given their current
role in society.
When their job is to criminalise

all disorderly behaviour and fund
local government through massive
ticket-writing campaigns, their
interactions with the public in
high crime areas will be at best
RE
distant and terse.
At worst, hostile and abusive

(etc).
The PRESENTER side steps two police officers on THE SQUARE

who check him out.
ON
PRESENTER
When you think about it, there is
something absurd about the idea of
a community being ‘policed’.
The equation is completely upside

down because investment should be
in community, not enlarging the
power and the scope of the police
to control it.
E
It appears that all policing
practices are like the almanacks of
the 18th century - and equally
useless.
DISSOLVE TO:
14.
31 ANIMATED CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ACCOUNTABILITY. 31

theme, acting as a descriptor for the new theme of
‘Accountability.’
SQ
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set. PRESENTER starts at the centre of THE

SQUARE again.
As he presents his evidence, the setting slowly populates

with police officers of various ranks including suited
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civilian figures as well as lawyers and police prosecutors.
At various points officer officers are seen to places a hand

on a gun holster in a threatening gesture of force.
PRESENTER
There are major legal,
institutional and social
impediments to prosecuting the
police.
RE
A successful prosecution of a
police officer for killing someone
in the line of duty - is rare.
33 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. 33
2011 – 2021 (10 Year Study)
54 Police Officers charged for

ON
fatal ‘on duty’ shootings.
11 Convicted.
The PRESENTER walks up to an INTERVIEWEE familiar with the

police prosecution scene.
34 INT. INTERVIEW TWO. DAY. 34

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PRESENTER
Why are prosecutions so rare?
15.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
‘accountability’ and the vast
underestimation of police killing
numbers. Along the lines of):
SQ
When there is a reason to believe
that a police shooting might not be
justified, prosecutors tend to take
a greater role.
However, they must rely on the

cooperation of the police to gather
the necessary evidence, including
all witness statements.
UA
And police officers at the scene
are often the only witnesses.
Civil rights bodies have called on

the Federal Government to be more
involved by making local police
more accountable by investigating
their own practices, but in
reality, such investigations are
rare (etc).
RE
The PRESENTER moves towards another INTERVIEWEE with

knowledge of State prosecutions of the police.
36 INT. INTERVIEW THREE. DAY. 36
INTERVIEWEE TBC
ON
‘accountability’ and the vast
underestimation of police killings.
The close working relationship

between police and prosecutors,
normally an asset in a homicide
investigation, becomes a
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fundamental conflict of interest in
all but the most straightforward
cases.
(MORE)
16.
INTERVIEWEE TBC (CONT'D)
As a result, prosecutors are often
reluctant to pursue each case
aggressively – as they normally
would.
In 2012, the Obama administration

SQ
embraced the use of body cameras to
redress just this point.
Dash cameras had already become

widespread but tens of millions of
dollars were provided to equip
individual officers with body cams.
It’s the one reform over time that

appears to have worked, reducing
UA
the number of civilian complaints
and law suits against officers.
But of course, you can always

forget to turn on your camera
(etc).

RE
ALEX at his position on the fictional street corner.
ALEX VITALE
‘compliance.’
There is a problem with officer

compliance. In numerous shooting
cases officers have failed to turn
ON
on their cameras.
For example, not one of the

officers present at the shooting of
Walter Scott in Charleston had his
camera switched on.
38 PUBLIC CELLPHONE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF WALTER SCOTT. 38

E
Full sequence of the witness recording, showing Officer
Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott at the end of the
sequence (after full permission from Walter Scott’s family).
17.
ALEX VITALE (V.O.)
Not a single one of the Officers
present at the shooting in
Washington D.C. of Walter Scott had
their camera on.
SQ
Indeed, one study has actually
shown that departments using
cameras have higher rates of
shooting.
Police departments are notoriously

defensive and insular.
Accountability must mean greater

openness and transparency but their
UA
special status as the sole
legitimate users of force has
contributed to a mind-set of ‘them
against us’ which has engendered a
culture of secrecy and making up
your own rules.
Including, choosing not to turn on

your camera.
RE
‘HOLSTER THE GUNS’
Over the last twenty one years, the

U.K. Police have killed a total of
42 people.
In March 2016 alone, US Police

Officers killed 100 people.
ON
UK Police Over 20 years = 42 people
US Over 1 Month = 100 people
The PRESENTER passes a police officer heavily armed with

bullet proof jacket and AER-15.
E
PRESENTER
At least everyone who is engaged in
this debate are united in one
belief – that the police are over-
armed.
(MORE)
18.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
There’s a very good explanation for
that.
41 LIBRARY ARCHIVE. HEAVILY ARMED POLICE OFFICERS. 41

SQ
Archive aspects of US Police Officers around the country with
a wide variety of weaponry: semi-automatics, hand guns,
grenade launchers, AR-15 rifles and .50 calibre machine guns.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Since 1997, the 1033 Weapons
Transfer Program has catalogued the
release of over $4bn’s worth of
firearms equipment from the
military to the police.
UA
1033 WEAPONS TRANSFER PROGRAM 1997 – 2021
$4Bn of firearms equipment transfer between the military and

the US Police force nationally.
RE
PRESENTER
SWAT teams are the primary
consumers for the bulk of this
weapons haul - but instead of doing
what they were set up for, hostage
situations, they’re today in the
frontline - serving warrants,
involved in low level ‘buy and
bust’ Ops and patrolling high crime
ON
areas.
44 INT. INTERVIEW FOUR. DAY. 44
Standing by the fa ia of the fictional convenience store.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
(Interview on the theme of ‘weapons
and the militarisation of the
E
police.’
(MORE)
19.
The increased use of paramilitary
units has resulted in a plethora of
incidents in which police have
wrongfully killed or injured
people.
SQ
45 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. WASHINGTON POST REPORT. 45
Washington Post report headlined: ‘Georgia Toddler Critically

Injured by Police’s Flash Grenade’.
INTERVIEWEE TBC (V.O.)

Including throwing a flash bang
grenade into a toddler’s crib
during a Georgia drug raid in May
UA
2014.
The child was severely burned and

fell into a coma.
No drugs were found and no arrests

were made in this case.
46 INT. INTERVIEW FOUR. DAY. 46

RE
INTERVIEWEE TBC
One Police Officer was charged with
perjury but was found not guilty at
trial.
This near lack of accountability

for botched raids, excessive use of
force and the dehumanisation of
suspects - can corrected, but the
indescrimiate use of such
ON
destructive power lies at the heart
of the problem and needs to be
understood.
Appearing from around a corner on the fctional Ferguson

street.
E
PRESENTER
What is required is a top to bottom
rethink of the role of police in
society.
The sun never shone on a subject so

worthy.
(MORE)
20.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
And today, a growing number of

police leaders are speaking openly
about present and past failures.
We should listen to them.

SQ
48 NEWS ARCHIVE. CHIEF DAVID BROWN SPEECH. 48
Speech by Chief David Brown, in the wake of the tragic deaths

of five Police Officers in Dallas.
CHIEF DAVID BROWN

(Verbatim)
UA
We’re asking cops to do too much in
this country. We are!
Every societal failure we put it

off on the cops to solve.
Not enough mental health funding?

Let the cops handle it!
Here in Dallas we got a loose dog

RE
problem, let’s have the cops chase
loose dogs! Schools fail, let’s
give it to the cops!
That’s too much to ask. Policing

was never meant to solve all these
problems.

ON
PRESENTER
Chief Brown is right. Crime control
is actually a very small part of
policing.
Apprehending a violent criminal in

the act, is a major moment in any
police officer’s career.
The bulk of work is in patrol,

E
taking reports, addressing parking
and driving violations, noise
complaints, misdemeanours for
drinking in public.
(MORE)
21.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
This honest confession by a Chief
of Police is compounded by the fact
that the majority of crimes that
are investigated - are never
solved.
SQ
In short. The police do not prevent
crime.
This is one of the best kept

secrets of modern times.
The PRESENTER moves across to DAVID BAYLEY on the other side

of wall of the ‘City of Ferguson Police Department.’
UA
50 INT. INTERVIEW DAVID BAYLEY. DAY. 50
Interview David Bayley, Veteran Police Scholar.
DAVID BAYLEY
(Interview on the theme of ‘crime
prevention and the true role of the
police officer.’
In his own words, long the lines

RE
of):
That’s right. Experts know it, the

police know it, but the public
doesn’t know it.
Yet the police pretend that they

are society’s best defence against
crime and continually argue that if
they are given more resources,
especially personnel, they will be
ON
able to protect communities against
crime.
This is a myth (etc).
PRESENTER
Political scientist, Naomi Murakawa
E
goes one step further, stating what
is obvious to anyone with half an
eye open, that we are ignoring the
profound legacy of racism.
(MORE)
22.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
Get over that hill, and we can
start to call our efforts
‘progress.’
52 INT. INTERVIEW. NAOMI MURAKAWA. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY.DAY. 52

SQ
Interview takes place off THE SQUARE.
NAOMI MURAKAWA
(Interview with a personal analysis
on the ‘nature of racism in
America.’
In her own words, along the lines

of):
UA
Rather than admit the central role
of Jim Crow both for producing
wealth for whites and denying basic
life opportunities for blacks, they
prefer to focus on using new
remedial programs – backed up by a
robust criminal justice system to
transform black people’s attitudes.
RE
The result however is that black
Americans start from a diminished
position that makes them more
likely to come into contact with
the criminal justice system and to
be treated more harshly by it
(etc).
DISSOLVE TO:
ON
53 CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘POLICE POWER ‘EXPONENTIAL IN POTENTIAL.’ 53

theme, acting as a descriptor for the new theme of ‘Police
Power.’
CUT TO:

E
THE SQUARE is re-set. It is slowly populated with police
officers and community members in equal numbers to the point
where the officers become ‘looming.’ It’s almost one to one.
MICHELLE ALEXANDER is embedded on THE SQUARE within the

community group.
23.
PRESENTER
The last few decades have seen a
dramatic explosion in the scope and
intensity of police activity.
More police than ever before,

SQ
engaged in more enforcement of more
laws.
The result?
Astronomical levels of
incarceration.
55 NEWS ARCHIVE. PRESDIENT JOHNSON. 1965. 55

UA
January 1965 news arhives, Johnson calling for a "war on
crime" with Congressional approval of the Law Enforcement
Assistance Act of 1965 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 directing significvant federal funding to
local police.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
The increase in police power has
been bound to a set of economic and
RE
political crises, starting with the
‘War on Crime’ rhetoric of the
1960s.
PRESENTER
But today, the advent of competent
and other management techniques
designed to address serious crime
ON
problems, all struggle with the
idea of what really counts as a
‘crime.’
What gets targeted for control is

shaped fundamentally by ‘race’ and
‘class’ inequalities.
But all these material injuries are

entirely undermined when we examine
E
the connection between heavy
policing and street crime and
America’s relationship with ‘white
collar crime.’
24.
57 NEW ARCHIVE. THE 2008 ECONOMIC CRISIS IN AMERICA. 57
Archive montage of the severe worldwide economic crisis and

the subprime leanding debacle.
PRESENTER
SQ
No bankers were jailed for the 2008
financial crises - despite
widespread fraud.
What message does this send to the

wider population as crime policy
continues to squeeze the so-called,
‘dangerous classes.’
UA
MICHELLE ALEXANDER on THE SQUARE.
PRESENTER
We need an effective system of
crime prevention and control in our
RE
communities but that is not what
the current system is. Is it?
MICHELLE ALEXANDER
(Interview on the ‘accountability
imbalance in American society.’
This system is designed to create

crime and a perpetual class of
ON
people labelled as ‘criminals.’
Saying mass incarceration is an

abysmal failure makes sense, though
only if one assumes that the
criminal justice system is designed
to prevent and control crime.
If mass incarceration is understood

as a system of social control,
E
specifically racial control, why
then the system is a fantastic
success! (etc).
DISSOLVE TO:
25.
60 CHAPTER GRAPHIC. THE MILITARISATION OF SCHOOLS. 60

theme, acting as a descriptor for the new theme of the
‘Militarisation of Schools.’
SQ
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set. It is slowly populated with high school

students mixing on the fictional streets.
The PRESENTER is near the college edifice on THE SQUARE.

There are no walls but the education scene is established
UA
with a group of teenagers taking a class.
PRESENTER
There is a habit in society of not
thinking a thing wrong - because it
represents something ‘good.’
Over the last twenty years, there

has been as explosion in the number
of police officers stationed in...
RE
schools?
Graphic sequence is animated but rendered mute for the

significance of the data set to be absorbed.
TEXT
2013-2014 ACADEMIC YEAR
43,000 School Based Police
ON
Officers.
PRESENTER
Over 40% of all schools now have
police officers issued to them, 69%
of whom are engaged in school
discipline and enforcement.
E
Is that a ‘good’ thing?
No wonder the educational mission

of schools has become compromised.
26.
64 NEWS ARCHIVE FOOTAGE. COLUMBINE SCHOOL MASSACRE. 64
CCTV imagery of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the

cafeteria, 8–11 minutes before their suicides on April 20,
1999.
SQ
PRESENTER (V.O.)
There is no doubt that the
Columbine School massacre of 1999
contributed to this axis of police,
zero tolerance and militarisation.
A nightmare event that ran itself

out despite the presence of armed
police officers on the campus.
UA
Columbine activated a chain of
events in policing that has had a
curdling effect on the special
relationship between a school and
its student.
Graphic sequence is animated but rendered mute for the data

RE
set to be absorbed.
TEXT
2011-2012
72,000 Criminal Justice Actions of
Black, Latino and Special needs
Students.

ON
Slowly police officers and SWAT police move around THE
SQUARE.
PRESENTER
In Chicago, while black students
represent 16% of the student
population, they represent 27% of
the students referred to law
enforcement.
E
Black students are 27x more likely
to get arrested compared to their
white counterparts.
(MORE)
27.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
The offences are all for minor acts
of disobedience ranging from using
cell phones to getting into loud
arguments.
SQ
67 CNN NEWS ARCHIVE. SHERRIF HANDCUFFS 8-YEAR-OLD. 67
Cellphone sequence showing boy handcuffed as part of a CNN

feature on the ACLU suing of Kenton County Deputy Sheriff,
Kevin Sumner in 2015.
Sumner was accused of handcuffing an 8-year-old boy and a 9-

year-old girl, who both have attention deficit hyperactivity
disorders.
UA
PRESENTER (V.O.)
In 2015, the ACLU filed a federal
lawsuit against a Kentucky
Sheriff’s Deputy for handcuffing
two disabled students.
An 8 year-old boy and a 9 year-old

girl - for minor disorderly
behaviour.
RE
The children were so small that the
Deputy had to handcuff their
biceps.
Students are being disbanded in the background by SWAT team

members.
PRESENTER
ON
US schools are being militarised.
No question.
And like their SWAT counterparts,

school police agencies have
purchased a wide range of frontline
military hardware including mine
resistant amoured protection
vehicles, AR-15 Assault rifles, all
to ‘keep the peace.’
E
Graphic sequence is animated but rendered mute for the data

set to be absorbed.
28.
TEXT
120 schools in 30 States have
affiliated police forces supporting
weapons secured through the 1033
weapons transfer program.
SQ
PRESENTER
In 2003, administrators at Creek
High School in South Carolina
coordinated a massive SWAT team
raid on their school - an effort to
ferret out the perceived presence
of drugs and guns.
UA
71 NEWS ARCHIVE. CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AMBUSH. SOUTH CAROLINA. 71
2003. Montage of sequences from various video sources showing

seventeen armed police officers, driving unmarked vans,
arriving at the High School.
They assume strategic positions, and when the suspect

students arrive, the officers draw their weapons, force
RE
suspects to the ground and secure the area.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Armoured police with guns drawn,
ordered hundreds of mostly black
students onto the ground, without
any specific probable cause - as
administrators went around
identifying students to be searched
and arrested.
ON
72 NEWS ARCHIVE & BODY CAM MONTAGE. SOUTH CAROLINA. 72
Montage of the incident from several perspectives combining

news feeds, school security cameras and Police Officer body
cam footage.
The sequences show students fleeing in terror as black clad

officers burst out of closets and stairwells screaming
commands and pointing guns.
E
The sequence is run as if in real time.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Finally, police dogs were brought
in to hunt for drugs.
(MORE)
29.
PRESENTER (V.O.) (CONT'D)
None were found.
It was clear once the police were

on the compound – that they were in
complete control of the
proceedings.
SQ
PRESENTER
The National Association of School
Resource Officers coordinate these
processes and it is they who embody
the new mindset which determinines
school policing.
UA
The ethos is not to think of SRO’s
as peace officers but they tend to
think and act more like soldiers.
To this day, the role of SRO’s has

expanded as they are given
increasingly more responsibility
with well armed police officers
acting unquestioningly upon their
RE
directions.
ALFIE KOHN is established in the educational sector of THE

SQUARE.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
In an age of zero tolerance, the
consequences are predictable and
are absolutely devastating.
ON
74 INT. INTERVIEW ALFIE KOHN. DAY. 74
Alfie Kohn is an American author and lecturer in the areas of

education, parenting, and human behavior.
ALFIE KOHN
(Solutions-based interview on the
theme of the ‘militarisation of
schools’ and its effects.
E
of):
What teachers need is training,

counsellors and support staff with
access to meaningful services for
students and their families.
(MORE)
30.
ALFIE KOHN (CONT'D)
There are currently more NYPD

personnel in New York City schools
than there are counselors, at an
estimated cost of $750m a year.
SQ
We need to invest in schools and
after-school services that address
problems at home and in the
community.
Teachers can’t be left alone to

deal with these problems and you
can’t simply hand this over to an
armed police force (etc).
UA
DISSOLVE TO:
75 CHAPTER GRAPHIC. CRIMINALISING MENTAL HEALTH. 75

theme, acting as a descriptor for the new theme of the
‘Criminalising Mental Health.’
CUT TO
RE
THE SQUARE is re-set. It is populated with community members

who interact as they appear. One or two individuals appear
agitated and are taken off the ‘board’ by other caring
figures.
PRESENTER
If only the solution to mental
ON
health issues could be compressed
into a single sentence.
The fact remains if you have mental

health challenges, a confrontation
with the police is inevitable.
77 LIBRARY ARCHIVE. MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS. 77

E
Documentary aspects of community members in the street who
are suffering from mental health problems. A mental health
disorder can affect people of every sex, age, gender,
ethnicity, or socioeconomic group.
31.
Examples shown illustrate this demographic range, with both
mild to severe cases. In later sequences, we see the
involvement of police officers.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Stories of unrelenting coarseness
SQ
and instability lower the spirit a
little but go some way to
explaining later mental health
issues.
And here too, the Police are often

the go-to agency in the management
of mental health incidents in the
community.
UA
Whilst many are handled well, too
many result in arrest,
incarceration or even death.
Jails then become holding bays for

the small fraction of the
population that suffer from
significant mental health
challenges.
RE
Shockingly enough, Police officers
kill hundreds of people with mental
health issues every year.
78 PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT. JASON HARRISON. 78
SLOW TRACK into the face of JASON HARRISON.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
An ardent youth, Jason could seem
ON
airy and distant at times and he
did have episodes of violence.
Something of a ‘storm in a tea

cup.’
The expression furnishes us with a

clue, as Jason Harrison’s growing
mental health challenges remained
largely unchecked by authorities -
E
right up to the point of his
violent killing.
The only two things that ever

curbed him, was the unwavering care
of his mother, and the drugs.
32.
79 POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE. JASON HARRISON INCIDENT. 79
Body cam sequence leading up to Jason’s killing.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
In May 2015, Jason’s mother,
SQ
Shirley, called 911 requesting help
for her son, who was refusing to
take his medication.
When police arrived, she casually

walked outside, followed by her son
who was carrying a screwdriver.
When the officer saw him, he began

yelling commands to drop the tool
UA
and within seconds, opened fire.
Killing Jason Harrison.
In the background, a police officer is ‘moving on’ a mental

health patient.
RE
PRESENTER
And again, as we’ve seen in many of
our schools, what we are witnessing
is the criminalisation of mental
health - the result of a slow
reduction of investment in social
services in favour of police
control mechanisms.
Standard police training based on

the ‘Warrior Mentality’ model, ill-
ON
suits all of these highly sensitive
situations and actually escalates
and destabilises these encounters,
whether it’s with a problematic
teen or a mental health patient
whose has simply missed his meds -
as in the case of Jason Harrison.
81 LIBRARY ARCHIVE. MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS. 81

E
Montage of police officers attempting to manage particularly
violent and evasive mental health patients in the street.
33.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
And of course, it has to be said,
the problems with policing are not
the fault of individual police
officers - they only get it wrong
because they have been empowered to
SQ
act in situations which require the
highest judgement of Solomon –
which is why so many get it wrong.
It shouldn’t be the duty of police

officers to accept this role.
What is clear is that the

disadvantages and injuries that
both sides suffer – both police and
UA
community, need to change.
DISSOLVE TO:
82 ANIMATED CHAPTER GRAPHIC. CRIMINALISING HOMELESSNESS. 82

theme, acting as a descriptor for a new chapter on
‘Criminalising Homelessness.’
RE
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set and now populated with community members

and figures representing the theme of homelessness and
destitution. Police officers are then introduced into the
scene.
ON
PRESENTER
You may have spotted a common
thread that runs through all these
stories, the pure state of doubt
and innocence reflected by some of
the younger police officers.
A lack of understanding of the ways

of the world and the special
psychology required to sustain a
E
career in this difficult
profession.
Are some men and woman simply

dwarfed by the challenge and
crushed by it? Of course they are.
(MORE)
34.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
There should be no shame in saying
that.
84 NEWS ARCHIVE. DAUNTE WRIGHT SHOOTING. 84

SQ
Body cam sequence of Daunte Wright shooting as female police
officer mistakes her gun for a taser and shouts “Oh my God, I
shot him!”
DISSOLVE TO:
85 LIBRARY MONTAGE. HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA. 85
Aspects of the living conditions of the homeless population,

UA
living in some form of shelter or in transitional housing.
Other aspects represent the 34 percent (192,875 of people)

who live in a place not meant for human habitation, such as
the street or an abandoned building.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Homeless people have extensive
contact with the police and of
course a greater element of those
RE
who live rough, have mental health
or substance abuse issues.
Today, most cities provide some

level of emergency shelter but this
is only for the night as most
homeless people are turned out
early dawn, on to the street.
And here the police officer once

again, acts as the frontline
ON
moderator for behaviour and
movement.
In some cases, it’s the policing

method again that brings the force
notoriety with the often aggressive
removal of homeless people having
deadly outcomes.
E
35.
86 PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT. JAMES BOYD. 86
PRESENTER (V.O.)
In 2014, Albuquerque police killed
James Boyd while attempting to
remove him from his unpermitted
SQ
camp on open land near a suburban
neighborhood.
87 POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE. JAMES BOYD INCIDENT. 87
PRESENTER (V.O.)
James Boyd found life hard. Too
hard. Trying to tread the fine
lines of society became impossible.
UA
He was also a diagnosed
schizophrenic who secretly found an
escape in the wrong kind of drugs.
Not a great when you have a

problematic psycho-chemistry.
Responding to a complaint from a

resident about his schizophrenic
RE
rantings one day, police
encountered Boyd who grabbed a
knife and started threatening them.
After a five-hour stand-off that

involved extensive negotiation from
a trained intervention team, Boyd
was shot multiple times whilst he
appeared to be gathering his things
to go with the officers.
ON
Whilst it’s true to say that Boyd
posed a threat to public order and
safety, the tactics of the police
again proved ineffective and
ultimately deadly.
PRESENTER
E
If wars are a failure of
communication and dialogue, so too
is policing when it comes to the
mental health space.
Its a costly failure too.
(MORE)
36.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
NYC spent $129m over five years to
jail just 800 people. That’s:
89 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. INCARCERATION COST. 89

SQ
NYC INCARCERATION COST
$30,000 per person per year.
PRESENTER
Supportive housing costs less...
UA
91 LOCATION FILMING UTAH. SUBSIDISED HOUSING. 91
GVs of Utah Housing & Community Development’s housing stock

of subsidised homes.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
In 2013, the Utah Housing &
Community Development Division
reported the cost of emergency room
RE
treatment and jail time at $16,000
per year per homeless person, while
the cost of a subsidized apartment
was only $11,000 per year, per
homeless person.
Maybe common sense economics can

help here?
ON
TEXT
UTAH
Emergency Room Treatment & Jail
time at $16,000 per year per
homeless person
Subsidized apartment $11,000 per

year per homeless person.
E
37.
PRESENTER
In truth, police actions fly in the
face of the DOJ’s own legal
opinions that seek to protect the
SQ
homeless.
In fact, most police responses are

likely illegal if people have no
viable alternative but to sleep in
restrictive places.
As the 2014 UN Human Rights

Committee pointed out:
UA
94 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. UN HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENT. 94
PRESENTER (V.O.)
‘The committee is concerned about
reports of ‘criminalization’ of
people living on the streets for
everyday activities such as eating,
sleeping, sitting in particular
areas.
RE
The committee notes that such
criminalization raises concerns of
discrimination and cruel, inhuman
and degrading treatment.’
PRESENTER
Solutions are being tried and
ON
tested and in some cases...they are
starting to work.
A small number of pilot schemes

with‘specialised’ outreach teams
have ben set up around the country.
96 EXT. CHICAGO SUBURBS. POLICE OUTREACH TEAMS. DAY 96

E
Positive documentary examples of police outreach teams at
work in Chicago suburbs like Joliet with local Latino
communities.
TEXT GRAPHIC
‘Joliet, Illinous.’
38.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Trained in conflict de-escalation,
developing trust and dealing with
mental health and substance abuse,
these officers work in teams along
with civilian outreach workers.
SQ
The initiative at this stage is
still only punitive - the bottom
line is that no stable housing can
be offered - but it’s a good start.
Clearly, the best way of getting

people off the streets and out of
shelters is to promise permanent
housing at low or no cost, matched
UA
to a range of support services.
It is being tried today and it’s

called:
97 INFORMATION GRAPHIC. HOUSING FIRST APPROACH. 97
TEXT
The Housing First Approach.
RE
In the background a police officer is seen to be engage in a

calm two way conversation, developing trust with a homeless
individual.
PRESENTER
Its principles are sound although
the model currently is a tricky
ON
act, balancing the challenging
income of low paid work and
government benefits set against
increasingly expensive housing
costs.
And of course, local and state

governments have to want to build
the housing in the first place.
E
But where they are being built,
it’s working. Early days, but very
promising.
The police officer calmly walks away with the individual.
DISSOLVE TO:
39.
99 CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘CRIMINALISING OUR SEX LIVES’. 99

theme, acting as a descriptor for a new chapter on
‘Criminalising Our Sex Lives.’
SQ
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set and now populated with a range of

characters from prostitues, to pimps to police officers.
The officers are seen to move in to ‘shunt’ or ‘move along’

the other characters along.
UA
PRESENTER
It’s when the police regulate our
sex lives, that we are again
exposing some of the most
vulnerable in our community with
methods that force people into the
shadows, leaving them exposed to
further abuse and exploitation.
RE
And the police are not alone here
as public and local businesses
regularly express their concerns
about sex workers as an ‘offence to
the moral order.’
At best, the police view

prostitutes as victims that need
saving, but that’s rare.
Prostitution is a common, on-the-

ON
job problem for a police officer,
executed with the least possible
investment of emotional energy.
SO far so normal, but does this

attitude make a community any
safer? Clearly not.
101 INT. INTERVIEW FIVE. DAY. 101

E
Outside location interview TBC.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
(Interview on the theme of the
‘ineffectiveness of policing sex
workers.’
(MORE)
40.
Vice teams focus both on visible

and covert prostitution.
SQ
102 POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE. POLICE RAID. 102
Live action sequence of a police raid.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
Undercover officers infiltrate
locations followed by raids in
which sex workers, managers and
clients are arrested.
UA
In the end, criminalisation of sex
work is ineffective, hurting sex
workers, public and the criminal
justice system - contributing to
the victimisation of sex workers,
the spread of disease with the
ultimate corruption of the police
and criminal justice system.
RE
103 INT. INTERVIEW FIVE. DAY. 103
INTERVIEWEE TBC
Police can’t enact harsh penalties
but those involved in the illegal
activity usually have the resources
to buy them off (etc).
ON
PRESENTER
Furthermore, enforcement of sex
work is ‘discretionary,’ so there
is a temptation for the police to
look the other way in return for
bribes or as is common, using their
position to extort further
E
earnings.
105 INT. INTERVIEW SIX. DAY. 105
41.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
(Interview on the ‘nature of police
corruption’ in America.

SQ
In the last few years, American
police have been implicated in
several cases of running and
providing protection for brothels,
demanding sex from prostitutes to
avoid arrest, hiring underage
prostitutes, acting as pimps,
stealing from and assaulting sex
workers, demanding bribes from
prostitutes and their clients.
UA
There is no way to fully know the
full extent of these practices but
the problem is widespread and on-
going.
A 2005 survey of sex workers found

that 14 per cent had had sexual
experiences with police and 16 per
cent had experienced police
RE
violence.
Only 16 per cent reported as having

had a good experience when going to
the police for help.
Our PRESENTER is walking along the main street on THE SQUARE.

ON
PRESENTER
And the issue is not without its
racial elements.
In 2013, New York created the first

human trafficking intervention
courts, viewing sex workers for the
first time as victims rather than
criminals.
E
The vast bulk of the enforcement
however targeted women in the
street trade - often dragging in
women of colour to the courts who
were often in the wrong place at
the wrong time.
42.
107 INT. INTERVIEW SIX. DAY. 107
INTERVIEWEE (TBC) on THE SQUARE.
INTERVIEWEE TBC
(A positive end spin on the subject
SQ
with a possible solution. Interview
on the ‘nature of police
corruption’ in America.
The goal of any new approach to

policing sex work should be to take
coercian completely out of the
equation, whilst understanding that
UA
whether you personally find it
distasteful or not, sex work is
here to stay.
At least for the foreseeable

future.
In the meantime, we should improve

the lives of sex workers and offer
voluntary pathways out of a job
RE
that can be demeaning and often
dangerous.
It’s true to say that sex workers

often cycle between low paid work
and life on the street but sex work
has the benefit of much better pay -
which is why workers see no chance
for their own social mobility.
Raising the minimum income floor

ON
will make a big difference here.
Now There’s an idea.
DISSOLVE TO:
108 CHAPTER GRAPHIC: ‘THE WAR OF DRUGS.’ 108

E
theme, acting as a descriptor for a new chapter on ‘The War
of Drugs.’
CUT TO:
43.
THE SQUARE re-sets and now populates with a range of street

‘characters.’ Mainly dealers and punters. An individual
police officer is seen to engage.
SQ
In later scenes, police offocers covertly take the
opportunity to trade, appearing to collude with dealers.
PRESENTER
Of all the aspects of policing
we’ve explored in the United
States, the force’s ‘War on Drugs’
is the most damaging.
UA
110 HISTORICAL NEWS ARCHIVES. NIXON, REAGAN, CLINTON. 110
Montage of the US ‘war on drugs’ seen initially as a global

campaign, led by the U.S. Federal government, then of drug
prohibition on the streets including military intervention.
Sequences of the various initiatives lead by several US

Presidents including a set of drug policies that were
intended to discourage the production, distribution, and
consumption of psychoactive drugs.
RE
The term appears in news footage, popularized in a press
conference given on June 18, 1971, by President Richard
Nixon.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
Whether you take Nixon’s or
Reagan’s famous all-out offensive
as your starting point.
Or Clinton’s expansion of Federal

ON
Drug crimes in the 1990s, drug
issues have not improved by driving
millions of Americans into prison.
Today, drugs are more cheap and

more widespread than ever before.
And there’s a mountain of evidence

that both its harm and effects
could be reduced by ending, not
E
expanding the ‘War on Drugs.’
The issue isn’t helped by the

blurring of the lines between
enforcement and selling.
(MORE)
44.
PRESENTER (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The catalogue of abuses of thefts,
bribes and selling, committed by
individual officers every day, are
legion.
The hugely profitable black market

SQ
ensures the strong incentive for
dealers to bribe police to look the
other way, with some officers
becoming drug dealers themselves
along the way.
111 ABC NEWS ARCHIVE REPORT. FRESNO. 111
Extract showing the Fresno Police Department's second in

UA
command being arrested in a federal drug conspiracy
investigation.
Deputy Chief Keith Foster was accused of distributing and

possessing drugs.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
In 2015, the Fresno police
department’s second in command was
arrested by FBI and ATF agents for
RE
dealing in oxycodone, marijuana and
heroin.
112 NEWS ARCHIVE REPORT. CLAIBORNE & SCOTT COUNTIES. 112
Extracts showing two sheriffs, a city judge and two deputies

who were indicted on charges stemming from a two year federal
probe of public corruption in East Tennessee.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
ON
In Scott and Claiborne Counties,
Tennessee, two sheriffs were
arrested for burglarizing drugs
from the police evidence room and
guaranteeing a safe landing for a
planeload of cocaine.
113 NEWS ARCHIVE REPORT. QUEENS. 113

E
Extracts of the report showing the Queens police officer
Philip LeRoy who once won his precinct’s ‘Cop of the Year’
being busted on cocaine-trafficking charges.
45.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
2014. An NYPD officer was arrested
in Florida after he was caught in a
drug sting attempting to buy
$200,000 worth of cocaine.
SQ
PRESENTER
And in the sphere of drug
enforcement, like no other, there
is a discernible racialised pattern
to the policing.
Despite the evidence that there is

UA
an even distribution of drug use
and dealing across racial lines,
drug enforcement drops heavily upon
communities of colour, as well as
poor white rural areas.
115 INT. INTERVIEW SEVEN. DAY. 115
Location interview off THE SQUARE (TBC).

RE
INTERVIEWEE TBC
‘racialised enforcement.’
One of the best examples of

racialised enforcement is the
controversy around ‘driving while
black’ which led to court battles
ON
and reform efforts in New Jersey
and other States in the 1990s.
Repeated complaints from black

motorists that they were being
stopped on state highways for no
reason and pressured into
consenting to searches led to
complaints and eventually law suits
from the NAACP, ACLU and other
E
groups, forcing a federal
investigation and a consent decree
in which police promised reforms.
(MORE)
46.
After years of technical reforms,
many of the same disproportionate
outcomes still persist to this day
(etc).
SQ
PRESENTER
In all these cases, methods of
policing have been largely
discriminatory and ineffective.
Baltimore police have one of the

largest drug markets to contend
with but can’t make a dent in the
UA
problem.
117 INT. INTERVIEW PETER MOSKIS. DAY. 117
Interview with the retired Police Officer in an off THEE

SQUARE location (TBC).
PETER MOSKIS
(In his own words. Along the lines
RE
of):
What’s happening is that in the

cities, police officers from
different areas spend a significant
time looking for easy drug arrests
in poor minority neighbourhoods,
even if they weren’t assigned
there.
The most ambitious officers were

ON
the worst offenders, since they
felt they needed high arrest
numbers to help them get more
desirable placements in specialised
units.
Another typical procedure is to

ignore the drug incidents unless
there is a specific complaint.
E
If someone at the location
complains when the officer arrives,
the officer tells them to move
along.
(MORE)
47.
PETER MOSKIS (CONT'D)
Usually, no arrest is attempted
because police know that the person
standing there is often a
‘facilitator,’ someone who doesn’t
carry the drugs on them.
SQ
That person generally just walks
away, usually around the block, and
then returns to business as usual,
often on the same spot.
In my experience, even in major

concerted drug raids, no one was
ever prevented from getting drugs
for more than a couple of hours
(etc).
UA
PRESENTER
A staggering 10% of Baltimore
residents have used an illicit drug
in the past year and a third of all
arrests in the city are for drug
crimes.
RE
But if police officers are at the
sharp end of the problem, they are
also the first to witness the
positive effects of any new
programs to solve them.
And that’s a really important

point.
The role has the virtue of

ON
positioning the police officer in a
a new role as a force for ‘good.’
Regulation of the problem has taken

several forms, notably the
legalisation of marijuana,
instantly making it a ‘non-
problem.’
That virtuous loop between

E
legalisation, it’s positive effects
on the street and its reporting -
makes this program work!
Colorado is a case in point,

implementing its system without any
collapse of the social order.
(MORE)
48.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
It seems, we can get there if we

try.
MICHAEL REZNIECK is positioned on THE SQUARE on a fictional

street corner.
SQ
119 INT. INTERVIEW. MICHAEL REZNIECK. DAY. 119
MICHAEL REZNIECK
(A way through, in his own words,
It’s a subtle point. Many people

involved in the drug industry dont
UA
have a drug problem, they have a
job problem.
Most have issues that directly stem

from the economic conditions with
which they struggle daily.
There is no way to reduce the

widespread use of drugs without
tackling head on the economic
RE
inequality and sense of
hopelessness that the drugs try to
bury.
120 DOCUMENTARY MONTAGE. POVERTY IN AMERICA. 120
Bried aspects of communities living on the poverty line in

America. Households with adults caring for minor children,
households that include people with disabilities, people with
high student-debt obligations, stressed communities.
ON
MICHAEL REZNIECK (V.O.)
African-American and Latino
neighbourhoods have sufferend
declines in employment levels and
wellbeing.
Private sector employment has dried

up in these areas.
E
We need to invest in developing
human capital of people in these
areas and find meaningful
employment and improving the
environment.
49.
121 INT. INTERVIEW. MICHAEL REZNIECK. DAY. 121
Return to MICHAEL RENIECK on THE SQUARE.
MICHAEL REZNIECK
Some of the resources for this
SQ
could come from the billions we now
spend on fighting the drug war and
the taxes we could collect from
legalised drugs (etc).
DISSOLVE TO:
122 CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘GANG SUPRESSION’. 122

UA
theme, acting as a descriptor for a new chapter with the
title: ‘Gang Supression.’
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set and initially empty.

RE
The studio warehouse lights have been dimmed to lend an
evening atmopshere, the only light comes from the handful of
street lamps.
Four hooded, young men move on to THE SQUARE and huddle in

the corner of the square. COREY PEGUES stands under a street
light, not far away near the Ferguson police block.
Our PRESENTER stands under another street light.

ON
PRESENTER
Police gang units emerged as a
national trend in the 1980s and by
1999, half of all police agencies
with over 100 police officers had
such units. By 2003, there were:

E
TEXT
360 Gang Units across the United
States.
50.
PRESENTER
In habit, all these units tilted
towards isolation, their
specialised function and
SQ
intelligence gathering aspect,
lending their activities an air of
secrecy that shunnned supervision
and accountability.
A strong loyalty ethos also, not

dissimilar to the SWAT team model.
126 SQUARE ONE. GANG MEMBERS. 126

UA
CLOSE ASPECT of the gang members as a police officer walks
by.
PRESENTER (V.O.)
As a result, the Police Gang Units
have evolved a culture and attitude
of ‘us against them.’
CUT TO:
RE
Return to PRESENTER under his lamplight.
PRESENTER
Officers believe they are the only
ones who understand the problems
and self-certify their own heavy
handed tactics to deal with young
ON
people who defy authority.
Interview with retired NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues.
COREY PEGUES
(Interview on the theme of ‘gang
police methods.’
E
In his own words. Along the lines
of):
(MORE)
51.
COREY PEGUES (CONT'D)
There is a habit of seeing police
executives and people involved in
preventative measures as ‘empty
suits,’ handing over neighbourhoods
to the gangbangers.
SQ
They deride non-law enforcement
efforts as ‘empty-headed,’ the
‘coddling’ of hardened criminals.
The units are very good at

perpetuating the politics of gang
suppression.
129 POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE. GANG CHASE. 129

UA
A live action street chase of gang members from a police
officer body cam.
COREY PEGUES (V.O.)

All the dialogues with community
groups focus on the threat gangs
pose and the need for alternative
suppression efforts, so they tend
to be one-way communications.
RE
Units rarely take input from
communities about how and where to
carry out their activities.
The units sustain the moral panic

surrounding youth violence and
gangs and ultimately channel all
their efforts into aggressive
policing (etc).
ON
PRESENTER
Let’s be clear here.
While individual police officers

have intelligent first-hand
experience and knowledge, they are
also subject to pressure by
E
politicians and the public - whose
views are often shaped by films and
what they see on TV.
(MORE)
52.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
Suppression efforts today focus on
the more established members of any
gang, the ones familiar to the
police.
They assume certain members play a

SQ
leadership role, initiating and
directing all of the gang’s illegal
activities.
This ends up being a thankless

task.
For every ‘shot-caller’ or ‘old

head’ that’s locked up, there are
many more, lining up to replace
UA
him.
Off THE SQUARE interviews with author, Alex Vitale.
ALEX VITALE
of):
RE
Most young people would gladly
choose a stable, decent paying job
over participation in the black
markets of drugs, sex work, or
stolen property.
The US is more segregated than ever

before. It allows 25% of its young
people to grow up in extreme
poverty.
ON
It’s from this poverty that the
most serious crimes originate.
Here’s a thought experiment: what

would happen if there was a
sustained increase in decent paying
jobs over several years?
Such an increase might overcome the

E
educational and cultural dynamics
that contribute to black market
participation and violence.
Why aren’t these simple fixes

happening?
(MORE)
53.
ALEX VITALE (CONT'D)
The problem lies in government as
the parent of the police because
the perception today is that
criticism of the police is a
political weakness.
SQ
THE PRESENTER holds his position under the lamplight.
PRESENTER
Alex may be on to something here.
Minneapolis has shone a bright

light on the problem with a
UA
blueprint for action to prevent
youth violence and unlike other
gang suppression efforts, its
housed in a health department – not
a police station.
It’s also a flexible real-time

process that responds to conditions
as they change.
RE
Combined with community level
changes in employment, this program
now has a real chance of working.
DISSOLVE TO:
133 CHAPTER GRAPHICS: SQUARE ONE. 133
Final graphic chapter. Stylised and well conceived with the

last heading: ‘SQUARE ONE.’
ON
CUT TO:
THE SQUARE is re-set and empty. We have returned to daylight

setting in the studio.
The PRESENTER walks from the back of the warehouse on to THE

E
SQUARE, across its length, turning down the fictional street
labelled ‘Canfield Drive’ stopping at the memorial to Michael
Brown and a board that reads ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot, RIP.’
Our four last contributors also stand around the memorial,

submitting their final resounding solutions one by one.
54.
THE PRESENTER absorbs the memorial for a beat, turns to
CAMERA and concludes.
PRESENTER
Policing needs to be reformed.
SQ
To do this, community will need the
support of government and the
police.
We can continue to talk about

government, we can continue to talk
about law enforcement, but
fundamentally - we need to build
the capacity of communities to
solve problems on their own.
UA
Interview with the retired NYPD Deputy Inspector.
COREY PEGUES
of):
RE
There is a larger truth to be
confronted. As long as the basic
mission of police and government
remains unchanged, no reform is
achievable.
However, we don’t have to put up

with aggressive and invasive
policing to make us safe.
There are alternatives.

ON
We can use the power of communities
and government to make our cities
safer without relying on the
police, courts and prisons.
We need to invest in individuals

and communities and transform the
basic economic arrangements of our
society - admitting that in today’s
E
America, chemical dependency,
trauma and mental health play a
huge role in undermining the safety
and stability of all our
neighbourhoods (etc).
55.
Then, continuing around to the second point in the square to
ALFIE KOHN.
136 INT. INTERVIEW ALFIE KOHN. DAY. 136

SQ
Alfie Kohn is an American author and lecturer in the areas of
education, parenting, and human behavior.
ALFIE KOHN
(Along the lines of):
People adapt their behaviours to a

disfunctional environment where
unemployment, violence and
entrenched poverty are the norm.
UA
Even after twenty years of
declining crime rates there are
neighbourhoods where violence
remains a major problem.
These areas are almost all

extremely poor, racially segregated
and geographically and socially
isolated.
RE
Once we accept this premise we can
move on. A set of economic justice
proposals can start to put this
right.
Onwards to third point and PETER MOSKIS.
137 INT. INTERVIEW PETER MOSKIS. DAY. 137

ON
Interview with the retired Police Officer.
PETER MOSKIS
Communities need more political

power and resources to develop
their own strategies for reducing
crime.
E
Concepts like community policing,
restorative justice and justice
reinvestment offer real
alternatives.
(MORE)
56.
PETER MOSKIS (CONT'D)
The money that would be saved by
keeping people out of prisons could
be spent on drug and mental health
rehabilitation, youth programs and
jobs in the community.
SQ
MICHELLE ALEXANDER
The BLM movement has outlined a

forward-looking plan for economic
and political justice that includes
greater investment in schools and
UA
communities based on priorities
developed by black and brown
communities.
At the heart of the program is a

set of economic justice proposals
including reparations which would
reduce inequality, enhance family
and community wellbeing and protect
the environment.
RE
139 SQUARE ONE. WAREHOUSE SETTING. END PIECE. 139
The four contributors EXIT as the warehouse setting slowly

crowds with a whole community who are seen to thrive. There
are no police officers in sight.
Our PRESENTER still holds the centre ground by the memorial.
PRESENTER
ON
After many years of soul-searching,
America needs a new manifesto on
how to police its population.
So uncertain is the future of

America that now is the right time
to re-imagine the constitution of
how we live.
We’ve seen how policing hubris will

E
get you every time – that an overt
sense of power can in the case of
Eric Garner, see one man sit on top
of another man and callously watch
him die.
(MORE)
57.
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
What we have also seen is that the
human imagination is a poor tool
when judging risk and making split
decisions.
CAMERA TRACKS backwards.

SQ
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
And last, we’ve seen the
intertwining systems of oppression
and that every time we look to the
police and prisons to solve our
problems, we reinforce them.
Yes, we should demand safety and

security but not at the hands of
UA
the police.
In the end. They rarely provide

either.
CAMERA CRANES high above THE SQUARE as the community walks

freely across it, interacting with joy. A sense of naturalism
and freedom pervades the scene.
CAMERA STOPS and holds its highest position. A beat.

RE
PRESENTER (CONT'D)
Dr. King had a dream, perhaps this
was it.
PRESENTER walks off THE SQUARE. CAMERA holds its position,

taking in the thriving image of community.
140 END TITLES. 140

ON
FINAL DURATION:(90:00+)
E
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SQUARE ONE - Feature Screenplay

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SQ

" SQUARE ONE "

Fast paced montage of events surrounding the Ferguson unrest

At its apex, the title: ‘SQUARE ONE’ cuts in full frame.

2 SQUARE ONE. WAREHOUSE SETTING. 2

This is the setting for our drama documentary, ground zero

The setting is an abstract mix of half finished buildings

One small street is labelled ‘Canfield Drive’, at the end of

Throughout the documentary, he will continue to choreograph

The HIGH CAMERA slowly descends. As it does so, the PRESENTER

In many ways, as the criticism has

It’s hard not to discuss the tragic

To many eyes, the police are at war

CAMERA reaches ground level.

Are they an integral part of

And setting aside restraint of the

Why are the police viewed as

The word on the street is that the

Surrendering a sense of protection

For great swathes of America, the

‘Sometimes, rules are less

Isn’t it in the greatness of

Now might be the right time to pull

3 ANIMATED CHAPTER GRAPHIC. ‘BROKEN WINDOWS’. 3

4 SQUARE ONE WAREHOUSE SETTING. 4

The warehouse setting is populated with characters from the

Occaisionally, there are out of focus confrontations and

Largely speaking, police in America

They’re a force that has come to

Reform debate that focuses on new

July 17, 2014 cellphone sequence of Garner tackled by police,

6 SQUARE ONE. WAREHOUSE SETTING. 6

The PRESENTER walks down the main street marked ‘Shaw

MICHAEL RENDER stands nearby next to a wall with ‘City of

In her own words along the lines

2014 incident of 12-year-old African-American boy, killed in

9 SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF JOHN CRAWFORD. 9

Crawford was a 22-year-old African-American man shot and

Personal images from the family album of the two men.

11 CELLPHONE VIDEO SEQUENCE. SHOOTING OF WALTER SCOTT. 11

Brief highlight from witness's video, showing Officer Michael

MICHELLE ALEXANDER (V.O.)

MICHAEL RENDER joins the debate on the board.

Interview with the rapper, actor and activist.

In his own words along the lines

In 2012 young Harlem resident Alvin

In response, the Police Officer

Secret recording of the ‘stop-and-frisk.’

The presenter moves on.

The PRESENTER moves across THE SQUARE to COREY PEGUES. In an

Interview with retired NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues.

In his own words along the lines

It’s hard to get into the mind of

The principle being that most

Training such as the ‘Fair and

Most officers have already been

As you can imagine, these programs

The issues persist even though the

All pass through a highly organised

Dashboard camera video shows a police officer from Victoria,

COREY PEGUES (V.O.)

The man tried to explain that the

17 INT. INTERVIEW. COREY PEGUES. DAY. 17

Interview with retired NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues on

18 INT. INTERVIEW SETH STOUGHTEN. DAY. 18

SETH STOUGHTEN is a former Police Officer.