Police officers are fully within their rights to use lethal force to defuse life-threatening situations encountered on the job. What happens—however—when they’re too quick to pull the trigger and a senseless tragedy results from their lack of restraint? Much progress has been made towards removing the stigma surrounding mental illness, but startling statistics show that the training of our men and women in blue is severely lacking in that respect. The HBO documentary “Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops” shines the light on two, dedicated lawmen hoping to rescue individuals from such debilitating darkness before it’s too late.
This is not the first project that offers a meaningful glimpse into a mostly unseen aspect of human suffering for director and producer Jenifer McShane. Her 2011 film “Mothers of Bedford” looked at the strained relationships between women behind bars and their children who are forced to grow up without them.
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Here’s the synopsis:
Jenifer McShane’s (Mothers of Bedford) documentary ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS follows San Antonio, Texas police officers Ernie Stevens and Joe Smarro, who are diverting people from jail and into mental health treatment. Part of the San Antonio Police Department’s ten-person mental health unit, Ernie Stevens and Joe Smarro are putting compassionate policing practices into action. Ernie & Joe chronicles their daily encounters with people in crisis, showing how their innovative approach to policing – which takes mental health into account – is having a dramatic effect on the way police respond to these challenges.
“Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops” is set to be released in select theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on November 15 and will premiere on HBO on November 19. Check out the trailer below and see good cops trying to make a difference in their community and beyond.