Flint Town: State Of Policing Present In Flint, Michigan

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The Netflix documentary series “Flint Town” exposes the state of policing present in Flint, Michigan. With Flint consistently being one of the most violent and dangerous cities in America, whilst simultaneously being victims of a city-wide water contamination crisis, the police force is under immense stress to protect the members of the community. The documentary shows the stark differences between Flint and policing in Australia, with the extreme prevalence of violence being a major theme throughout the series. Before viewing Flint Town, I was truly unaware of the extreme amount of crime and violence that was present in some communities in America, and how dangerous it could be to be a police officer. Furthermore, with the lack of trust the …show more content…

With the devastating effects of the water quality being felt amongst the community, this has led to a lack of trust in the government supporting and helping ensure the prosperity of Flint, and the new police chief Tim Johnson taking a proactive stance on fighting crime resulting in increased arrest numbers. Through the adoption of hot spot policing, especially around the “Liquor Plus Mini Mart”, Johnson intends to reduce crime rates by stopping it at the cause. In episode 6, my perspective of the role of police shifted with the crackdown on loitering around places deemed ‘hot spots’. My perspective changed as I never understood why loitering was outlawed, but in this case, it was a needed change to ensure the safety of those shopping at the liquor store, and those around the premises. When it came to light that Flint had faced “6 or 7 homicides in a week” in October of 2016 (Canepari et al., 2018), this furthermore amplified my respect for the courageous nature of the police, with them placing themselves in the middle of the risk to ensure the safety of the community. Furthermore, according to research conducted by the United States Department of Justice, communities with high levels of disorder possess a more negative outlook on the police (National Institute of Justice, 2003). With Flint being one of the more violent and dangerous towns in Michigan, this further decrease the trust in the police to act impartially and to protect them. This also reaffirms my changed perspective on the police in being appreciative for their incredible efforts and