Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1983-04-10

Duration: 00:26:38

Subjects: Police shootings | Crime | Law Enforcement | African Americans | Baton Rouge Police Department

Contributors:

• Hinton, Rob Host
• Stewart, Genevieve Host
• Rhodes, Ernest Speaker
• Eames, George Interviewee
• Bonnano, Pat Interviewee
• Reed, Willis Interviewee
• Delpit, Joe Interviewee
• Brown, Reginald Interviewee

This episode of the series “Folks” from April 10, 1983, focuses on the relationship between the black community and the police. Rob Hinton first reports on the recent trial of the Algiers 7, seven New Orleans police officers who were indicted on charges of violating the civil rights of four men from the Algiers neighborhood. Genevieve Stewart then reports on the strained relationship between the black community and the Baton Rouge Police Department following the January 24th fatal shooting of E.J. Mincer, an African American, by Ernest Rhodes, a white police officer. She interviews George Eames of the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP and Pat Bonnano, the Baton Rouge police chief. Hinton also interviews Willis Reed of the Louisiana Political Action Council about the case. Hinton and Stewart then conduct an in-studio interview with State Representative Joe Delpit and Major Reginald Brown of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. They discuss: the relationship between the black community and the police; recommendations to improve the relationship; whether white officers are intimidated by working in black neighborhoods; myths about the police; and the need for a community dialogue.