Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia

Rule Number One: Don’t snitch. Don’t talk to the police. Don’t say anything.

Even if you’ve been shot twice in the neck from point blank range, somehow survived and know who the shooter is, don’t snitch.

In the first part of his Law and Disorder series, Louis Theroux spoke to one such kid (and I use the word kid because he can’t have been much older than 18).

He’d been shot in the neck two times from close range and knew who did. His friends knew who did it, His family probably knew who did it.

But not one of them would speak to the police.

Why? (Theroux asked this on multiple occasions)

Because they’re scared of retribution? Because on the streets you live by a code? Because of a rife disaffection with the American justice system?

One things for sure. Frustration breeds violence. On both sides. The police become frustrated that no one talks to them so they come down on people harder.

They can’t touch the people controlling the drug trade so they beat on the corner boys, the slingers, the hoppers.

And then further alienate the community they are meant to serve and protect.

Welcome to Philadelphia.

Broken System

 In the first of a two-part series being aired on BBC2, Louis Theroux spent time on the streets of Philadelphia.

It’s the sixth largest city in America, is home to the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers, and played a central role in American Independence.

It’s even home to the Liberty Bell.

But it’s also is, “a centre of activity for the importation, wholesale distribution and street level sales of illegal drugs on the East Coast.”

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, cocaine is the drug of choice. Heroin is the fastest growing drug. On the local produce front, Methamphetamine is readily available and cannabis is everywhere.

Alongside this, Philadelphia was one of the highest rates of violent and gun crime in America – linked explicitly to the drug trade.

Theroux spent his time with parts of the criminal investigation branch of the Philadelphia Police Department as well as the police officers on the ‘frontline.’

It’s incredibly difficult in the space of an hour to tackle all the issues around the subject.

David Simon and Ed Burns, writers of The Wire, use more than fifty hours of some of the best made TV ever produced to try and do this but still struggle to find any concrete answers.

There has to be a nod to The Wire here because without it, Theroux wouldn’t have been able to make his programme.

Even though it’s only an hour long, the programme is still essential viewing. And much more than, “an episode of Cops” as The Times says.

There are no answers. It’s a cycle in a broken system. At times, some of the police come across little better than those they are arresting.

They threaten, intimidate and are quick to resort to violence. Much like a mid-level player in the drugs trade.

So much so that one police officer, to paraphrase, says, “I’ve got a job, why can’t they get a job? I don’t feel bad when they get killed.” (see 11 minutes in on the programme).

Whereas on the flip side of that, the cop called Hunter, who grew up in the area, understands the street mentality so much better.

On arresting a teenager with a replica gun (Hunter didn’t know it was a replica and was prepared to shoot if the kid drew the gun) he words were, “you dumb, dumb little asshole.”

And then over to the drug side and you have ‘Reds,’ the highest level player Theroux could talk to.

Reds has a cow, a goat, a few dogs, a $30,000 diamond chain. But he uses his muscle to keep violence off his patch. In a semi-philanthropic way, he is trying to establish a community where people can step outside without the fear of being shot.

Real Victims

 The real victims are the users. People who have to score every two hours to stop getting sick. These are the people who society is failing the most. They are ADDICTS. They can’t just stop.

The argument, surely, has to come down to legalisation (see ‘Hamsterdam’ in The Wire). If drugs were legalised much of the illegal trade would stop, users would get clean drugs (which contrary to popular belief aren’t the moral evil many people perceive them as – see Nick Davies’ Flat Earth News) and violent crime would fall.

But still stigmas, ignorance and fear exist around drugs. Not just in America. But wherever you look.

Education needs to be better, the media have to stop pushing the popular drugs myths and a serious debate as to whether illegal drugs should be legalised on a global scale needs to be entered into.

And the argument applies to drug users to. There’s a great post at Starkadder on the economic impact of cocaine use which is well worth a read.

But something needs to change. Across streets in America, in areas across the UK, on a global scale, there is a vicious self-perpetuating circle.

The problems between the police, drugs and violence spiral downwards and will continue to do so.

If politicians are serious about fixing them, then they need to start thinking outside of the box and be prepared to make tough, maybe even radical, decisions.

~ by tommytonkins on December 1, 2008.