The Interrupters Documentary: Chicago's Efforts to Reduce Violence
The Interrupters, a 2011 documentary by James and Kotlowitz, is centered on Chicago's law enforcement and efforts to reduce violence. The 2011 documentary includes a large number of reported crimes, including murder and drug offenses. The video also includes a number of crime prevention tactics, such as community and police policing and crime prevention initiatives within the corrections system.
Crime Prevention through Community and Police Policing
The Interrupters portrays a Chicago where crime rules, with people being charged with and found guilty of offenses like murder and drug trafficking. Policing crime prevention is one of the main methods of crime prevention. The documentary primarily focuses on community members, including ex-offenders who go by the name of The Interrupters and try to disrupt. Led by such people as Ameena Matthews, the community of determined youth convene in a meeting in which they resolve to prevent crime before it can take place. As a recommendation, the program by Ameena and others is based on resolving conflicts between community members before it can morph into violence. They meet with conflicting parties and talk the issue out as a way of peacefully amending situations for the better. Additionally, resolutions revolve around schooling as a way of keeping the youth not only busy but also focused on their goals. While there is a high presence of police officers, it is apparent that they cannot help to fight crime in the area.
Corrections-Based Crime Prevention
Another crime prevention that is evident in The Interrupters is corrections crime prevention. The people who take part in the initiative to interrupt crime have been in prison. For instance, a man talks of the former prisoners having a total of 500 years in prison. This means that correction based crime prevention is common in Chicago. An example of a former prisoner in the documentary is Eddie, who is part of Ameena's team.
References
James, S. (Director), & Kotlowitz, A. (Producer). (2011). The interrupters. United States.
