- Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Tonight, we showcase a film that asks the question,
"Can more female officers, primarily women of color,
contribute to greater public safety?"
in the film Women in Blue.
The tragic death of George Floyd
at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer
sparked protests and marches across the country.
But even before Floyd's murder,
the MPD was struggling with a culture
of racism and misconduct,
culminating with the dismissal
of the city's first female police chief, Janeé Harteau
following an officer-involved shooting.
Harteau was trying to reform the department
by getting rid of bad cops, retraining others,
and diversifying and promoting women
who statistically use less force than their male counterparts.
Director Deirdre Fishel follows Harteau and other officers
in their effort to build a better trust
between police and the community.
For many documentarians,
it can be difficult to get their subjects to trust them,
especially after being involved in any kind of controversy.
Fishel said it took her a while
to gain the trust of Chief Harteau
but once that trust was established,
Harteau was an open book.
Fishel says she knew she had to tell this story
after the death of Eric Garner, who was choked to death
by a New York City Police Officer
just blocks away from where
Fishel was shooting a previous project.
Fishel also draws a parallel
between Eric Garner and George Floyd,
noting that just before dying,
both men struggled to utter the words,
'I can't breathe.'
Women in Blue takes a hard look
at this critically important issue
and asks the questions,
"Do women police differently
and can they change the conversation?”
Women in Blue starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.