I can’t really add much to what others have pointed out other than to say, well done in sticking with a project you feel personally is needed to be shown, and hanging in there. Must of taken a lot of time and effort to come up with these images. Sometimes I think we forget how much effort is needed to capture some circumstances in to an image that conveys that moment.

Stay safe and hang in there.

peter.

Thanks for the link to Freed’s work, truly outstanding!
The thing is, it’s a different time. Back in the late 70′s, they relied on their personalities more, perhaps they knew their communities more or were just more involved. The big issue from top brass was wearing your hat / headgear. Today, these cops have heavy vests, more gear and more dangers in their job description. I feel they clone themselves more uniformly. They put up that wall to deal with these modern problems and issues. I do see them cut loose a bit, but that’s because I’m in uniform too. As a photographer, I guess it helps with who you team up with, that connection. Maybe the only way to have their story told, would be for a cop to shoot it?
Now the funny thing is, when I see a cop, I see someone who didn’t pass the FDNY test. Better job, no gun!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26075003@N04/2690131299

Indeed, but also why “we know so incredibly little about our boys”, no?…

A veil we then expected Jerome, (a fine photographer, let it be said again) lift a bit, from his own experience.

Dear Sir, thank you, this is by far the highest compliment I could possibly garner about my project, I’m truly humbled!

Concerning other documentaries of the boys in blue, my main inspiration for this project, of which I kept a copy of his book in my camera bag throughout, was Magnum photographer Leonard Freed’s “Police Work”:

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/c.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.BookDetail_VPage&pid=2K7O3R18WIKQ

Sincere regards,

Jerome

(As seen on…Burn.)

For example, a wide shot of an empty truck stop with cops huddled at a table in one corner would tell us in an image what you did in the text, more so than the picture included here.

The “heated discussion” was a moment I’m sure you vividly recall, but other than the caption it is in no way recounted in the image.

So maybe go back to the proofs and find those less “COPS” moments and the more off kilter, maybe even mundane moments. They may actually be the more humanistic ones.

Best,

Charles

Congratulations on this essay. I have also looked at your link, and wish they were all included here.

I am a fan of straight up well crafted story telling, which is what we have here.

I can also appreciate some of the comments here about lack of “soul” etcetera, and love Johns’ comment, “make me want to look at the pictures”. There is a feeling of being along for the ride, which of course you were. I’d love it to be a little more up close and personal, both photographically and emotionally speaking. It is emotionally very flat. Expressions are uniformly deadpan, even the fight scene for the most part. Perhaps this was deliberate.

In the end it’s your show, and it’s hard to fault personal choices. I too look forward to seeing more. I’d also love to hear how you feel about the success of the project, and what you might do differently.

Bravo

1. Visually, your composition is excellent.
2. You could use some text editing, but by no means is this a detractor from the piece.
3. Since, as stated in your intro, this essay was crafted in 1997, it in fact, is a current piece and any derogatory reference to Jerky Springer or Cops is weak at best.
4. “Getting to know” these cops i.e. hanging out with them in a bar after a bust, in my opinion was not the intent and to say these images do not capture their essence is simply not true. You were riding shotgun, you’re not a cop…you see what you see, you send it to us. You did your job most competently.

Bravo, Monsieur Brunet, I look forward to your next installment. Encore

Before I read a word, I looked at your entire series. Then I went away, bought myself a cup of coffee, drove around in the sub-zero air, shot a few pocket camera frames of Wasilla out the car window, including some cops making a bust of some kind.

My reaction upon looking at the photos was that you have some strong singular images of crimes scenes and such. You do. You have some strong images. Number 5 is my favorite. To me, it speaks more strongly of the dangers that a cop might walk into than any of the others.

After reading your text, I have to agree with many of the above. While you did a good job of showing us the crime scenes, none of the photos explores the inner-man inside the police officers doing this work – and that is your stated goal.

You have good access. These officers have let you into their lives. Go back and tell us who they are.

It’s clear that you also want to write. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to help you edit it a big.

I’d like to start by personally thanking David & Anton for giving me this amazing opportunity to present this project, I am truly honored and humbled to have been given this spotlight here on Burn.

I started this six month project back in 1997 with the goal of presenting an in-depth look at international law enforcement throughout the world, but due to time and financing issues I’ve had to put it on hold.

Although this project has opened doors, won awards and recognitions (Black & White Spider awards, AI-AP) it remains mostly unseen from professional publications.

I’m hoping to start 2010 with the next chapter of the project – Oakland: Street Wars

Thank’s again for all your comments, pros & cons, and for those who wish to view the entire piece please visit: http://jeromebrunet.com/cop_index.html

Sincere regards,

Jerome

NO SOUL!

DIDACTIC.

Even the treatment seems conservative. Certainly competent, but competent aint what it used to be.
You see to have some access here. Take some risks. make we want to look the pictures, not just flip through them.

John

Wow, no less!?!?

Gotta be with Patricia, Jim and Panos on that. These are just work-a-day local News coverage of something we are all aware of, as panos explains. Your claim that we know so little about our cops is basic photo-essay underlining blah-blah. Not that in the end you end up showing us what we wouldn’t know, in any of your shots, despite your long explanation. Nothing wrong with the photography, but a bloody face doesn’t make a strong image by itself. Here the Capa warning, too far etc… rings again (if your intention was beyond mere collecting of a police-on-the-beat outing)

I think with such great access as you seem to have, much more could be achieved, creative juices and all that. The second shot is a case in point. Absolutely great imagery waiting to be unearthed with many levels of undesrtanding, or rather seeing, and I instantly thought what Nachtwey could have done with this, like some kind of baptism with cops “playing” the role of St John-the-baptists. I almost think you saw that too, and frankly, you were, as david says often… Almost there.

My criticism is in no way one of your talents, more that it seems to me you may be caught up too much in daily coverages, professionally, to free all these creative juices.

IMO.

First congratulations for being published here…

I have looked at your essay 2 to 3 times now as I did not know what to think of it at first…. your pictures are certainly very well composed but somehow, I felt there was something missing for me and could not quite articulate what it was… You certainly are showing us some of the tricky situations that officers have to deal with, the violence, the drug and you have had great access so there are no doubt some interesting pictures…. but as Pat has said, we have seen such scenes many times before so what is it that you want to share with us that would go beyond what we already know or have seen before, be on TV or whatever…. when I have read your statement, I thought you were going to share with us who these men are , how they manage/ struggle to deal with this violence…. you say that we know very little about “our boys” but I was left somewhat disappointed that you did not share anything deeper about these men apart from the “cliche” of the action shots…. Personally, I would have loved to see the face of these men at the bar/ restaurant having just gone through a tough situation, the fatigue, the stress, maybe some compassion who knows… I would have loved to know more about who these “boys” are and I am afraid I did not now anything new about them by the end of the essay…. May be a missed opportunity in my view if your intent was for us to better understand these men…. but maybe this was not what you had in mind…..would love to have your pov….

Eric

Patricia