Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story

A documentary presented by Not In Our Town and the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office

Watch the Trailer | About the Film | Download the Guide | Full Film | Additional Resources

Trailer

About The Film

Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story shows how Arlington, TX Police Chief Will Johnson and his department worked with community leaders and youth after a series of crises rocked the community. The killing of an unarmed black youth by a white police officer, the death of a high school football player in gang related violence, and the ambush killings of police officers in Dallas all presented the agency with formidable tests of trust within the community. Emphasizing his core operating principles of transparency and meaningful community partnerships, Chief Johnson explains, “The one thing I know with over 20 years policing: You will go into a crisis with the relationships you had before that crisis ever happened.” The film shows how those relationships play out in civic life through mentorship programs, community gatherings, protests and faith vigils, departmental training sessions, and high school football. (27 minutes)

Download the Guide

Download the guide here.

This guide is designed as a tool for law enforcement and community groups to facilitate screenings and discussions of the 27-minute film Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story. The guide provides: discussion questions and tips for organizing internal law enforcement agency and community screenings; information about procedural justice and legitimacy; and supplemental resources. Used together, the film and guide can help agencies work together with personnel and community members to initiate conversations about trust building, procedural justice, and institutional legitimacy in order to improve relationships between police and the communities they serve.