Raided: A Documentary (Official Trailer)

It’s been almost three years since the North Bronx was rocked by the largest gang raid in New York City history. One hundred and twenty people, now known as the “Bronx 120,” were indicted in April 2016, and most of them were rounded up in a single one-night sweep, part of a new era of “precision policing” in the city.

Before that, the NYPD leaned heavily on a different approach, known as “stop and frisk.” Between 2002-2012, the police conducted over 4.8 million stops of “suspicious” people to search them for weapons, drugs, and run their names for outstanding warrants. Nearly all of those people were young men of color, the vast majority of whom were completely innocent. Facing criticism and lawsuits over the program, the NYPD announced a pivot toward anti-gang policing

Using the Bronx 120 raid as a starting point, we have created a documentary to examine this new era of policing in New York City. Combining personal stories with archival footage and interviews with experts, we expose the use of coercive prosecutions, the targeting of underserved communities of color, and invasive and racially disproportionate surveillance. Harmful policing practices have not been eradicated in New York City. They have evolved.

Full documentary will post on The Appeal’s website on Thursday, April 18. Watch the trailer: