Police and Street Encounters / International Perspectives (Fall 2007)
The photos in this collection were taken over the past five years in various cities in the United States and in several European countries (UK, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Poland). Only the New York series photos were taken as part of an officially approved ride along with the officers. This allowed considerable discussion with the officers about their routines and how they viewed citizen encounters. However, finding ride alongs placed severe restrictions on what could be photographed (e.g., no shots of persons being arrested), a switch was made to doing street photography instead. Long zoom lenses (up to 300mm) were used so that many of the shots in this collection are candids and shot unobtrusively.

This series focuses on police-civilian interactions by comparing visual components of police work such as uniforms, equipment, and modes of transportation. Police are depicted on foot, on roller blades, on motorcycles, on boats, with horses and in traditional patrol cars. Getting police officers out of patrol cars and in closer street contact with citizens has been a community policing strategy adopted in many countries. Activities during which police presence was pervasive such as Carnival and other parades, sporting events, visits of heads of state, Halloween, etc., provided unique opportunities for observing how police maintain order, often through a combination of overwhelming force presence and community policing strategies.

Getting the public to trust and respect the police in former socialist countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland has not been an easy task, as citizens were well aware of the role the police played in maintaining the status quo through using undercover and surveillance techniques (as depicted in the recent film The Lives of Others). As part of an FSU International Programs summer session in the Czech Republic, students have been offered unique access to the Czech Police through participation in police academy training activities.

The photos in this collection represent part of a larger project aimed at documenting the “visual” as it relates to sociological and criminological components of everyday life that impact on crime and social control. Available for all students of the social sciences to observe are how the visual landscape (e.g., two dimensional surfaces, three dimensional objects, and public spaces) provides the backdrop for ordinary citizen encounters and civilian encounters with police.

Also part of this exhibition was a digital photo frame with a number of other photos, entitled:
"Police Interaction with Citizens: Narratives"
By spending an entire day with the police on a ride along, attending a police training exercise, or participating in a public event that has considerable police presence it is possible to take a series of photographs. This allows for a much more thorough understanding of police-civilian encounters as one can add time, space and human interaction information to one’s analysis. In effect, one can establish narratively how a specific event transpired or what happens on a typical work day.

This digital slide show featured photographs from seven such narrative accounts:
1. Operation Black Cloud (March 2003)
This was an antiterrorism practice exercise held at FSU’s football stadium. The terrorists’ actions including bombs, rifle fire and chemical weapons. The responders included multiple police agencies, fire, hospital and other emergency personnel.

2. A Day with NYPD (August 2002)
Starting at morning roll call, the goal was to document a typical day for an NYPD officer serving in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. The 5th Precinct includes Chinatown, Little Italy and Wall Street.

3. Soccer Match in Wales (August 2003)
Police presence outside Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Police were out in force on the streets near the stadium. The arriving team player buses were escorted by mounted police officers to keep fans back.

4. Bush UK Visit Protest (November 2003)
Bush visited London to confer with Tony Blair a year into the War in Iraq. Seen here are the major preparations for the main protest rally in Trafalgar Square and the extensive police presence between there and 10 Downing Street.

5. London Carnival (August 2003)
Carnival is held in London each year as the major celebration by Caribbean, South American and African immigrants to the UK. The parades, music and partying lasts for days. London police are required to give up time off to work as crowd control for this event.

6. FSU students at a Czech police academy (July 2005, 2006, 2007)
Each summer students in FSU’s Prague program visit a Czech police academy in Hrdec Karlove. There the students “participate” in demonstrations by the SWAT and canine units and visit the forensics labs. Students handle weapons and learn about training techniques.