kid's n cops

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Kids N'Cops Is a photographic essay comprised of photographs of the quasi relationship between police and children. These photographs pose questions. In the two years I spent riding in police cars documenting the Philadelphia police in their day to day operations I discovered this strange lacking relationship emerging in front of my lense. Police arresting kids, police arresting their loved ones. Police assigned to catching kids when they skip school and taking them back, in a cat and mouse game. Kids laundering in police scenes inches away from cops, watching, taking it in, judging. And the cops, totally unaware of their presence. Some cops are so immersed in what they are doing they don't notice the kids, and some just don't care. Like a coin there is always another side, I saw cops taking kids home when they were not supposed too. I saw cops comforting a boy who was a victim of a crime. A cop taking the time to stop on the street to chat or give a young child a chance to sit in his squad car, blow the siren, put on the emergency lights. But these photographs pose questions. One that is most prominent to me is at what age and why do children begin to dislike cops ? Why do they turn their backs on their childhood heros ? What makes some turn towards the bling of the drug dealer as a mentor instead of the security of the police badge ? What is that pivotal moment ? Was it peer pressure ? Was it something they saw ? Was it an incident that scared them ? Was it their family's values ? What makes so many children distrust the police ? And what can we do about it ? Boys on bikes
Two woman were beating each other with baseball bats, both were arrested. One went to the hospital. The other went to jail. "Those kids were out there the whole time, they saw everything". p/o John Spence 18th district
"That's why these kids are growing up so fucked up. These are the people who are supposed to show them how to grow up, and there they are, out there hitting each other with baseball bats!" p/o John Spence 18th district
Busted for stealing video games "I take in about twenty kids a week. I tell em all the same thing. I tell them that they are GREAT and that they can do GREAT things, that this is just being stupid! I tell them to get their act together." P/o Josh Pierson 9th district
Josh thinks he only hits home with about 2% out of the twenty kids, but keeps on wishing for more.
A young Jamican boy with his helmet on and his socks pulled high straddles his bicycle as he watches the Philadelphia police walk a man in handcuffs into the building for processing. I asked the boy afterwards what he was doing. He said " I was bored, so I rode my bike over to watch the cops bring in the bad guys".
Domestic disturbance Two kids wait patiently to hear if their dad is going to be arrested by Officer Perez's partner who's inside a nearby house.

Neighborhood kids watch as one cop search suspected drug dealers and another search the ground around the car for potential disposed evidence.
Sgt. Mike Chitwood stops to ask a group of kids if they saw a gun at a neighborhood disturbance in West Philadelphia.
A young boy watches tenatively as a street disturbance is cleared up in West Philadelphia.
Apache and Patrolman Tucker greet kids at National Night Out. Horses were a great tool for the Philadelphia PD, not only for crowd control but also to get to know local kids.
Philadelphia police Sgt. Michael Chitwood stands by as his men arrest a boy who was dealing crack on a corner nearby. This grandmother saw the police arresting the boy outside her house and brought her grandson out to watch. She wanted him to see what happens to bad boys. A few minutes later Chitwood let the little boy jump into his front seat and put the lights on and pull the siren. When I asked him why he took the time, Chitwood said " We have to get as many on our side as we can, besides, he's a good kid."
Though no Cannibus was found in the car, the odor was pungent. The officer tries to scare the kids who were cruising after curfew, he read them the riot act and threatened to take them in for questioning. Then he cut them a break. He threw the car keys into a wooded lot and let them walk home. He hoped he made an impact.
The questions, and the answers lie in the body language, can you see it?

Kids N'Cops

Is a photographic essay comprised of photographs of the quasi relationship between police and children. These photographs pose questions. In the two years I spent riding in police cars documenting the Philadelphia police in their day to day operations I discovered this strange lacking relationship emerging in front of my lense. Police arresting kids, police arresting their loved ones. Police assigned to catching kids when they skip school and taking them back, in a cat and mouse game. Kids laundering in police scenes inches away from cops, watching, taking it in, judging. And the cops, totally unaware of their presence. Some cops are so immersed in what they are doing they don't notice the kids, and some just don't care.

Like a coin there is always another side, I saw cops taking kids home when they were not supposed too. I saw cops comforting a boy who was a victim of a crime. A cop taking the time to stop on the street to chat or give a young child a chance to sit in his squad car, blow the siren, put on the emergency lights.

But these photographs pose questions. One that is most prominent to me is at what age and why do children begin to dislike cops ? Why do they turn their backs on their childhood heros ? What makes some turn towards the bling of the drug dealer as a mentor instead of the security of the police badge ? What is that pivotal moment ? Was it peer pressure ? Was it something they saw ? Was it an incident that scared them ? Was it their family's values ? What makes so many children distrust the police ?

And what can we do about it ?

Boys on bikes

Two woman were beating each other with baseball bats, both were arrested. One went to the hospital. The other went to jail. "Those kids were out there the whole time, they saw everything".

p/o John Spence 18th district

"That's why these kids are growing up so fucked up. These are the people who are supposed to show them how to grow up, and there they are, out there hitting each other with baseball bats!"

p/o John Spence 18th district

Busted for stealing video games

"I take in about twenty kids a week. I tell em all the same thing. I
tell them that they are GREAT and that they can do GREAT things, that
this is just being stupid! I tell them to get their act together."
P/o Josh Pierson 9th district

Josh thinks he only hits home with about 2% out of the twenty kids, but keeps on wishing for more.

A young Jamican boy with his helmet on and his socks pulled high straddles his bicycle as he watches the Philadelphia police walk a man in handcuffs into the building for processing. I asked the boy afterwards what he was doing. He said " I was bored, so I rode my bike over to watch the cops bring in the bad guys".

Domestic disturbance

Two kids wait patiently to hear if their dad is going to be arrested by Officer Perez's partner who's inside a nearby house.

Neighborhood kids watch as one cop search suspected drug dealers and another search the ground around the car for potential disposed evidence.

Sgt. Mike Chitwood stops to ask a group of kids if they saw a gun at a neighborhood disturbance in West Philadelphia.

A young boy watches tenatively as a street disturbance is cleared up in West Philadelphia.

Apache and Patrolman Tucker greet kids at National Night Out. Horses were a great tool for the Philadelphia PD, not only for crowd control but also to get to know local kids.

Philadelphia police Sgt. Michael Chitwood stands by as his men arrest a boy who was dealing crack on a corner nearby. This grandmother saw the police arresting the boy outside her house and brought her grandson out to watch. She wanted him to see what happens to bad boys. A few minutes later Chitwood let the little boy jump into his front seat and put the lights on and pull the siren. When I asked him why he took the time, Chitwood said " We have to get as many on our side as we can, besides, he's a good kid."

Though no Cannibus was found in the car, the odor was pungent. The officer tries to scare the kids who were cruising after curfew, he read them the riot act and threatened to take them in for questioning. Then he cut them a break. He threw the car keys into a wooded lot and let them walk home. He hoped he made an impact.

The questions, and the answers lie in the body language, can you see it?