Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops

To be perfectly honest, as a movie Ernie And Joe is a somewhat routine affair. Follow subjects, interview subjects, point, shoot, move on. And most of the time that would be a problem, creating a lack of engagement or energy. However, McShane is intelligent enough to realize that trying to add pizazz to what is being portrayed here, especially in this particular climate of police relations with citizens, would ring hollow. ... Ernie And Joe struck a deeply personal core with me, as I am sure it will with most audience members.

Moving in its humanity and forceful in its pragmatism, the documentary feels like essential viewing, especially for decision makers with the power to enact similar initiatives.

As well as building a strong case, through example, of the implications for towns and cities across the country, the film delivers telling glimpses of the personal day-to-day coping mechanisms of the cops themselves.

As promising as Ernie and Joe’s program may seem, there is no insight into whether the nation’s law enforcement agencies are prioritizing these humane methods.