Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops
An engaging, moving, and important film about the complicated topic of policing practices
A Woodstock Vermont Film Series feature documentary
Streaming Online, March 4-7
WOODSTOCK, VT … Billings Farm & Museum’s 11th Annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series features the award-winning documentary, Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops. Ernie & Joe follows two police officers with the San Antonio Texas Police Department who are diverting people away from jail and into mental health treatment, one 911 call at a time.
In confrontations between law enforcement and the mentally ill, the consequences are often traumatic, if not deadly. Recognizing that police officers are frequently the first responders to incidents involving people with mental illness, the San Antonio Police Department has developed an innovative mental health unit to avoid those negative outcomes. Ernie & Joe is an intimate portrait of two of the Texas police officers who are helping change the way police respond to mental health calls. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together these two officers’ experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis.
The Woodstock Vermont Film Series is produced by Billings Farm & Museum with generous support from local sponsors. Lead sponsors include the Woodstock Inn & Resort and the Ellaway Group. For a full list of films, to learn how to view the films, and to purchase tickets and passes, go to www. billingsfarm.org/filmseries or call 802-457-5303.
The Billings Farm & Museum is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation Inc., a charitable non-profit institution. Billings Farm & Museum is committed to providing educational opportunities and experiences to our visitors, whether here in Woodstock, Vermont or at home wherever you are through our online resources at Billings Farm at Home. Visit us at billingsfarm.org, and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/BillingsFarmMuseum/ and Instagram at instagram.com/billingsfarm/.
PHOTO CAPTION: Ernie Stevens (left) and Joe Smarro (right) riding in car on patrol.
Courtesy of E&J The Film LLC.
