The Seven Five

Michael Dowd took the oath to uphold the law and protect the citizens of New York. He was assigned to precinct seven five and, at the time, it was the toughest the city had to offer. He soon found that his small pay check was far from adequate recompense for the life he was leading and so helped himself to some dirty money. After that there was no turning back.

This film features archive footage of the trials and the scenes of the time through the 1980's up to 1993. We also have more recent interviews with the main players. This includes his erstwhile partner Kenny Eurell and even some of the gangsters who 'worked' with these dirty cops.

It is disturbing to think that so many cops could be so blatant in their breaking of the laws they were supposed to uphold. It was also not an isolated incident or two but seemingly endemic with a culture of collaboration with other so called 'good' cops. Being 'good' meant not 'ratting' on your fellow cops and thereby allowing their criminal activities to flourish. There are some stunning black and white still photography of the time and some of these photos look like they belong in a gallery – absolutely stunning. This is a documentary that shows how powerful films can be and how fiction is often far behind where truth actually is – absolutely recommended.

A Wake-up Call

The Seven Five is a documentary about corruption in the NYPD during the 1980s. A police precinct in the East New York Section of Brooklyn, the seven five is located in a notoriously dangerous section of the borough known for drug dealing and a gamut of other crimes. The film is a retrospective accounting by Police Officer Mike Dowd, and others, as they recount their corruption, criminal conduct and other out of control behaviors before getting caught and thrown in jail. What makes this film so riveting, is the candidness in which Dowd and other former officers talk about how they stole money from drug dealers, accepted bribes and established their own criminal enterprise within the NYPD. While the movie goer can appreciate gaining insight in the misconduct of NYPD police officers, we cannot help but feel violated by their conduct and betrayal of the public trust. The seven five is exhibit "A" as far as making the case against police recruitment trends - to recruit individuals from outside of the 5 boroughs to police the city dwellers.

What we learn from the Seven Five is that people in power and authority can abuse it to such an extent as they exploit and feed off the troubles and social ills of poor neighborhoods, and neighborhoods where they have little investment, other than a paycheck. However, what truly makes this movie compelling is that it provides insight into the minds and psychology of corrupt officers as they justify their actions in furtherance of personal gain. This movie should leave you sick to your stomach as you come to terms with your own ignorance of the subject at hand and extrapolate the full extent of possible outcomes with every police interaction. Dowd may no longer be a police officer stalking the streets of NYC, but rest assured corruption exists in many police departments, and the potential for corruption exists in all.

Fantastic Doc, definitely recommend. I don't know how long this has to be but this isn't enough

I found this gripping from start to finish, an amazing insight into outrageous police corruption, I can't recommend enough, well worth a watch.

Cop gets badge. Cop tries to stem the flow of crime. Cop gets hit HARD with the hammer of reality. Cop gets frustrated,& disillusioned. Cop sees opportunity to make actual money. Cop says 'f$&k it',& life will never be the same.not a unfamiliar story,&/or plot line of many movies.....but this aint no movie,it's real life,& it will shock you,Amaze you,and have you wanting the 'bad guy' to get away with it. I work for the Chicago PD,& the first time i heard this story,was in audiobook format,& i just started it over,as soon as it was finished. Ok,first,Mike was bad dude with a badge...sort of. Kenny was a rookie cop,wet behind the ears type of guy.a good dude,& slowly but surely gets sucked in the 'life'.as a cop,i can't hate Mikey,and i can't love Kenny.he's a rat. He could not ever be trusted. Mikey,on the other had,i suit up,& ride with him right now.it's a cop thing,& i don't expect you to get it. Ok,the film was done well,edited well,all boxes checked,yadayadayada. Justbtry not to be shocked too much,by remembering this.....police corruption has been the standard.it has gone on forever,& will continue.this was quite a while ago,&, trust me,it continues to this very day,& this is only the beginning of the start of the tip of Mt. Everest!!