Memphis police cut ties with TV's 'First 48'
Show sensationalizes city violence, council says

By Hank Dudding

Monday, May 12, 2008

The A&E police documentary that made TV stars of local homicide detectives appears to be DOA in Memphis.

Police director Larry Godwin decided not to renew the department's deal with the company that produces "The First 48" after several City Council members voiced concerns that the show made the Bluff City look like Murder Central.

"I heard out-of-town people say Memphis was out of control," said City Council member Wanda Halbert. "We were exposing the world to the worst aspects of our city."

Godwin told her last week that he'd ended the deal, Halbert said.

"The First 48" follows detectives in several cities from crime scene to interrogation room as they try to solve murders during the two days immediately following a homicide.

The body count is high, although graphic elements and faces are blurred.

In terms of violence, Halbert said, Memphis isn't much different from other big cities. But "that show kind of sensationalizes it, and you have to take that into consideration."

"The First 48" executive producer John Kim, 40, argues that the show's message can be easily misinterpreted.

"It's not about murders," he said, "it's about how homicide detectives solve murders."

The show also builds a rapport between the community and detectives, Kim said, which often leads to crime-solving tips.

Kim said he was told in a phone call earlier this month that the deal wouldn't be extended because of "pressure from certain members of the City Council."

That's a first, he said. "We've never had a situation where city politics came into play."

Four Memphis episodes of the series are still in the can, including one that follows detectives inside the notorious Lester Street crime scene. Jessie Dotson is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in that case.

"When people see this episode, they'll see how much time investigators put into solving this crime and charging somebody with it," Kim said.

Several Memphis detectives built national followings on the show, including Maj. Toney Armstrong, whose table-pounding, come-to-Jesus interrogations coaxed confessions from more than one wayward suspect who came to see the detective as a father figure.

Armstrong's work in the Dotson interrogation is particularly noteworthy, Kim said. Watching him "extracting a confession from the suspect, it is just amazing."

Other detectives who became known through the show include Sgts. Tony Mullins, Caroline Mason and Connie Justice.

Kim hopes his production company can meet soon with the council in hopes of renewing the relationship. And, he said, fans have started an online petition at petitiononline.com/mem48/petition.html.

The show also plans to put a message at the end of each episode directing viewers to victims' support organizations.

Halbert said the chances of a renewal are extremely slim.

"For me, right now, I think Memphis needs to focus on cleaning the image of our city."

In addition, the contract paid nothing to Memphis.

"When you have a TV show, somebody's making money," she said.

"They didn't even put money into our victims' fund."

-- Hank Dudding: 529-2565