Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops is an intimate documentary following two officers with the San Antonio Police Department’s Mental Health Unit as they work to change the way police respond to people experiencing mental health crises.
Through their daily encounters, the film offers a compassionate look at what can happen when law enforcement approaches crisis with patience, empathy, and human connection. Ernie and Joe’s work represents a different model of policing, one centered on listening, de-escalation, and helping people access care instead of entering the criminal justice system.
Director Jenifer McShane was drawn to this story after seeing, through her previous film Mothers of Bedford, how many people with untreated mental illness end up behind bars. When she learned about the innovative work of SAPD’s Mental Health Unit and met Ernie and Joe, she saw a powerful example of officers working to create a more humane response. The film highlights a form of jail diversion that supports not only people in crisis, but also their families and communities.
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops is available to watch on HBO and can also be licensed or hosted for educational, community, public safety, law enforcement, and training screenings. For organizations interested in using the film as a resource for conversation, training, or public programming, please use the links below to learn more about acquiring or screening the film.
The film has received generous support from the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Fork Films, The David & Lura Lovell Foundation, The Texas Mental Health Collaborative, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, and LEF Foundation.