TERRE HAUTE — The Greater Terre Haute Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is asking the city to end the contract between the city and A&E Network's "Live PD" program.
According to information from the Terre Haute NAACP, the group's executive committee on Monday voted unanimously to express opposition to the active presence of "Live PD" in the city "on the grounds that televising individuals at unfortunate and often embarrassing moments in their lives in an attempt to exploit their hardships as entertainment takes unfair advantage of them when they are most vulnerable and most in need of privacy."
The NAACP sent a letter to Mayor Duke Bennett and police Chief Shawn Keen to reconsider the current contract and practice.
According to the NAACP, the show conveys the appearance of guilt prematurely before people have had an opportunity to defend themselves in court. The NAACP also said the public displays can have major negative impacts on individual's jobs and job prospects as well as on present and future relationships with relatives, friends and neighbors.
A spokesman for the Terre Haute Police Department said when the agency signed the contract to be on the show there were multiple reasons they signed on. Among the reasons was added transparency about what the agency does as well as hopes that being on the show could assist in efforts to recruit more officers. The spokesman said the department's position about being a part of the show has not changed.
RTV6 reached out to the mayor's office but has not heard back.
