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Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Brandt Williams

How policing is different for ‘Women in Blue’

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Deirdre Fishel was filming members of the Minneapolis Police Department long before the video of an officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck went viral and the department became the subject of national outrage.

The independent filmmaker wanted to know if women approached policing differently, so she connected with women serving on the Minneapolis force in 2017.

Poster of a movie "Women in Blue."
Poster of a movie, "Women in Blue," directed by Deirdre Fishel.
Courtesy of "Women in Blue"

Filming lasted through August 2020 and followed a handful of women in the department — including former Chief Janee Harteau — as they pushed for policing reforms and gender equity.

The end result is the new documentary “Women in Blue.”

Thursday, MPR News reporter and guest host Brandt Williams spoke with the filmmaker and a former MPD officer about what they learned from the project.

Guests:

  • Deirdre Fishel is an independent filmmaker and the director of “Women in Blue.” 

  • Melissa Chiodo is the Chief of Police for the Inver Grove Heights Police Department and a former commander in the Minneapolis Police Department. 

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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