The Wire
Episode 1
See how politics come to place. Socially constructed with the drugs and policing.
Watching the Wire helped me understand a better notion on crime and how crime is socially constructed. The opening scene starts off with one of Marlow henchmen buying a power drill. He enters the store looking for a new power drill to replace the one that malfunctioned. This character in the Wire is called Snoop. Snoop is working under Baltimore new power house drug lord who goes by the name Marlow. This character Snoop is one of Marlow muscle man who does all the dirty work for Marlow not caring about the consequences. When a worker at the store helps assist Marlow henchman Snoop. Snoop shows his gratitude towards the worker and gives him a three hundred dollar tip. During the conversation between Snoop and the worker should have raised a red flag towards the worker and reported. Snoop committed a crime for not actually going up the front and paying for the item so basically stole the item. This shows how crime in Baltimore is socially constructed giving how the worker didn't report the incident and took the tip money. In this episode the scene when the detectives roll up in a red lavish car and press Bodie shows how crime in Baltimore is socially constructed. The detectives begins by telling jokes on Bodie and his crew. The officer acts like Bodie is a good friend of his and in return Bodie listen and crack a smile towards the officer. The fact that the officer knows Bodie for a long time and is aware that Bodie is selling drugs on that corner but still can't bust him for the drugs shows me that crime is socially constructed. I feel as the officer is letting Bodie sell the drugs and leaves him in peace just so he can have a connection or someone to talk to for when more crimes are committed. For example the officer can watch Bodie at the corner and wait for Bodie to make a transaction with a buying and bust him. Bodie can then get arrested and get sentence...