‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Cast Donates $100,000 Amid Movement For Crime Shows To Pay Their Dues

Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s cast and showrunner have donated $100,000 to a national bailout fund, amid a move for crime and procedural television and film to acknowledge that it valourises police, despite ongoing global police brutality and discriminatory policing against BIPOC people.

In a statement, showrunner Dan Goor said that he and the cast “condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationally”. They have made the collective donation to the National Bail Fund’s Network, which splits donations between more than 60 US funds.

“We encourage you to look up your local bail fund: the National Bail Fund Network is an organisation that can lead you to them.”

It comes after B99 actress Stephanie Beatriz donated $11,000 to the Network’s head, the Community Justice Exchange. She was matching the donation of Griffin Newman, an actor who portrayed a detective on CBS’s Blue Bloods for two episodes. In a tweet, Newman encouraged other actors who have played cops to donate big.

“I’m an out-of-work actor who (improbably) played a detective on two episodes of Blue Bloods almost a decade ago,” he wrote. “If you [sic] currently play a cop? If you make tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in residuals from playing a cop? I’ll let you do the math.”

I’m an out-of-work actor who (improbably) played a detective on two episodes of BLUE BLOODS almost a decade ago.

If you currently play a cop?

If you make tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in residuals from playing a cop?

I’ll let you do the math. pic.twitter.com/En4ww2OSjP

— Griffin Newman (@GriffLightning) June 2, 2020

In response, many Twitter users showed up — not just actors, but writers who have either worked for procedurals in some form, those who played cops in school plays or just people who have watched a lot of Law & Order.

I’m not an actor but I did watch all 434 episodes of Law and Order SVU over a six month period last year and my repentance is long overdue. pic.twitter.com/2Y0LAUZ3nE

— Laura The Internet Explorer (@snotgirl69) June 2, 2020

In an essay for Vulture called “Cops Are Always The Main Characters”, Kathryn VanArendok examines the idea how popular culture has shaped our understanding of police, and largely fail to address police abuses of power. She even calls out Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a sitcom many left-leaning people love, including herself.

“If anything, the show’s lightness makes it an even more effective way to generate empathy for the police, who come across as sweet, thoughtful people just trying their best. It sanitizes the police.”

Find Griffin Newman’s thread of donations here, and read the Vulture essay. Here are bail out funds and fundraisers for Indigenous Australians seeking justice for police brutality, among other causes.