Dallas Police 1987 – A photo report inside the patrols of NorthWest Dallas
Spring 1987, NorthWest Dallas. A seven-day immersion into the daily life of the local police. This photographic report captures the atmosphere of an era: nighttime interventions, traffic stops, unpredictable weather, vintage vehicles… scenes frozen on film, balancing quiet observation and graphic composition.
In May 1987, during a stay in Dallas, I requested permission to accompany the municipal officers of NorthWest Dallas on patrol. This local unit, funded by the city, operates within a limited urban area, unlike state forces such as the state troopers. My request, made spontaneously at a neighborhood precinct, was accepted. I was able to follow several patrol teams, by day and by night, for an entire week.
A minimal yet versatile setup
This report was shot on film, using three Nikon cameras: an FM2 loaded with Fujichrome 100 for color images, an FM with Ilford HP5 400 ISO for black and white, and a Nikon F with a removable viewfinder, using HP5 pushed to 1600 ISO for low-light scenes.
This last body allowed for a particular framing technique: I removed the eye-level finder from the Nikon F and composed directly on the ground glass, viewing the reversed image. To stabilize the camera, I passed the strap around my neck and gently pulled downwards with both hands. This created three points of contact and improved stability, enabling me to shoot at relatively slow shutter speeds even in dim light. Framing at chest height, without looking through the viewfinder, forced me to construct images graphically, distributing visual elements across the frame, sometimes tilting the horizon for better balance.
The lens kit included a 24 mm f/2.8, a 35 mm f/1.4 (heavily used at night), a 50 mm f/1.8, an 85 mm f/1.8, and a 180 mm f/2.8. The close distance to subjects made long lenses less useful.
Street scenes, unpredictable weather and ambient light
The interventions I witnessed were generally uneventful. The photographs reflect this daily routine: traffic stops, conversations with residents, vehicle inspections. All images were taken with available light, without flash, which gives them a raw and honest quality.
One particular scene stood out: a nighttime response to a break-in at a gas station, where a man had slipped through a window to steal cigarette cartons. Hiding behind a fridge when the officers arrived, he had to be held until the owner came to press charges. That night, it was raining. Officers wore pale raincoats that stood out in the beam of the headlights. The rain added a luminous texture to the scene. I was able to capture several images during this wait, making use of the headlights and reflections on the wet pavement.
A visual testimony from a bygone era
The photographs taken during this week were not part of any assignment. They were not meant to illustrate any specific news story, but rather to document a context, an atmosphere, a type of fieldwork. The film grain, the colors of the police vehicles, the uniforms, the neon lights, all contribute to the value of this work as a visual testimony.
This selection of images also serves as a reminder of the technical limitations of the time: limited ISO, narrow exposure latitude, the need for precision in every frame. Under such conditions, producing a usable image could be a challenge. This report follows a documentary approach, composed without staging, and with full respect for the reality of the moment and the people involved.
The gallery below presents around twenty of these photographs. No commercial use is intended. They are published here for documentary and artistic purposes only.
Photo Gallery – NorthWest Dallas Police 1987
Click on the images below to view them fullscreen.
All photos on this website are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No use allowed without written authorization.
Toutes les photos de ce site sont protégées par copyright © Sebastien Desnoulez, aucune utilisation n’est autorisée sans accord écrit de l’auteur.
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