Plot: October 2002: can Los Angeles - the murder capital of America - be made a safer place? New LA police chief William J Bratton is brought in to reduce the chilling statistics of 658 people killed in 2002 and restore faith in the force following the beating of Rodney King , OJ Simpson 's trial and the Rampart corruption case. Cameras spend a year with the officers at the forefront of the homicide problem, following struggles between City Hall, rank-and-file cops and the gang members plaguing the streets