Richmond Police Department Surveillance collection, 1961/1975

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Commonwealth University, Cabell Library
James Branch Cabell Library
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 842003
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284-2003
Contact for questions and access:
POC: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-1108
Fax: (804) 828-0151
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research with the exception of some of the films and personal information cards. Films of public activities in public spaces, which constitute the majority of the films, are available through the VCU Libraries Digtial Collections. Films where the subjects were unaware they were being recorded are not available online. Those films can only be accessed in the Special Collections reading room at James Branch Cabell Library. When this is the case, the item will state "For access to this digital file, please consult Special Collections and Archives staff for assistance."

Box 18, Personal Identification Cards is restricted for privacy reasons. Researchers may be able to access the information in an anonymized way. Please contact VCU SCA for more information

Preferred citation:

Richmond Police Surveillance collection, 1961-1975, Collection # M 571, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Summary

Extent:
169 Items 156 films and 13 audio reels and 9.4 Linear Feet 12 cd boxes, 2 flat file boxes, and 3 document cases.
Creator:
Richmond (Va.). Police Department and Duling, Dalton Rotruck "Ricky", 1926-2010
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Richmond Police Surveillance collection, 1961-1975, Collection # M 571, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains film and audio reels pertaining to civil rights and other activities in the 1960s and 1970s in Richmond, Virginia, and surrounding states. These include the H. Rap Brown trial, Lincoln Memorial Peace March, the Martin Luther King memorial at the Virginia State Capitol, Anti-Bussing protests, the Poor People's Campaign, student protest marches, surveillance of the Black Panthers, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), the National Socialist White People's Party, and illegal abortion providers. There are also reels of police training videos, retirement parties, and the 1969 flood. In addition to the film and audio reels, there are also photographs of many of the events recorded on film reels, as well as Personal Information Cards.

Series 1: Audio Recordings

Digital copies of audio recordings, arranged alphabetically.

Series 2: Film Recordings

Digital copies of film recordings, arranged alphabetically.

Series 3: Professional Organizations and Service

Original film and audio reels. Arranged numerically by VCU-assigned reel number. For which digitized reel they correspond to, please contact Special Collections and Archives to see the inventory.

Series 4: Photographs and Personal Information Cards

Photographs taken by the Richmond Police documenting protests, marches, "undesireable" people, movements, or places, locations, and other events. Unfortunately, these events remain unidentified except by the roll of film number, with no key indicating what the images are of. As such, the photographs are arranged numerically by the police-assigned roll number.

Personal Information Cards contain information on individual people being surveilled by police. This can include their address, what they are being surveilled for, and their employment, among other things. They remain in the order in which they were recieved, which is no particular order.

Biographical / historical:

During the turbulent years of the 1960s and 1970s, the Richmond, VA police department surveilled groups, people, and events they determined to be subversive, counter-cultural, or threatening. Most of the films were taken at public events, with officers filming from the street-level sidelines or even embedded in the event. There are other instances where police are covertly filming people entering private homes or secret events from higher or hidden vantage points. The footage they took are considered general-investigatory, non-evidential, non-permanent records. While it appears the department was primarily focused on the Civil Rights, Black Power, Women's Rights, and Anti-War movements, they also surveilled those involved with the White Power and anti-integration movements.

Acquisition information:
Virginia Commonwealth University acquired the collection from David Jackson in 2017.
Custodial history:

Detective Ricky Duling maintained these materials after retirement. After his death they were given to David Jackson, who transferred them to VCU Libraries.

Arrangement:

Series 1: Audio Recordings

Series 2: Film Recordings

Series 3: Film and Audio Reels

Series 4: Photographs and Personal Information Cards

Physical / technical requirements:

The film and audio reels have been digitzed for use. Digitized files need a computer or other internet-enabled device to access.

Material specific details:
There are an additional two unprocessed boxes awaiting conservation. These boxes are not yet available for research.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard