Crime & Safety

New Hartford-Based Crime Show Launching in 2012

A Hartford police officer and a career criminal collaborated to create "Second District" in efforts to add a real element to crime television.

A Hartford cop and criminal's common belief that crime television is unrealistic led to the creation of a Hartford-based fictional crime show of their own that will launch in 2012.

Hartford Police Officer Mark Manson met career criminal Felix Soto during one of his shifts and while they didn't agree on many things, they have collaborated on The Second District, their new crime drama that has been picked up for syndication for the New Year, The Hartford Courant reported. It will air on Fox CT and WCCT locally and reach cities as far as Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas, to name a few, the newspaper reported.

Manson, Soto and Felix Kahbran Dones are the writers for the show, which is about "the lives of the police officers, politicians, criminals, government officials and citizens of Hartford," Manson wrote on imdb.com.

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NBC CT reported that the show was filmed in many areas of Hartford and features the Second District, or the North End of Hartford, which the series trailer dubs "the most dangerous area in Hartford."

Manson, also executive producer, further describes the plot on imdb.com:

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"The story follows the lives of two of the main characters, Darrien Cruz, a patrolman, and Phillippe 'Sin' Cortez, who is the leader of a powerful gang responsible for most of the shootings and drug trafficking in Hartford. Cruz, who wants to become a narcotics detective, and Sin, a disillusioned career criminal, cross paths. Sin sees an opportunity in becoming an informant for Cruz. He will work for Cruz and Cruz alone. Together, they begin solving homicides and major drug offenses."

The show's Facebook page is already buzzing with anticipation for the new series. The creators are already asking fans what guest stars they would like to see in episodes, such as Method Man, Ice-T and Jessica Alba.

According to The Courant, the pilot was shot in July 2010 and filming for five of the 10 episodes contracted for this season should be completed by July 2012.


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