Brick City : Season 1

It's 2008 and Newark is leading the nation in homicide reduction. Traditionally violent summer months could erase those gains, so Mayor Cory Booker and Police Director Garry McCarthy put new programs and systems in place to keep the streets safe. Longtime Blood gang member, Jayda, juggles her inspiring work as a youth counselor with motherhood and romance with a Crip named Creep. When Jayda's pregnancy creates excitement, an ugly episode in her past threatens plans for a bright future.

Jayda remains in jail as Creep struggles to take care of his and Jayda's children, while his boss at Integrity House, a respected therapeutic center, contacts authorities on her behalf. Mayor Booker attends public ceremonies relating to trade and housing, and faces skepticism and criticism at a community meeting in the city's middle-class North Ward. Business Administrator Michelle Thomas lays out the grim facts about the city's budget for Mayor Booker. At the regular CompStat (crime statistics)

It is July, and the word comes down that Newark's new Central High School building - now nearly 10 years and $100 million in the making - may not be ready for the start of the school year. It's a development that leaves everyone angry, and it's up to Principal Ras Baraka and Vice Principal Todd Warren to prepare contingency plans and maintain morale among students, parents and staff. Creep and Jayda reconcile, and Jayda meets with the straight-talking, savvy defense lawyer Brooke Barnett about h

For the first time in more than 50 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus comes to Newark, an event that is a testament to the city's increased viability and improving public profile. Meanwhile, Director McCarthy's efforts to change Newark's policing methods have begun encroaching on areas traditionally overseen by the Chief of Police. Jayda makes her first court appearance in her pending case, and her lawyer investigates the claims made against her. The Newark Police Department an

The city posts its 50th murder of the year, raising fresh concerns about the public safety policy. As he campaigns for Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Mayor Booker must also decide which candidate to support in the critical race for Municipal Council in the Central Ward. As he surveys the scene of a daytime dual, shooting, Director McCarthy wonders if an intra-gang war is brewing. After Newark's streets explode in gunfire - including an incident near Central High - McCarthy demands a plan to de