Self-Regulation and "The Gaze" in HBO's The Wire

HBO's The Wire is an interesting show because of its complex story line, dynamic characters, and great cinematography. But what might be more interesting is that the show is a perfect illustration of the idea of self-regulation though the threat of surveillance.

I am examining the role of the "gaze" in the following scene from Season One of The Wire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0VRRVs9wM&feature=related

In this scene, we see a perfect example of self-awareness to the “gaze.” In the scene, we see the transition of D’Angelo Barksdale as he is demoted from working the game in the tower to running the pit. When he first arrives, D realizes that the current operation is too loose: the handoff of drugs and money is too sequential and would be easily spotted by the police. He explains to his crew that they need to change up their strategy to make the handoffs less conspicuous. This awareness of being constantly surveyed illustrates one aspect of the power struggle that we will see throughout the series. The gang constantly has to regulate their actions so as not to be caught by the police. The police, for the most part, know what the gang is up to, but they lack evidence of the crimes committed because the gang operates in a way that prevents the police of easily gaining evidence.

We also see that D’Angelo and his crew are also watching out for the police. When the cops roll up, D and Stinger Bell are warned right before they get there. This also helps to illustrate the idea of surveillance as a means of self-regulation by demonstrating that the gaze works in two ways. As stated before, the gang knows they are being watched and must regulate their behavior/activity accordingly. But they understand that the surveillance is not constant, therefor they are granted a little "wiggle-room." But when they know they are being watched, the crew is very careful.