Behind the Scenes of Cop Reality Shows: Reality vs Dramatization

Have you ever watched Cops or LivePD? If so, you might have noticed that the police officers in these shows don't always act like they do in real life. Do these TV shows sometimes misrepresent the truth? In this article, we'll explore the experiences of real-life police officers who have appeared on some of these reality shows. We'll delve into the truth behind the drama and see how much of what we see on TV is actually based on reality.

Real-Life Experiences: Placas and America's Most Wanted

During the 90s, I was on an episode titled "Placas," a Spanish language version of Cops that aired on Telemundo. This show was aimed at Spanish-speaking audiences. Despite not being told to say or do anything special, there were a few things that were done for the cameras. A scene on the show involved my partner and me attending a shooting incident. While my partner, a large white man who spoke fluent Spanish, explained the situation in detail, I only knew 'academy Spanish' like "stop put your hands up." I had to pretend I was listening as though I was being briefed by a senior officer.

Another time, I appeared on America's Most Wanted for just two seconds while carrying a ram up a housing project. Although the producers were nice and we had a good time, my partner and I were not directed to do anything special. The production staff followed us for a week, simply observing our activities.

Documenting Real Police Work

While the footage in these shows captures some real-life incidents, there are also instances where the footage is heavily dramatized. For example, a friend of mine told me about a period when the production team wanted to film some shifts in a large city. Despite the dedication of the filmmakers, it turned out that after about six months of filming, only ten 30-minute episodes were produced. This highlights the challenge of producing an interesting TV show from mundane police work.

Production staff are typically told they will be observers and are required to sign liability waivers in case they are injured or killed while riding along with the police. They are not there to direct or choreograph scenes, but rather to document the day-to-day activities of street-level police work.

Are Cops Exaggerating for the Cameras?

While the shows are meant to be realistic, sometimes officers might exaggerate or dramatize certain situations to enhance the drama for the audience. This can happen, as seen in episodes where a police officer acts as if a minor offense like urinating in a public alley is a major crime. The illusion that police work involves non-stop car chases, rapes, and robberies is far from the truth. In reality, a lot of police work can be mundane and boring, which doesn't make for exciting TV.

Overall, while these reality shows aim to provide a realistic portrayal of police work, the dramatization and editing can sometimes lead to an overly dramatic presentation of events.