History Series / COPS

''COPS'' was concieved when TV executive, Stephen Chao, having gotten a surprise hit on his hands by launching what would be the pilot of ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', wanted to pitch another show about real crimes and law enforcement. He met with director and producer John Langley in 1987, who suggested an expansion on a concept he had already tested with his one-off special, ''American Vice: The Doping of a Nation'' in 1986, where he had convinced officials of the Broward County, Florida Sheriff's Department to allow cameras to accompany them on a previously-scheduled drug bust. The show eventually hit American TV screens in 1989, and much like ''Most Wanted'', it became an overnight sensation.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''Cops'''s run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''. However, the show is still being produced for international syndication, and to fulfill overseas contracts that have not yet expired, with filming for new episodes having resumed on September 2020.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''Cops'''s run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]Creator/ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several partipants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers if not outright ask, then at least encourage the arrestee to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system, often tarnishing their reputation for years, if not permanently.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''Cops'''s run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]ViacomCBS handles ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''Cops'''s run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]What is now Fox Corporation retained ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''

** People arrested for drug possession will nearly ''always'' try to lie about it. They can be caught driving a car full of drugs, wearing pants made of drugs while smoking drugs, and they'll still claim its not their drugs. Bonus points when they claim it's not their drugs because it's not their car. Apparently car theft is better than drug possession.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several partipants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s) and/or producers. The show's co-creator, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers ask the arrestee to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system, often tarnishing their reputation for years, if not permanently.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. But ultimately, it is worth noting it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several partipants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s). The show's co-creator, John Langley, even openly acknowledged the "color of authority" effect in an interview, explaining that that it was a common policy to have the officers ask the arrestee to sign the waiver, as it would actively discourage them from refusing. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system, often tarnishing their reputation for years, if not permanently.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so it has been assumed that every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. Though it has often been seriously called into question how "voluntary" signing these waivers actually are, with several partipants later claiming that they either had no recollection of signing them, were not sober or in their right mind when signing them, or had signed under duress or false pretenses from the arresting officer(s). There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system, often tarnishing their reputation for years, if not permanently.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system, often tarnishing their reputation for years, if not permanently.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring. There is also the problem that ''COPS'' rarely, if ever, acknowledges when a person arrested on screen is later found to be innocent of any wrongdoing by the justice system,

''COPS'' was concieved when TV executive, Stephen Chao, having gotten a surprise hit on his hands by launching ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', wanted to pitch another show about real crimes and law enforcement. He met with director and producer John Langley in 1987, who suggested an expansion on a concept he had already tested with his one-off special, ''American Vice: The Doping of a Nation'' in 1986, where he had convinced officials of the Broward County, Florida Sheriff's Department to allow cameras to accompany them on a previously-scheduled drug bust. The show eventually hit American TV screens in 1989, and much like ''Most Wanted'', it became an overnight sensation.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person. Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back, ending ''Cops'''s run at 31 years. In addition, the reruns of the first 25 seasons, which Disney acquired when they bought [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] in March 2019[[note]]What is now Fox Corporation retained ownership of Seasons 26 and beyond.[[/note]], were pulled as well, with Disney offering reruns of the final season of the syndicated version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against PoliceBrutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[TooSoon seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''Cops'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back.

Suddenly, in the wake of protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, major networks and their parent companies decided that airing reality programming centered around the police [[TooSoon seemed uncomfortable]]. Thus, ''COPS'' [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 would be cancelled on June 9, 2020]] with Paramount Network announcing that they had no intention of bringing it back.

Not be confused with the animated series ''WesternAnimation/{{COPS}}''.

The show's proven formula that remained popular for years, along with other elements and more, helped ''COPS'' stayed on the air for a record of consistent viewership that many shows couldn't even dream of. The show was also originally part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television, Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule, alongside ''Series/AmericasMostWanted''. ''COPS'''s 25-year run on the Fox network ended in 2013, with the program moving to Creator/SpikeTV that fall. During its run on Spike, [[MilestoneCelebration the show had celebrated airing its 1,000th episode]] on August 21, 2017 as part of its 30th season overall. The show would continued to air as Spike was relaunched as Creator/ParamountNetwork in 2018.

''COPS'' is a reality show that was "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement", which means it's incredibly cheap to make. It was also the longest-running RealityShow on television: it ran from 1989 to 2020, giving it a run of more than three decades. The show had a proven formula that remained popular for years, and it was part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television (Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule; the other show in that schedule was ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', before its ChannelHop). ''COPS'' is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television: there is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

The basic premise is as follows: camera crews follow police officers in various cities as they go about their jobs. While your average police officer's job is generally mundane, ''COPS'' makes it look rather... well, not glamorous, but certainly more action-packed than usual. There's generally a few chases, a few drug busts, a couple of prostitution busts, and more than a few instances of ([[ShirtlessScene usually shirtless]]) trailer trash. Only ''[[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]]'' has [[PointAndLaughShow more trailer trash per episode]] than ''COPS''.

''COPS'' deals with issues from basic domestic disturbances to neighborhood disputes and complaints; the camera crew, it should be noted, is wearing body armor, and in some cases, they're peace officers themselves (and occasionally, they get involved in the action -- one member of the camera crew in a particular episode was an off-duty sheriff's deputy, and had to drop the camera at one point to assist in subduing a rowdy suspect!).

It's been parodied more than a few times, but you can't argue with success: ''COPS'' stayed on the air for 31 years, a record of consistent viewership that many shows couldn't even dream of.

There had been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protested that the "right to know" did not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person.

Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who signed waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring.

''COPS'''s 25-year run on the Fox network ended in 2013. The program moved to [[Creator/SpikeTV Spike]] that fall and continued to air as part of its relaunch as Creator/ParamountNetwork. Prior to this, [[MilestoneCelebration the show had celebrated airing its 1,000th episode]] on August 21, 2017 as part of its 30th season overall.

[[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 The show was cancelled on June 9, 2020 with no intention of bringing it back]]. Protests against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd meant that airing a show about the police [[TooSoon seemed uncomfortable]].

''COPS'' was a reality show that was "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement", which means it's incredibly cheap to make. It was also the longest-running RealityShow on television: it ran from 1989 to 2020, giving it a run of more than three decades. The show had a proven formula that remained popular for years, and it was part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television (Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule; the other show in that schedule was ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', before its ChannelHop). ''COPS'' is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television: there is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season included scenes of police officers off-duty at home with their families. Past the first season, this kind of footage almost never comes up.

* IdiotBall: Running from the police once they've cuffed your hands behind your back. One instance had a suspect run ''twice'' after being handcuffed with predictable results.

* OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope: "Due to the graphic nature of this program, viewer discretion is advised." This is an addition to the second part of the aforementioned OpeningNarration.
* {{Pixellation}}: Used to protect the identities of people who don't sign waivers (In return, the people left unblurred get a small performer's fee. If the editors have to do a lot of blurring, the clip has to be really good), as well as for the usual censorship purposes, and the occasional drunken, nude reveler.

[[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 The show was cancelled on June 9, 2020 with no intention of bringing it back]]. Protests against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd meant that airing a show about the police [[TooSoon uncomfortable]].

''COPS'' was a reality show that was "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement", which means it's incredibly cheap to make. It was also the longest-running RealityShow on television (it premiered in 1989); the show has a proven formula that remained popular for years, and it was part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television (Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule; the other show in that schedule was ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', before its ChannelHop). ''COPS'' is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television: there is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

It's been parodied more than a few times, but you can't argue with success: ''COPS'' stayed on the air for 31 years.

[[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 The show was cancelled on June 9th, 2020 with no intention of bringing it back,]] [[TooSoon in the wake of the protests against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.]]

* LongRunner: The show's first season was in 1989, and it has been on television ever since. It made a ChannelHop to Spike TV in fall 2013 and another one to Spike's successor Paramount Network in 2017.

[[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cops-canceled-at-paramount-network-1297778 The show was cancelled on June 9th, 2020,]] [[TooSoon in the wake of the protests against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.]]

''COPS'' was a reality show that is "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement", which means it's incredibly cheap to make. It is also the longest-running RealityShow on television (it premiered in 1989); the show has a proven formula that has remained popular for years, and it was part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television (Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule; the other show in that schedule was ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', before its ChannelHop). ''COPS'' is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television: there is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

It's been parodied more than a few times, but you can't argue with success: ''COPS'' seems like it'll be here to stay (in one form or another, see below).

There have been disagreements between police departments and production companies, especially when it comes to the "right to privacy" provisions of US (and Canadian) law; film and television crews fight hard for the public's right to know and "freedom of information", but police agencies cooperating with ''COPS'' crews protest that the "right to know" does not trump the individual's right to privacy and security of person.

Eventually, it was decided, in consultation with the producers of ''COPS'', that the individual's right to privacy should be respected, and that the faces, license-plates, and addresses of those featured on the show must be obscured in post production. People who sign waivers appear without {{pixellation}}, so every drunk, naked ranting guy being handcuffed said at some point (and ''after'' they sobered up), "Yes, I want to appear on TV like this." Ninety percent of arrested suspects opt to appear without blurring.

''COPS'' is a reality show that is "filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement", which means it's incredibly cheap to make. It is also the longest-running RealityShow on television (it premiered in 1989); the show has a proven formula that has remained popular for years, and it was part of the longest unchanged nightly schedule in American television (Creator/{{Fox}}'s Saturday night schedule; the other show in that schedule was ''Series/AmericasMostWanted'', before its ChannelHop). ''COPS'' is arguably the most realistic RealityShow on television: there is absolutely no script and no narration outside of the opening credits; everything you see is real people in real situations.

''COPS'''s 25-year run on the Fox network ended in 2013. The program moved to [[Creator/SpikeTV Spike]] that fall and continues to air as part of its relaunch as Creator/ParamountNetwork. Prior to this, [[MilestoneCelebration the show had celebrated airing its 1,000th episode]] on August 21, 2017 as part of its 30th season overall.

** The opening of any sting [[MustStateIfYoureACop will begin with "Are you a cop?"]] followed by "No." (There's an urban legend that a police officer is required to tell you they're a cop if asked. Patently untrue, given that undercover police work is a thing. Since it helps with their job, the cops aren't exactly in a hurry to correct this falsehood.)
** People arrested for drug possession will nearly ''always'' try to lie about it, no matter what. They can be caught driving a car full of drugs, wearing pants made of drugs while smoking drugs, and they'll still claim its not theirs. Bonus points when they claim it's not their drugs because it's not their car, apparently car theft is better.
** At least one suspect claimed that he shouldn't be arrested for wearing pants full of, if not made of, drugs because "These aren't my pants."
* TheBigEasy: Several episodes have taken place in New Orleans, [[ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans usually during Mardi Gras]].

* DeepSouth: Averted. The show is somewhat famous for the shirtless, toothless morons, but they're seen all over the country. It isn't just hillbillies folks, trailer trash is nationwide. When the show ''is'' in the Deep South, the officers shown are diverse in both gender and ethnicity, in fairly good shape, and well spoken (with perhaps a hint of a drawl to give away a locale). It's a far cry from most Hollywood portrayals of southern law enforcement.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season included scenes of the police officers off duty at home with their families.
* EatTheEvidence: Don't try this with your entire stash of crack cocaine at once.

* FairCop: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There's a lot of criteria for who gets filmed, such as service record, camera presence, and yes, appearance. Most of the cops are at least average looking, with a few particularly handsome/beautiful specimens.
* FanDisservice: For all the jokes about male suspects being shirtless, it's just as likely they're people you don't really want to see shirtless, since quite a few have been pretty beaten up by years of drug and alcohol abuse, and generally the types of people cops frequently deal with aren't usually the most fitness-minded.

* LongRunner: The show's first season was in 1989 and it has been on television ever since, making a ChannelHop to Spike TV in fall 2013 and another one to Spike's successor Paramount Network in 2017.

* PoliceBrutality: Two incidents - one, where a North Vegas cop was fired for police brutality, which resulted in his footage being excised (and, though footage showed up in the spin-off ''Street Patrol'', he went unnamed), and an incident in Pierce County, Washington, where a cop was charged with brutality for roughing up a homeless man mistaken to be a burglar. While the charge was dropped, the man's suing the cop.

** This trope was averted in an episode where a cop shoots a suspect armed with a knife in a pretty clear-cut case of self-defense. The full footage shows multiple officers trying to both talk to the suspect and peacefully subdue him, and the suspect was clearly shown ''on camera'' lunging at the cop in question with the knife.
* RealityShow: Doesn't get much more real. There's no script (outside of the opening), the cops are real cops, and the things they investigate are real crimes. More than thirty years after its debut, it's still going, due to it being incredibly cheap to make.

* UnbuiltTrope: By the time the term "RealityTV" was invented and became a popular genre, this show was already considered a long-runner.