Line #52 Main/PoliceProcedural


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/ChicagoPD https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chicago_pd.png]]]]
5
6	->''"Every week, these series churn through crimes to solve. New victims and suspects arrive, and every week they leave again when their problem has been solved and order restored. The characters who stay are cops. In the almost unimaginable deluge of American crime TV, the characters whose names we know and whose lives we value are cops."''
7	-->-- '''Kathryn Van Arendonk''', ''Vulture'', "[[https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/tv-cops-are-always-the-main-characters.html Cops Are Always the Main Characters]]"
8
9	A Police Procedural is concerned with an accurate representation of the day to day realities and procedures of the police and law enforcement. It's a SubGenre of crime fiction. The Police Procedural is almost the antithesis of the CopShow. The Police Procedural does not focus on the characters' personal lives; instead, it focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of law enforcement: gathering evidence at the crime scene, getting search warrants, arresting suspects, interrogating them in an interview room, and doing forensic science and autopsies, all while adhering to legal restrictions and procedures.
10
11	This term is also sometimes used specifically to describe the "ReverseWhodunnit" style of crime drama made famous by ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', despite the fact that most examples have very little to do with actual police procedure.
12
13	Note that the focus on "realistic" police work doesn't mean the show has to be set in "reality". A show looking at the day-to-day crime-solving routine of the SpacePolice on Alpha Centauri is still a procedural.
14
15	Both the Police Procedural and the Cop Show are sometimes called "Precinct Shows".
16
17	See also: CriminalProcedural, ForensicDrama, BuddyCopShow, CopShow, and DetectiveDrama.
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[index]]
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' is a post-cyberpunk Police Procedural that deals with cybercrime in a world where pretty much everybody is a cyborg.
26	** ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplexSolidStateSociety''
27	** ''Anime/GhostInTheShellSAC2045''
28	* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellArise''
29	* ''Anime/IDInvaded''
30	* ''Manga/{{Jiraishin}}''
31	* ''Manga/{{Kurokochi}}'' is a Police Procedural focused on the cases of the sleazy cop Keita Kurokochi who investigates cold cases involving powerful politicians.
32	* ''Manga/MobilePolicePatlabor''
33	** ''Anime/MobilePolicePatlaborTheEarlyDays''
34	* ''Manga/PoliceInAPod''
35	* ''Anime/SpecialSevenSpecialCrimeInvestigationUnit'' is an UrbanFantasy Procedural entailing the efforts of a squad investigating paranormally related crimes.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Comic Books]]
39	* ''ComicBook/{{Fell}}'' is about a detective in a DarkerAndEdgier part of town.
40	* ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' follows the Major Case Squad of the Gotham City Police Department as they deal with crimes and the villains that plague the city.
41	* ''ComicBook/BatmanGordonOfGotham:'' Like ''Gotham Central,'' each story follows normal cops investigating crimes committed by non-costumed criminals, while Batman only makes cameo appearances.
42	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' is a science-fiction police procedural with heavy doses of satire, SpaceWestern elements and supernatural events.
43	* ''ComicBook/RiversOfLondon'' is the comic book {{spinoff}} of the below-mentioned book series in Literature.
44	* ''ComicBook/TopTen'' is a superhero Police Procedural.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
48	* ''ComicStrip/DickTracy''
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
52	* ''Anime/PatlaborTheMovie''
53	** ''Anime/Patlabor2TheMovie''
54	** ''Anime/WXIIIPatlaborTheMovie3''
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
58	* ''Film/{{Birdshot}}'' centers around two {{corrupt cop}}s using the titular killing of a Philippine Eagle to cover up their previous, much graver crime as an excuse to prevent a more honest member of their rank from uncovering their deeds.
59	* ''Film/TheBlueLamp'' is an early and iconic British example, in which the humdrum daily grind of a group of central London police is interrupted by the shocking murder of one of them.
60	* ''Film/BuyBust'' is about an anti-drugs police task force in the Philippines, as well as the involvement of corrupted members of its ranks in the drug trade.
61	* ''Film/DetectiveStory'' shows the everyday routine of the 21st Precinct, the issues they have to deal with, from petty complaints by citizens, to minor felonies, to major crimes.
62	* ''Film/TheEnforcer1951'': The movie (told mainly through flashback) features the investigation of an organization based on the original MurderInc, as the police struggle to find a witness who can convict the BigBad.
63	* ''Film/FireInTheSky'': Although this film is an alien abduction story, the focus is not on the abduction but on the police investigation. This police procedural takes up about half of the film time.
64	* ''Film/TheGuilty'' has an unusual twist on the genre, being told entirely from the perspective of an emergency dispatcher.
65	* ''Film/AHardDay'': Both the VillainProtagonist and the BigBad are corrupt police officers using their connections and skills against each other.
66	* ''Film/HeWalkedByNight'' is a RippedFromTheHeadlines example about a manhunt for a CopKiller in Los Angeles.
67	* ''Film/HighAndLow1963'': The second half of Akira Kurosawa's film, based on Ed [=McBain's=] ''87th Precinct'' novel, ''King's Ransom''.
68	* ''Film/HitTeam'': The only Hong Kong movie that centers on the Hong Kong Police Force's secretive Surveillance Support Unit.
69	* ''Film/{{M}}'' by Creator/FritzLang and its sort-of sequel ''Film/TheTestamentOfDrMabuse'' are some of the earliest cinematic examples, starring Otto Wernicke as Kommissar Lohmann of the Berlin police.
70	* ''Film/TheLittleThings''
71	* ''Film/TheNakedCity'' is told from the view point of the staff working at the homicide department, and thus providing us with many of the details of daily detective work.
72	* ''Film/TheNewCenturions''
73	* ''Film/TheNextGenerationPatlabor'': The live-action sequel of the ''Patlabor'' series, based on the movie timeline.
74	* ''Film/PowerfulFour'': The titular four is a band of Hong Kong police investigators who had to work together to take down an expanding crime ring.
75	* ''Film/AngProbinsyano'': The titular protagonist is a rural town cop asked to be the BackupTwin of his late twin brother who is also cop slain in a drug bust operation.
76	* ''Film/{{PTU}}'': A six-movie series produced by renown Hong Kong director Creator/JohnnieTo, revolving around the daily activities of a Police Tactical Unit and how they deal with gunrunners, drug dealers, triads and assorted criminals in the seedy underbelly of Hong Kong.
77	* ''Film/{{Sicario}}'' has the FBI and state/city police in Arizona involved in investigating activities of the Sonora Cartel.
78	* ''Film/SicarioDayOfTheSoldado'' has the Mexican Federal Police involved to help Matt. [[spoiler:However, some of the officers helping out were paid off by the gangs to take out his unit.]]
79	* Half of ''Film/TheSniper'' shows the police manhunt for the eponymous killer, including showing how much of it is laborious legwork following avenues of investigation that ultimately go nowhere; while all the while the public is expecting them to work miracles.
80	* ''Film/SWAT2003'': Sgt. "Hondo" Harrelson builds a SWATTeam while a French mob boss tries to escape custody after getting caught by accident from a SpannerInTheWorks.
81	* ''Film/WhiteHeat'', despite being known mainly for Creator/JamesCagney's manic performance ("Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"), with details on how undercover police go about gaining the trust of a villain, and details on how a vehicle tail is conducted.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Literature]]
85	* ''Literature/AllTheSinnersBleed''
86	* ''Literature/CopCraft'': An UrbanFantasy LightNovel series InAWorld where there's a portal to a parallel fantasy world interacting with a SoiledCityOnAHill in the tropics.
87	* ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'', Ed [=McBain's=] novels.
88	* The ''Literature/BekaCooper'' trilogy in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' is a police procedural in a setting where policing is a fairly recent concept.[[/index]]
89	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' has the City Watch subseries:[[index]]
90	** ''Literature/GuardsGuards'', albeit in a [[DownplayedTrope much more low-key way]].
91	** ''Literature/MenAtArms''
92	** ''Literature/FeetOfClay''
93	** ''Literature/{{Thud}}''
94	** ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld'' also has some elements of this trope, when it's not being a political thriller and a WholePlotReference ([[SubvertedTrope with a few key differences]]) to ''Literature/LesMiserables''.
95	* ''Literature/DublinMurderSquad'', Tana French's series about Dublin detectives.
96	** ''Literature/InTheWoods''
97	** ''Literature/TheLikeness''
98	* Maurice Procter's ''Granchester'' novels, featuring Detective Inspector Harry Martineau and the Granchester police force.
99	* ''Literature/LeaphornAndChee'': The main characters are officers of the Navajo Tribal Police.
100	* The ''Literature/{{Maigret}}'' series and and its adaptations.
101	* ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'', in which the main police characters also happen to be wizards and deal with magical crimes that the ordinary police can't handle.
102	* ''Literature/ShadowPolice''
103	* Most of the novels of Creator/MichaelSlade revolve around Special X, a division of the Mounties who catch serial killers.
104	* Practically everything Creator/MichaelConnelly writes, though technically his Mickey Haller series consists of ''Lawyer'' Procedurals.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
108	* ''Series/NineOneOne''
109	* ''Series/TenEightOfficersOnDuty''
110	* ''Series/Adam12''
111	* ''Series/Allegiance2024'' (sometimes with CopShow)
112	* ''Series/AlmostHuman''
113	* ''Series/AlmostParadise''
114	* ''Series/Annika2021''
115	* ''Series/{{APB}}'' (To an extent)
116	* ''Series/ArneDahl''
117	* ''Series/{{Backup}}''
118	* ''Series/BaghdadCentral''
119	* ''Series/BarneyMiller''
120	* ''Series/BattleCreek''
121	* ''Series/BetweenTheLines1992''
122	* ''Series/TheBill'' (until it got {{ReTool}}ed into a CrimeTimeSoap)
123	* ''Series/BlackSnow2022''
124	* ''Series/BlueLights'' (also balances with being a CopShow)
125	* ''Series/BlindJustice''
126	* ''Series/Bloodlands2021''
127	* ''Series/BodyguardUK2018''
128	* ''Series/{{Bosch}}''
129	** ''Series/BoschLegacy''
130	* ''Series/{{Botineras}}''
131	* ''Series/{{Braquo}}''
132	* ''Series/TheBreak''
133	* ''Series/TheBridge2011''
134	* ''Series/TheBridgeUS''
135	* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine''
136	* ''Series/CadesCounty''
137	* ''Series/Cain2012''
138	* ''Series/{{Cardinal}}''
139	* ''Series/CasesOfTheFirstDepartment''
140	* ''Series/Castle2009''
141	* ''Series/TheChicagoCode''
142	* ''Series/ChicagoPD''
143	* ''Series/CityHomicide''
144	* ''Series/{{Clarice}}''
145	* ''Series/TheCloser''
146	* ''Series/ColdCase''
147	* ''Series/Collateral2018''
148	* ''Series/CopsLAC''
149	* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
150	** ''Series/CriminalMindsSuspectBehavior''
151	** ''Series/CriminalMindsBeyondBorders''
152	** ''[[Series/CriminalMindsEvolution Criminal Minds: Evolution]]''
153	* ''Series/{{Cuffs}}''
154	* ''Series/DanAugust''
155	* ''Series/DeadLucky''
156	* ''Series/{{Deadwind}}''
157	* ''Series/{{Decoy}}''
158	* ''Series/{{Delvecchio}}''
159	* ''Series/{{Deputy}}''
160	* ''Series/TheDivision2001''
161	* ''Series/{{DIRay}}''
162	* ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'' (Generally thought to be the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]])
163	* ''Series/DowntownPrecinct''
164	* ''Series/DublinMurders''
165	* ''Series/EastNewYork''
166	* ''Series/EscouadeNineNine''
167	* ''Series/TheFall2013''
168	* ''Series/{{FBI}}''
169	** ''Series/FBIMostWanted''
170	** ''Series/FBIInternational''
171	* ''Series/TheFBI''
172	* ''Series/TheFelonySquad''
173	* ''Series/FlikkenMaastricht''
174	* ''Series/{{Forbrydelsen}}''
175	* ''Series/Forever2014''
176	* ''Series/Frequency2016''
177	* ''Series/GangRelated''
178	* ''Series/TheGlades''
179	* ''Series/Gone2019''
180	* ''Series/TheHandler2003''
181	* ''Series/HappyValley''
182	* ''Series/Hawaii2004''
183	* ''Series/HawaiiFiveO'', and its reboot ''Series/HawaiiFive0''
184	* ''Series/HighIncident''
185	* ''Series/HighwayPatrol''
186	* ''Series/HillStreetBlues''
187	* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet''
188	* ''Series/InTheHeatOfTheNight''
189	* ''Series/Hometown2021''
190	* ''Series/HoustonKnights''
191	* ''Series/{{Instinct}}''
192	* ''Series/Intelligence2006''
193	* ''Series/{{iZombie}}''
194	* ''Series/{{Jo}}''
195	* ''Series/{{Jordskott}}''
196	* ''Series/KeishichouNasiGorengKa''
197	* ''Franchise/LawAndOrder''
198	** ''Series/LawAndOrder'' (a combined Police Procedural and LawProcedural)
199	** ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent''
200	** ''Series/LawAndOrderLA''
201	** ''Series/LawAndOrderOrganizedCrime''
202	** ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''
203	* ''Series/LawAndOrderTorontoCriminalIntent''
204	** ''Series/LawAndOrderUK''
205	* ''Series/LineOfDuty''
206	* ''Series/TheLongCall''
207	* ''Series/Maigret2016''
208	* ''Series/MajorCrimes''
209	* ''Series/Manhunt2024''
210	* ''Series/MareOfEasttown''
211	* ''Series/MestoTienov''
212	* ''Series/{{Mindhunter}}''
213	* ''Series/MobCity''
214	* ''Series/{{Motive}}''
215	* ''Series/TheMurders''
216	* ''Series/TheMysteriesOfLaura''
217	* ''Series/{{Narcos}}''
218	* ''Series/NewYorkUndercover''
219	* ''Series/NineteenTwo''
220	* ''Series/Numb3rs''
221	* ''[[Series/NYPDTalentAssociates N.Y.P.D.]]''
222	* ''Series/NYPDBlue''
223	* ''Series/{{OCTB}}''
224	* ''Series/{{Ohara}}''
225	* ''Series/PartnersForJustice''
226	* ''Series/Phoenix1992''
227	* ''Series/{{PJ}}''
228	* ''Series/AngProbinsyano2015''
229	* ''Series/ProdigalSon''
230	* ''Series/TheProtector2011''
231	* ''Series/RobberyHomicideDivision''
232	* ''Series/TheRookie2018''
233	** ''Series/TheRookieFeds''
234	* ''Series/RookieBlue''
235	* ''Series/Rosewood2015''
236	* ''Series/Rush2008''
237	* ''Series/SafeHouse'' (partially)
238	* ''Series/SeibuKeisatsu'' is a highly actionized version of this, eschewing the usual investigation dramatisation for CarFu and LemmingCops.
239	* ''Series/{{Shetland}}''
240	* ''Series/ScottAndBailey''
241	* ''Series/{{Southland}}''
242	* ''Series/ShadesOfBlue''
243	* ''Series/ShotsFired''
244	* ''Series/{{Signal}}''
245	* ''Series/SignoraVolpe''
246	* ''Series/{{Sorjonen}}''
247	* ''Series/{{SSGB}}''
248	* ''Series/Stalker2014''
249	* ''Series/{{Standoff}}''
250	* ''Series/StanLeesLuckyMan''
251	* ''Series/{{Stranger}}'' (a combined Police Procedural and LawProcedural)
252	* ''Series/{{Tatort}}''
253	* ''Series/TaiyoNiHoero''
254	* ''Series/TaxiBrooklyn''
255	* ''Series/TigerCubs''
256	* ''Series/ThirdWatch''
257	* ''Series/TokusouSaizensen''
258	* ''Series/TokyoVice'' (Partly)
259	* ''Series/Tommy2020''
260	* ''Series/TouchingEvil''
261	* ''Series/TrainingDay''
262	* ''Series/TrueDetective'' (Mixes it up sometimes with CopShow)
263	* ''Series/TheTunnel''
264	* ''Series/{{Vera}}''
265	* ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger''
266	** ''Series/Walker2021''
267	* ''Series/TheWatch2021''
268	* ''Series/WhitechapelTVSeries''
269	* ''Series/WildCards2024''
270	* ''Series/WillTrent''
271	* ''Series/TheWire''
272	* ''Series/WomensMurderClub''
273	* ''Series/{{Unforgotten}}''
274	* ''Series/YGwyll''
275	* ''Series/YoungWallander''
276	* ''Series/YuanShengZhiZui''
277	* ''Series/ZCars''
278	* Eastern European police procedurals tend to focus more on corruption within the police force. Examples include:
279	** ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192936/ Streets of Broken Lights]]'' (Russia)
280	** ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1909015/ Pod prikritie]]'' (Bulgaria)
281	** ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5907796/ Ubice moga oca]]'' (Serbia)
282	[[/folder]]
283
284	[[folder:Radio]]
285	* ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}''
286	[[/folder]]
287
288	[[folder:Video Games]]
289	* ''VideoGame/BlueForce''
290	* ''VideoGame/CriminalCase''
291	* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' plays out as one in a NewWeird fantasy setting. It is also a merciless GenreDeconstruction.
292	* ''VideoGame/LANoire'' plays out like this, with the player actively engaging in police work like collecting evidence and [[PerpSweating interrogating suspects]].
293	* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest''
294	** ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest1InPursuitOfTheDeathAngel''
295	** ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest2TheVengeance''
296	** ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest3TheKindred''
297	** ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest4OpenSeason''
298	* ''VideoGame/CognitionAnEricaReedThriller''
299	* ''VideoGame/PoliceSimulatorPatrolOfficers''
300	* ''VideoGame/{{Virginia}}''
301	[[/folder]]
302
303	[[folder:Web Comics]]
304	* ''Webcomic/ParadigmShift'' is a Police Procedural plus werewolves.
305	[[/folder]]
306	[[/index]]

Context Main / PoliceProcedural