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** In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS5E4SpyBuddiesBoatSmartsGoodOlWhatshisname Good Ol' Whatshisname" a police officer [[TapOnTheHead hits Squidward with a baton, rendering him unconscious]] to be put in the police car. Batons are not apprehension devices -- they are meant to be used as compliance tools.
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Changed line(s) 68 (click to see context) from:
* ''Film/ReservoirDogs'': In Mr. Orange's story about encountering several police officers, one of whom has a canine with him, he talks about how he has to play it cool when the dog starts growling and getting aggressive towards him (implying it's a narcotics dog and he's carrying drugs). In reality, dogs that are trained to sniff out narcotics, explosives and contraband do ''not'' behave this way. It's a very bad idea, as it would make a tense situation even worse. In reality, such dogs are trained to simply ''sit down'' next to the person or object where they've detected something. This is an extremely common trope in movies and television.
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* ''Film/ReservoirDogs'': In Mr. Orange's story about encountering several police officers, one of whom has a canine with him, he talks about how he has to play it cool when the dog starts growling and getting aggressive towards him (implying it's a narcotics dog and he's carrying drugs). In reality, dogs that are trained to sniff out narcotics, explosives and contraband do ''not'' behave this way. It's a very bad idea, as it would make a tense situation even worse. In reality, such dogs are trained to simply ''sit down'' next to the person or object where they've detected something. This is an extremely common trope in movies and television. [[spoiler:Mr. Orange's story is entirely made up and he's actually an undercover cop, so he may actually be relying on this common misconception to fool the criminals he's talking to. None of them call him out on it, hinting that these robbers don't have much experience in the drug business.]]
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** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E23MuchApuAboutNothingMuch Apu About Nothing]]", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
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** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E23MuchApuAboutNothingMuch "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E23MuchApuAboutNothing Much Apu About Nothing]]", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
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Changed line(s) 125,126 (click to see context) from:
** In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
** In "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", when Lois goes on an anti-Christmas rampage and climbs up a large Christmas tree, Peter has the police shoot her with a TranquillizerDart to get her down. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers.
** In "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", when Lois goes on an anti-Christmas rampage and climbs up a large Christmas tree, Peter has the police shoot her with a TranquillizerDart to get her down. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers.
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** In "Screams "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS10E3ScreamsOFSilenceTheStoryOfBrendaQ Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Q]]", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
** In"A "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS3E16AVerySpecialFamilyGuyFreakinChristmas A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", Christmas]]", when Lois goes on an anti-Christmas rampage and climbs up a large Christmas tree, Peter has the police shoot her with a TranquillizerDart to get her down. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers.
** In
Changed line(s) 128,129 (click to see context) from:
** In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
** In "Much Apu About Nothing", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
** In "Much Apu About Nothing", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
to:
** In "A "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E18AStarIsTorn A Star Is Torn", Torn]]", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
** In"Much "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E23MuchApuAboutNothingMuch Apu About Nothing", Nothing]]", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
** In
Changed line(s) 133,134 (click to see context) from:
** In "Fiasco!", Plankton accidentally steals a modern art piece ([[ItMakesSenseInContext don't ask]]). First, the Police chase Plankton well out of their jurisdiction, [[SerialEscalation even up to the International Space Station]], which is mainly RuleOfFunny.
** "Banned in Bikini Bottom" had a group of MoralGuardians ban Krabby Patties for being "fun and delicious" (the episode was a parody on prohibition). You don't need to go to law school to know that is not possible even if [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections your husband is the chief of police.]] The job of the police is to enforce laws, not make them.
** "Banned in Bikini Bottom" had a group of MoralGuardians ban Krabby Patties for being "fun and delicious" (the episode was a parody on prohibition). You don't need to go to law school to know that is not possible even if [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections your husband is the chief of police.]] The job of the police is to enforce laws, not make them.
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** In "Fiasco!", "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS8E16RestrainingSpongeBobFiasco Fiasco!]]", Plankton accidentally steals a modern art piece ([[ItMakesSenseInContext don't ask]]). First, the Police chase Plankton well out of their jurisdiction, [[SerialEscalation even up to the International Space Station]], which is mainly RuleOfFunny.
**"Banned "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS5E20BannedInBikiniBottomStanleySSquarePants Banned in Bikini Bottom" Bottom]]" had a group of MoralGuardians ban Krabby Patties for being "fun and delicious" (the episode was a parody on prohibition). You don't need to go to law school to know that is not possible even if [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections your husband is the chief of police.]] The job of the police is to enforce laws, not make them.
**
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** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS34E2OneAngryLisa One Angry Lisa]]", Chief Wiggum gets to review some photos of a crime scene that he took. Since Wiggum is a police chief, he would not do this job in real life; a forensic photographer would instead.
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* ''Film/ReservoirDogs'': In Mr. Orange's story about encountering several police officers, one of whom has a canine with him, he talks about how he has to play it cool when the dog starts growling and getting aggressive towards him (implying it's a narcotics dog and he's carrying drugs). In reality, dogs that are trained to sniff out narcotics, explosives and contraband do ''not'' behave this way. It's a very bad idea, as it would make a tense situation even worse. In reality, such dogs are trained to simply ''sit down'' next to the person or object where they've detected something. This is an extremely common trope in movies and television.
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* ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog'': Subverted. In the trailer, Sonic is tranquilized by Sheriff Tom Wachowski, but in the actual movie, it is revealed that the tranquilizer gun belongs to his wife, a veterinarian, rather than being issued to him to carry out his duties.
Changed line(s) 122,123 (click to see context) from:
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
** In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
** In "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", when Lois goes on an anti-Christmas rampage and climbs up a large Christmas tree, Peter has the police shoot her with a TranquillizerDart to get her down. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers.
*''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualifyfor.for.
** In "Much Apu About Nothing", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
** In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
** In "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", when Lois goes on an anti-Christmas rampage and climbs up a large Christmas tree, Peter has the police shoot her with a TranquillizerDart to get her down. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers.
*
** In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify
** In "Much Apu About Nothing", Chief Wiggum is called to tranquilize a bear to relocate it. Police are not licensed to use tranquilizers at all, let alone on animals; that is done by a wildlife officer.
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Changed line(s) 104 (click to see context) from:
* The first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake Remake]]'') has the S.T.A.R.S. (for what is technically supposed to be an elite police force) be equipped with heavy duty, military-grade equipment such as automatic shotguns, a grenade launcher, and even a ''rocket launcher''. The last one is notable as the weapon is something that will not be issued to real life law enforcement.
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* The first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake Remake]]'') has the S.T.A.R.S. (for what is technically supposed to be an elite police force) be equipped with heavy duty, military-grade equipment such as automatic shotguns, a grenade launcher, and even a ''rocket launcher''. The last one is notable as the weapon is something launcher'' (something that will not be issued to a real life law enforcement.enforcement). Barry is an egregious case as he is armed with a .44 Magnum in a police operation (again, it is considered an unapproved firearm and such a caliber is forbidden for obvious reasons).
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Changed line(s) 104 (click to see context) from:
* The first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake Remake]]'') has the S.T.A.R.S., for what is technically supposed to be an elite police force, be equipped with heavy duty, military-grade equipment such as automatic shotguns, a grenade launcher, and even a ''rocket launcher'' something that a real life special police task force are not allowed to ever carry.
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* The first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake Remake]]'') has the S.T.A.R.S., for (for what is technically supposed to be an elite police force, force) be equipped with heavy duty, military-grade equipment such as automatic shotguns, a grenade launcher, and even a ''rocket launcher'' launcher''. The last one is notable as the weapon is something that a will not be issued to real life special police task force are not allowed to ever carry.law enforcement.
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* The first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake Remake]]'') has the S.T.A.R.S., for what is technically supposed to be an elite police force, be equipped with heavy duty, military-grade equipment such as automatic shotguns, a grenade launcher, and even a ''rocket launcher'' something that a real life special police task force are not allowed to ever carry.
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Per ATT
, a Justifying Edit added by a user notorious for being excessive and politically charged about them.
, a Justifying Edit added by a user notorious for being excessive and politically charged about them.Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest. If they were shooting at the officer or actively assaulting an officer with an intent to kill that would be a different matter.
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* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest. If they were shooting at the officer or actively assaulting an officer with an intent to kill that would be a different matter.
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* ''Series/RoboCopPrimeDirectives'': In a flashback, Murphy and Cable enter the home of a man who's been chopping up people. Once he's subdued, Cable executes him on the spot because they entered without a warrant and he would have gotten off on a technicality. Except they only entered to begin with because they caught the dog gnawing on human remains. That's probable cause.
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Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* ''Film/AntMan1'': Following reports of a helicopter crash and a fight between two individuals in a family's home, Detective Jim Paxton and his partner Gale arrive to find their former prisoner Scott Lang in his Ant-Man uniform. As Lang tries to explain what happened and make the confused Paxton understand the situation, Paxton ignores him and instead pulls out a taser and [[StaticStunGun shocks him, knocking him out]] and putting him in the police car to be taken back to jail. In reality, a cop would be fired for excessive use of force if they tased someone mid-sentence. Tasers are part of the force continuum. They are not the first thing a cop would use encountering someone. Tasers are not apprehension devices -- they are designed to overcome aggression and resistance.
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* ''Film/AntMan1'': Following reports of a helicopter crash and a fight between two individuals in a family's home, Detective Jim Paxton and his partner Gale arrive to find their former prisoner Scott Lang in his Ant-Man uniform. As Lang tries to explain what happened and make the confused Paxton understand the situation, Paxton ignores him and instead pulls out a taser and [[StaticStunGun shocks him, knocking him out]] and putting him in the police car to be taken back to jail. In reality, a cop would be fired for excessive use of force if they tased someone mid-sentence.who was doing nothing but talking. Tasers are part of the force continuum. They are not the first thing a cop would use encountering someone. Tasers are not apprehension devices -- they are designed to overcome aggression and resistance.
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Changed line(s) 123 (click to see context) from:
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''
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* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
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[[/folder]]
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----
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Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest.
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* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest. If they were shooting at the officer or actively assaulting an officer with an intent to kill that would be a different matter.
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Changed line(s) 83 (click to see context) from:
* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get Encyclopedia arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
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* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get Encyclopedia (who also needs be mention is the police chief's son, [[BullyingADragon which would lead to heavier book-throwing than usual]]) arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
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News coverage of a cop killing usually includes someone like the Chief trying to reassure the public that there will be hell to pay if any officers cross the line, even under the current circumstances.
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* CopKillerManhunt: A police officer's colleagues may hunt down someone who has killed him/her, but the murderer will be arrested, not killed.
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* CopKillerManhunt: A police officer's colleagues may hunt down someone who has killed him/her, but the murderer will priority shall always be arrested, to arrest, not killed.[[VigilanteExecution summarily execute]], the murderer. Even the slightest suspicion of trying to exploit a fellow officer's death to justify PoliceBrutality usually gets InternalAffairs (and other superiors) very mad and the suspected officers to have very short careers.
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* ''Series/LethalWeapon2016'': In "Flight Risk", Murtaugh interrogates his daughter, Riana. In RealLife, an officer would never be asked to interrogate a family member and they would get a different officer for that.
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Changed line(s) 83 (click to see context) from:
* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get ''the police chief's son'' arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
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* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get ''the police chief's son'' Encyclopedia arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
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* While ''VideoGame/PoliceSimulatorPatrolOfficers'' is pretty accurate on what being an American police officer is like, it does have some issues:
** Normally in the United States, police do not perform drug and DUI tests on subjects of minor traffic accidents. In this game, drug and DUI tests are one of the necessary steps to take when interfacing with subjects of minor accidents.
** When you arrest someone, all you have to do is handcuff them and call for an arrest transport before allowing you to go on your merry way. This is considerably sped up compared to real life, where arresting even one person would require at least an hour or two of booking them and filling out paperwork.
** You start out with 100 Conduct Points at the beginning of your shift. [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential If you're feeling cruel]], you'll only be deducted 10 Conduct Points for falsely arresting someone (5 for handcuffing them and 5 for calling an arrest transport) and 20 Conduct Points if you use your taser on them for no reason. In reality, doing either even once or twice would be grounds for your player character being fired for police brutality, ''especially'' the latter.
** Normally in the United States, police do not perform drug and DUI tests on subjects of minor traffic accidents. In this game, drug and DUI tests are one of the necessary steps to take when interfacing with subjects of minor accidents.
** When you arrest someone, all you have to do is handcuff them and call for an arrest transport before allowing you to go on your merry way. This is considerably sped up compared to real life, where arresting even one person would require at least an hour or two of booking them and filling out paperwork.
** You start out with 100 Conduct Points at the beginning of your shift. [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential If you're feeling cruel]], you'll only be deducted 10 Conduct Points for falsely arresting someone (5 for handcuffing them and 5 for calling an arrest transport) and 20 Conduct Points if you use your taser on them for no reason. In reality, doing either even once or twice would be grounds for your player character being fired for police brutality, ''especially'' the latter.
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There have been a few recent videos on Youtube where police had to shoot through their windshield while driving.
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't usually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]] (which is mostly illegal, and can [[PoliceBrutality get them charged themselves]]). The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
to:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't usually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not rarely shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]] (which is mostly illegal, and can [[PoliceBrutality get them charged themselves]]). The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
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Changed line(s) 60 (click to see context) from:
** Police officers are allowed to carry firearms (concealed carry) because of their state-issued law enforcement licenses. Police officers are allowed to operate only within the borders of their own states. [=McClane=] is on a plane traveling from New York to Los Angeles, taking him out of the state, meaning that his police license is would not be applicable. This also negates his right to carry his weapon. Federal agents and state and local law enforcement officers are allowed to carry on commercial flights but only on official police business (e.g., prisoner or VIP escort). Proper paperwork and verified identification would be required for such official business.
to:
** Police officers are allowed to carry firearms (concealed carry) because of their state-issued law enforcement licenses. Police officers are allowed to operate only within the borders of their own states. [=McClane=] is on a plane traveling from New York to Los Angeles, taking him out of the state, meaning that his police license is then would not be applicable. This also negates his right to carry his weapon. Federal agents and state and local law enforcement officers are allowed to carry on commercial flights but only on official police business (e.g., prisoner or VIP escort). Proper paperwork and verified identification would be required for such official business.
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Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
to:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually usually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]].arrest]] (which is mostly illegal, and can [[PoliceBrutality get them charged themselves]]). The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when few police forces outside London had trained detectives, they would often call on Scotland Yard to send one to investigate any serious crime whose perpetrator wasn't obvious or where a suspect was socially important enough to make arresting them embarassing for a local cop (the real-world source of the SmithOfTheYard trope). This is very rare now in real life unless you were dealing with a wandering SerialKiller and even then, real-life local forces would object. However, it continued to appear for much longer in works with contemporary settings by American authors whose knowledge of British police procedure still came mostly from Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers novels, such as Martha Grimes or Elizabeth George.
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In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when few police forces outside London had trained detectives, they would often call on Scotland Yard to send one to investigate any serious crime whose perpetrator wasn't obvious or where a suspect was socially important enough to make arresting them embarassing for a local cop (the real-world real world source of the SmithOfTheYard trope). This is very rare now in real life unless you were dealing with a wandering SerialKiller and even then, real-life real life local forces would object. However, it continued to appear for much longer in works with contemporary settings by American authors whose knowledge of British police procedure still came mostly from Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers novels, such as Martha Grimes or Elizabeth George.
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new trope
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
Compare AbsurdlyPowerfulSchoolJurisdiction, ArtisticLicenseLaw, ArtisticLicenseMilitary, CowboyCop, and DirtyCop.
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Compare AbsurdlyPowerfulSchoolJurisdiction, ArtisticLicenseLaw, ArtisticLicenseMilitary, ArtisticLicensePrison, CowboyCop, and DirtyCop.
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Changed line(s) 92 (click to see context) from:
* ''Series/PrisonBreak'': In the second season, Bellick is show actively participating in the manhunt for the escaped prisoners. This wouldn't happen. He's a prison guard, not a law enforcement officer. His authority ends at the prison gate. State and local police would have handled the manhunt.
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* ''Series/PrisonBreak'': In the second season, Bellick is show shown actively participating in the manhunt for the escaped prisoners. This wouldn't happen. He's a prison guard, not a law enforcement officer. His authority ends at the prison gate. State and local police would have handled the manhunt.
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* ''Series/PrisonBreak'': In the second season, Bellick is show actively participating in the manhunt for the escaped prisoners. This wouldn't happen. He's a prison guard, not a law enforcement officer. His authority ends at the prison gate. State and local police would have handled the manhunt.
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* ''Film/TheBabysitter2017'': After the cultists kill the two police officers who responded to Cole's 911 call, there's a protracted scene where Bee (who knows that Cole is familiar with police radio codes) is telling Cole to give them the correct code to give to the dispatcher so that the alarm isn't raised. She knows he's lying when he gives her the wrong code, so eventually he gives her the correct code. The problem is, for the entire scene ''dispatch is continually asking the responding officers to give their status''. After the second attempt to raise the officers and not getting a response, the dispatcher would have followed procedure and immediately hit the alarms, sending every available unit to the location. After that, no matter what code Bee told Max to give the dispatcher, other units would have arrived to verify the situation. Also, the code Cole gives them is for a 10-7, meal break. After a 911 call about a violent crime, that won't wash. Even if it was a prank call, they could not verify that without talking to the person who made the call. In that case, that person would have been arrested for misuse of the 911 system.
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Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray).Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting ''at'' moving vehicles is frowned upon. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
to:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting ''at'' shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon.upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
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removed potholes to a trope that currently does not exist on the site and is still in the tlp
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
to:
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut shooting ''at'' moving vehicles is frowned upon]].upon. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
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Works of fiction about police officers, or even just featuring police officers as secondary characters, usually take a great deal of Artistic License as far as police work goes. Police work is often tedious. Arresting just one person means at least an hour or two of booking them and filling out the required paperwork. Much of how police are depicted in fiction is... not entirely realistic. Let's face it, reality can be boring. And boring makes you not want to buy a movie ticket or change the channel to see what else may be on.
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
Such portrayals of policing methods are inaccurate and are done to provide more drama and action. It's easier for people who have a background in law enforcement to spot these mistakes, just like it's easier for people with a military background to spot cases of ArtisticLicenseMilitary.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when few police forces outside London had trained detectives, they would often call on Scotland Yard to send one to investigate any serious crime whose perpetrator wasn't obvious or where a suspect was socially important enough to make arresting them embarassing for a local cop (the real-world source of the SmithOfTheYard trope). This is very rare now in real life unless you were dealing with a wandering SerialKiller and even then, real-life local forces would object. However, it continued to appear for much longer in works with contemporary settings by American authors whose knowledge of British police procedure still came mostly from Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers novels, such as Martha Grimes or Elizabeth George.
Compare AbsurdlyPowerfulSchoolJurisdiction, ArtisticLicenseLaw, ArtisticLicenseMilitary, CowboyCop, and DirtyCop.
[[noreallife]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Subtropes]]
* BuddyCopShow: Police officers don't actually work in pairs.
* CarChaseShootOut: Police officers do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting ''at'' moving vehicles is frowned upon.
* CopKillerManhunt: A police officer's colleagues may hunt down someone who has killed him/her, but the murderer will be arrested, not killed.
* EliteAgentsAboveTheLaw: An elite agent or agency that is not bound by its nation's legal structure simply does not exist.
* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques: In the past, it was used (hence references to "rubber hoses" or "the third degree" or vague threats by cops to "take you down to the station and see how tough you are" in many HardBoiledDetective novels). Nowadays, while it's still done by [[DirtyCop some police forces]], the cops know very well that it's illegal and will move heaven and earth to keep it out of the courthouse.
* GoodPolicingEvilPolicing: Law enforcement organizations/officials. While dirty cops do exist, it is unlikely you will find an entire organization of police that is secretly corrupt.
* HammerspacePoliceForce: A police force with an endless supply of squad cars and men is not realistic, since life is not a video game.
* HollywoodPoliceDrivingAcademy: Some TruthInTelevision. Officers can ignore some traffic laws in the pursuit of a suspect, just not to the levels shown in Hollywood.
* InstitutionalAllegianceConcealment: Officers being able to completely hide their allegiance from other officers is hard and often counterproductive.
* KidDetective: Hiring a child to work as an officer is illegal.
* LawEnforcementInc: A MegaCorp will not use a mercenary police force in real life.
* LemmingCops: Deployment of more police officers to help an officer in a car chase isn't unheard of, but rarely to the large amount of police officers depicted.
* TheLopsidedArmOfTheLaw: Bigger crimes being ignored over smaller crimes can happen, but not to the extremes shown in fiction.
* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: While patrol officers have some general training in forensics, as in "don't touch anything", Crime Scene Units are an entirely different division and while Investigators may have some firearms training (as members of a law enforcement unit that may encounter the occasional armed resistance), CSI members entering a house right alongside SWAT just doesn't happen.
* MirandaRights: Miranda Rights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins.
* MustStateIfYoureACop: Contrary to popular belief, a police officer is not under obligation to answer truthfully when asked if they're a cop.
* PoliceAreUseless: Police officers who are not good at their jobs are not going to be police officers for very long.
* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest.
[[index]]
[[/index]]
[[/folder]]
----
!!The following '''examples''' do not fit any subtropes:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/DominionTankPolice'' parodies the over-militarization of police forces to extreme levels, so it never takes itself too seriously despite the plot. An early scene features a JackBauerInterrogationTechnique where-in a criminal has a grenade shoved into his mouth, and the officers turn the interrogation into a game featuring a spin wheel and Leona dressed up as a PlayboyBunny. Police chief Brenten ''encourages'' this behavior.
* ''Anime/LupinIIIPart6'': Ordinary British police do not carry firearms, yet all the cops in London are seen shooting at Lupin (and miserably failing to hit him). It should also be noted that neither MI-6 nor Scotland Yard have the authority to get the British Army to deploy an armored fighting vehicle, let alone have said vehicle fire its main armament in a heavily populated city. This should tip off any viewers who are savvy about British law. Although, as noted elsewhere on the page, this may be a case of Lupin being a GodzillaThreshold.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Scalped}}'': Dashiell is an FBI agent yet he doesn't have a college degree. In real life, anyone aspiring to become an FBI special agent must possess at least a Bachelor's degree.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNutJob'': Part of the robbers' getaway plan was to cross state lines, apparently expecting the police that were hot on their tails to suddenly break off pursuit at that invisible boundary. Police ''can'' cross state lines in pursuit of a suspect if the person is suspected of a felony (e.g. robbing a bank); that is the very definition of the term, "Hot Pursuit".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Judy is excited to begin her first day as a police officer, only to find out she's stuck on parking duty. Most major cities in real life have a whole separate department of parking services whose primary job is issuing citations so that the police are free to handle bigger crimes. While suburbs and smaller towns might still leave this task to the police, a city as huge as Zootopia would not.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'': After Spider-Man catches the car thief, the cop who shows up almost immediately draws his gun and ''tries to shoot Spidey in the face''. Especially egregious since Spidey was ''unarmed'' and doing nothing but ''talking'', and the car thief was webbed to the wall ''not 20 feet behind him, directly in the cop's line of fire''. Even if it could be assumed that the cop thought Spidey's web-shooters were weapons, that doesn't remotely justify an immediate lethal response without even a warning or stand-down order, and while a bystander could be hit.
* ''Film/AmericanUltra'': After walking out of the supermarket where they just finished taking out a bunch of assassins, leaving the place on fire, Mike and Pheobe walk out of the building and are faced by the SWAT team and other armed troopers. Mike takes this opportunity to propose to Pheobe. She says yes but then the two are tased by a SWAT trooper for delaying them from entering the building, even though the violence was over and they could have easily just walked past Mike and Pheobe without tasing them first. While law enforcement officers are permitted to use force to enter a building if there's a violent crime taking place and people are actively getting in the officers' way, the assassins had already been taken care of and Mike and Pheobe were not actively trying to stop them from entering.
* ''Film/AntMan1'': Following reports of a helicopter crash and a fight between two individuals in a family's home, Detective Jim Paxton and his partner Gale arrive to find their former prisoner Scott Lang in his Ant-Man uniform. As Lang tries to explain what happened and make the confused Paxton understand the situation, Paxton ignores him and instead pulls out a taser and [[StaticStunGun shocks him, knocking him out]] and putting him in the police car to be taken back to jail. In reality, a cop would be fired for excessive use of force if they tased someone mid-sentence. Tasers are part of the force continuum. They are not the first thing a cop would use encountering someone. Tasers are not apprehension devices -- they are designed to overcome aggression and resistance.
* ''Film/TheDeparted'': Sullivan graduates from the police academy and is immediately assigned as a plainclothes detective. In reality, a rookie police officer can count on ''several years'' of uniformed street work after leaving the academy. No exceptions. Only officers who have gained considerable experience and street smarts are permitted to test for promotion.
* ''Film/DieHard'':
** Channel 9 (CB distress channel) is monitored by Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams (REACT), not the police department. If someone were calling for help on Channel 9, they would talk to a REACT operator, who would then call the authorities. Either way, it would not be an FCC violation.
** Police officers are allowed to carry firearms (concealed carry) because of their state-issued law enforcement licenses. Police officers are allowed to operate only within the borders of their own states. [=McClane=] is on a plane traveling from New York to Los Angeles, taking him out of the state, meaning that his police license is would not be applicable. This also negates his right to carry his weapon. Federal agents and state and local law enforcement officers are allowed to carry on commercial flights but only on official police business (e.g., prisoner or VIP escort). Proper paperwork and verified identification would be required for such official business.
* ''Film/EndOfWatch'': When Van Hauser and Sook come to release Taylor and Zavala to go back on patrol, after he goes under the tape he takes his cigar out of his mouth, he spits. This is an official crime scene, that's what's called "leaving your own evidence on the crime scene". Professional police officers don't spit or leave any of their bodily functions on the crime scene. That confuses the case. They would also not allow an officer on duty to smoke a cigar let alone inside a crime scene.
* ''Film/TheHitman'': It would not be legal for a police officer to work undercover as a ''contract killer'', no matter how much of a CowboyCop he may be.
* ''Film/LethalWeapon'':
** Riggs and Murtaugh are introduced when Murtaugh is told he's getting a new partner. He sees another plainclothes detective showing Riggs around, but has no idea who Riggs is. When Riggs is left alone, leaning against a desk, for some reason he pulls his gun, prompting Murtaugh to scream "GUN!" and charge him. Murtaugh's reaction was 100% correct, and he would have even been justified to draw his own weapon and order Riggs to disarm. For a police officer to pull their gun for no reason whatsoever in a squad room full of cops is simply ''insane.'' Police procedure dictates that you ''only'' draw your weapon if you're in a situation where you may need to use it. In RealLife, such a stunt would have gotten Riggs suspended immediately, with his gun and badge taken away to boot. After a review by his superiors, he probably would have ended up discharged from the force with that "psycho pension" everyone thought he was trying to get.
** Riggs grabbing the suicidal man, handcuffing himself to him, and then ''jumping off the building'' with him should have ended with him being kicked off the force for good. That was just too far over the top for any police department to tolerate.
* ''Film/ThePerfectWeapon1991'': When Tanaka [[LanguageBarrier cannot understand Detective Adam Sanders' commands]], the latter [[StaticStunGun tases him, knocking him out]] to be put in the police car, and doesn't get in any trouble for it. In RealLife, he would have been fired.
* ''Film/PoliceAcademy'': The handgun range they are learning on are outdoors, with targets of 25 meters/yards. In reality, trainee police officers learn on an indoor range, with targets initially set at 10 yards, then increasing to 15 then 25 yards as they become more proficient with their guns. It's only after they're proficient with their guns that they move outdoors, to add environmental effects (wind, sun, glare, etc.) for the officers to compensate for.
* ''Film/{{RoboCop|1987}}'':
** Most modern police stations have a sally port (a separate entrance for police vehicles only; a secure controller entryway to a fortification or prison) where they load and unload prisoners. In this case, the police station ''does'' have a sally port. Lewis (and later [=RoboCop=] with Clarence) should have brought their prisoners in through the sally port, not into the lobby where they could have posed a threat to civilians.
** Whether it's a gas station robbery, apprehending a suspect in a dance club, or taking out an entire drug warehouse, Robocop never once calls in his location to dispatch. Sure, he's a bulletproof, super-strong cyborg wielding a hand cannon, but procedure dictates that officers must keep dispatch informed of their whereabouts and activities at all times. He also never does any paperwork, shoving Clarence at the Desk Sergeant with a simple "Book him." The proper response from the Desk Sergeant should have been "he's ''your'' collar. Book him yourself!"
* ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'': Sheriff Buford T. Justice pursues The Bandit ''far'' outside his Texas county jurisdiction, across ''multiple'' state lines. Whenever he's called out on it, he insists he's in the middle of a high-speed pursuit and there's no way to break it off. While he may be able to get away with this (to a point) while remaining in Texas, once the pursuit crosses state lines he would have to break it off and allow law enforcement from that state to take over.
* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': [=SpiderMan=] scales the Washington Monument while being pursued by a police helicopter. Contrary to popular belief, police helicopters are not a frontline service; they're a support for the ground units, since it's hard to shoot accurately from a helicopter.
* ''Film/SuperTroopers'':
** During the banquet scene all of the highway officers are wearing their ceremonial uniforms. However the chevrons or arrows on the shoulder all point down. In the US, the chevron or arrow insignia should be pointing upward (inverted). Grady's uniform even has 3 chevrons/arrows which indicates that he is a sergeant and not a captain. Likewise, the two chevrons/arrows on the other men's uniforms indicate the rank of corporal. Furthermore, the chevrons should also appear on the officer's day-to-day uniform as well as his/her ceremonial attire.
** When the State Police barracks are shut down, the troopers along with the captain would not have been fired or let go. They would have been assigned to another barracks or division around the state, but not fired.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode'': Discussed several times.
** Dan Brown seems to be under the impression that all it takes to extradite a British national from their own country is for a foreign law enforcement agencies to make a call to a local police officer. Also, he seems to think that said local police will simply detain the suspects until the foreign police arrive to make the arrests themselves.
** He says the French police judiciaire is the equivalent of the FBI. It's not-this refers simply to detectives. The closest France has to the FBI is the National Police, but there is no exact equivalent because of the way France's government is organized. It is not federated like the US, so there's no need for an interstate agency. The National Police takes care of civil law enforcement duties for the entire country -- except in smaller towns and more remote areas, where the Gendarmerie has jurisdiction, and municipal police exist in some towns and cities -- and the police judiciaire is the section of the National Police that investigates the most serious crimes such as murders. Whether this is a case of CreatorProvincialism or just another case of Dan not doing the research (or both) isn't clear.
** Sophie tells Langdon that the police captain suspects he committed the murder and can have him detained for months. No. French law only allows someone to be detained for 24 hours, with another 24 hours allowed if approved by the local prosecutor and the police can demonstrate it's necessary. The captain would have to prove Langdon committed the murder in the face of evidence that Langdon was nowhere in the vicinity, he'd have to answer for destroying evidence when he erased Langdon's name, they'd have to prove Langdon either smuggled a gun into France or acquired one when he was already there, the list goes on. He can't charge Langdon, only the local prosecutor can do that, and he doesn't have enough evidence to make it stick. And to repeat, the prosecutor is going to be ''seriously pissed'' that he destroyed evidence by erasing part of what the victim wrote. Of course, Sophie may have simply said that to get Langdon to stop arguing and get moving.
* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get ''the police chief's son'' arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
* ''Literature/NoCountryForOldMen'': In the film, the deputy who arrests Chigurh at the beginning simply has him sit in a chair, then turns him back on him and makes a phone call. This allows Chigurh to bend forward, slip his cuffed hands under his feet so that his hands are in front of him, then choke the deputy to death. In reality, he would have immediately been placed in a holding cell.
* Discussed in ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'': Brooks says ''"Obviously, any civilian group will not have access to a real tank or [=APC=]"''. In practice, a civilian can acquire a tank having enough money to spend, as civilian collections/museums do, just that legally all weapons have to be deactivated by welding the breechblock. But it still has treads and armor and can reduce the enemy to a bloody pulp. Plus, ever since the War on Terror began, police departments have been getting [=APCs=] with functioning turrets.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'': Played for laughs with the town drunk, Otis Campbell. Although Sherriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife do haul him in occasionally, they also allow him to check himself in and out whenever he's on a bender. Plus, they don't always lock the cell. Doubtful that such things would occur anywhere, even in small, rural towns like Mayberry.
* ''Series/BarneyMiller'': The squad room the detectives worked in had a holding cell in one corner. No one arrested would have been placed in such close proximity to working officers. They could have been disruptive, overheard witness testimony, etc. They would have been placed in a separate section of the station house specifically designed for holding detained individuals. This was mainly done so that people arrested could be placed in a location that allowed them to more easily take part in the plot.
* ''Series/HillStreetBlues'': In one episode, Lt. Goldblume (who is a genuinely NiceGuy) reveals that he never even used to load his service pistol while on the job. With that kind of behavior, it's a miracle he ever made it to Lieutenant. If there was ever a crisis and his fellow officers found out he was backing them up with an unloaded pistol, it would have been his last day on the job. Even Furillo's reaction is flimsy; it's implied he went ballistic but in reality he would have had Goldblume busted back down to patrol officer if not kicking him off the force completely.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': In the pilot episode, Dean has been arrested and is being interrogated by the local Sheriff. Sam calls in a fake 911 call to provide a distraction for Dean. Before leaving, the Sheriff simply handcuffs Dean by one wrist to the chair he's sitting in, leaving him ''alone and unobserved'' in an office filled with supplies, with one hand free. Dean quickly grabs a paperclip and is out of the cuffs in less than a minute. In RealLife, Dean would have been locked in a holding cell.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* Zigzagged in the ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' series. The first three games are meant to have you [[ByTheBookCop follow proper police procedure]] as listed in the manual such as arrest procedures, when to use your sidearm, gathering evidence and so on. Yet the hero Sonny Bonds is [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything shown doing tasks that would usually be handled by specialized investigators or officers]]. In the third game, Bonds even goes first into a crack house after the SWAT team breaks the door down and then waits outside.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Animation]]
* In ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'', based on Lilah's word, they were going to cavity search Christian after she indicates him as a terrorist in an airport. They don't seem particularly concerned about the implications of filing a false police report, nor pissing off someone who has demonstrated a willingness to spend lots of money to satiate his own petty whims.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Website/{{Cracked}}'': Discussed in [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18385_7-bullshit-police-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies_p1.html 7 Bullshit Police Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies)]], and [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18815_the-5-most-wildly-illegal-court-rulings-in-movie-history.html The Five Most Wildly Illegal Court Rulings in Movie History]] point out many instances of this trope, including many listed here, such as ''Film/TheUntouchables1987'', ''Film/PrimalFear'', ''Film/ATimeToKill'', ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'', and ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet''. Note that not all of the examples are correct, though.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Video]]
* In many ''Website/{{GoAnimate}}'' videos, troublemakers get innocent people arrested by littering a soda bottle, running away, and making it look like the innocent person littered it. When a cop drives by, they immediately arrest the person for littering, even if they say they were just putting it away, and lock them up in jail. In real life, this kind of arrest would not be allowed, and would get the cop's badge taken away.
* Sgt. Anous from ''WebVideo/{{Smosh}}'' is prone to whipping out his gun and [[MoreDakka excessively shooting unarmed people]] without warning for [[FelonyMisdemeanor minor infractions]] or [[PoliceBrutality no real crime at all]]. Such incidents include: improperly conjugating on an online forums, dumping your girlfriend, drinking tap water out of a used water bottle, parking in a handicap spot and "resisting arrest" by moving their car out of that spot, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking jaywalking]]. This is based on [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity a world-view that the world is made-up exclusively of "good for nothing criminals" and law enforcement]]. He also sees nothing wrong with prank-calling other emergency services and using his gun for mundane purposes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Alphablocks}}'': In one episode, I is made a cop and she decides what's illegal. In real life, the police don't decide what's legal and what's illegal.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndGuessWho'': In "Elementary My Dear Shaggy" British police are seen in 1970s/1980s uniforms with the traditional British helmet and blue uniform; modern police wear black clothing, bodycams and don't have helmets except for motorcycle police and mounted police. Also, the jail depicted is wrong; it would be a lock-up holding cell instead, not jail with a key.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''
** In "Fiasco!", Plankton accidentally steals a modern art piece ([[ItMakesSenseInContext don't ask]]). First, the Police chase Plankton well out of their jurisdiction, [[SerialEscalation even up to the International Space Station]], which is mainly RuleOfFunny.
** "Banned in Bikini Bottom" had a group of MoralGuardians ban Krabby Patties for being "fun and delicious" (the episode was a parody on prohibition). You don't need to go to law school to know that is not possible even if [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections your husband is the chief of police.]] The job of the police is to enforce laws, not make them.
[[/folder]]
Cops talk to minors all the time; encounters with juveniles is a big part of the job. But questioning or interrogating a minor without a parent, lawyer, or guardian is not acceptable. MirandaRights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins. [[BuddyCopShow Police officers don't actually work in pairs]]; why have two officers covering the same ground when they can cover more working separately? Cops do not carry their guns into a facility where criminals are housed (although they do carry batons, tasers, and pepper spray). [[CarChaseShootOut Police do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting]] ''[[CarChaseShootOut at]]'' [[CarChaseShootOut moving vehicles is frowned upon]]. [[StopOrIWillShoot They aren't expected to shoot someone simply for resisting arrest]]. The latter will get maced or tased instead. If you're a police officer or have ever been one, you already know all this.
Such portrayals of policing methods are inaccurate and are done to provide more drama and action. It's easier for people who have a background in law enforcement to spot these mistakes, just like it's easier for people with a military background to spot cases of ArtisticLicenseMilitary.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when few police forces outside London had trained detectives, they would often call on Scotland Yard to send one to investigate any serious crime whose perpetrator wasn't obvious or where a suspect was socially important enough to make arresting them embarassing for a local cop (the real-world source of the SmithOfTheYard trope). This is very rare now in real life unless you were dealing with a wandering SerialKiller and even then, real-life local forces would object. However, it continued to appear for much longer in works with contemporary settings by American authors whose knowledge of British police procedure still came mostly from Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers novels, such as Martha Grimes or Elizabeth George.
Compare AbsurdlyPowerfulSchoolJurisdiction, ArtisticLicenseLaw, ArtisticLicenseMilitary, CowboyCop, and DirtyCop.
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[[folder:Subtropes]]
* BuddyCopShow: Police officers don't actually work in pairs.
* CarChaseShootOut: Police officers do not shoot from moving vehicles and shooting ''at'' moving vehicles is frowned upon.
* CopKillerManhunt: A police officer's colleagues may hunt down someone who has killed him/her, but the murderer will be arrested, not killed.
* EliteAgentsAboveTheLaw: An elite agent or agency that is not bound by its nation's legal structure simply does not exist.
* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques: In the past, it was used (hence references to "rubber hoses" or "the third degree" or vague threats by cops to "take you down to the station and see how tough you are" in many HardBoiledDetective novels). Nowadays, while it's still done by [[DirtyCop some police forces]], the cops know very well that it's illegal and will move heaven and earth to keep it out of the courthouse.
* GoodPolicingEvilPolicing: Law enforcement organizations/officials. While dirty cops do exist, it is unlikely you will find an entire organization of police that is secretly corrupt.
* HammerspacePoliceForce: A police force with an endless supply of squad cars and men is not realistic, since life is not a video game.
* HollywoodPoliceDrivingAcademy: Some TruthInTelevision. Officers can ignore some traffic laws in the pursuit of a suspect, just not to the levels shown in Hollywood.
* InstitutionalAllegianceConcealment: Officers being able to completely hide their allegiance from other officers is hard and often counterproductive.
* KidDetective: Hiring a child to work as an officer is illegal.
* LawEnforcementInc: A MegaCorp will not use a mercenary police force in real life.
* LemmingCops: Deployment of more police officers to help an officer in a car chase isn't unheard of, but rarely to the large amount of police officers depicted.
* TheLopsidedArmOfTheLaw: Bigger crimes being ignored over smaller crimes can happen, but not to the extremes shown in fiction.
* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: While patrol officers have some general training in forensics, as in "don't touch anything", Crime Scene Units are an entirely different division and while Investigators may have some firearms training (as members of a law enforcement unit that may encounter the occasional armed resistance), CSI members entering a house right alongside SWAT just doesn't happen.
* MirandaRights: Miranda Rights aren't read when someone is arrested; they're read to the suspect after they've been booked and before questioning begins.
* MustStateIfYoureACop: Contrary to popular belief, a police officer is not under obligation to answer truthfully when asked if they're a cop.
* PoliceAreUseless: Police officers who are not good at their jobs are not going to be police officers for very long.
* StopOrIWillShoot: A police officer does not legally shoot someone simply for resisting arrest.
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!!The following '''examples''' do not fit any subtropes:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/DominionTankPolice'' parodies the over-militarization of police forces to extreme levels, so it never takes itself too seriously despite the plot. An early scene features a JackBauerInterrogationTechnique where-in a criminal has a grenade shoved into his mouth, and the officers turn the interrogation into a game featuring a spin wheel and Leona dressed up as a PlayboyBunny. Police chief Brenten ''encourages'' this behavior.
* ''Anime/LupinIIIPart6'': Ordinary British police do not carry firearms, yet all the cops in London are seen shooting at Lupin (and miserably failing to hit him). It should also be noted that neither MI-6 nor Scotland Yard have the authority to get the British Army to deploy an armored fighting vehicle, let alone have said vehicle fire its main armament in a heavily populated city. This should tip off any viewers who are savvy about British law. Although, as noted elsewhere on the page, this may be a case of Lupin being a GodzillaThreshold.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Scalped}}'': Dashiell is an FBI agent yet he doesn't have a college degree. In real life, anyone aspiring to become an FBI special agent must possess at least a Bachelor's degree.
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[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNutJob'': Part of the robbers' getaway plan was to cross state lines, apparently expecting the police that were hot on their tails to suddenly break off pursuit at that invisible boundary. Police ''can'' cross state lines in pursuit of a suspect if the person is suspected of a felony (e.g. robbing a bank); that is the very definition of the term, "Hot Pursuit".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Judy is excited to begin her first day as a police officer, only to find out she's stuck on parking duty. Most major cities in real life have a whole separate department of parking services whose primary job is issuing citations so that the police are free to handle bigger crimes. While suburbs and smaller towns might still leave this task to the police, a city as huge as Zootopia would not.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'': After Spider-Man catches the car thief, the cop who shows up almost immediately draws his gun and ''tries to shoot Spidey in the face''. Especially egregious since Spidey was ''unarmed'' and doing nothing but ''talking'', and the car thief was webbed to the wall ''not 20 feet behind him, directly in the cop's line of fire''. Even if it could be assumed that the cop thought Spidey's web-shooters were weapons, that doesn't remotely justify an immediate lethal response without even a warning or stand-down order, and while a bystander could be hit.
* ''Film/AmericanUltra'': After walking out of the supermarket where they just finished taking out a bunch of assassins, leaving the place on fire, Mike and Pheobe walk out of the building and are faced by the SWAT team and other armed troopers. Mike takes this opportunity to propose to Pheobe. She says yes but then the two are tased by a SWAT trooper for delaying them from entering the building, even though the violence was over and they could have easily just walked past Mike and Pheobe without tasing them first. While law enforcement officers are permitted to use force to enter a building if there's a violent crime taking place and people are actively getting in the officers' way, the assassins had already been taken care of and Mike and Pheobe were not actively trying to stop them from entering.
* ''Film/AntMan1'': Following reports of a helicopter crash and a fight between two individuals in a family's home, Detective Jim Paxton and his partner Gale arrive to find their former prisoner Scott Lang in his Ant-Man uniform. As Lang tries to explain what happened and make the confused Paxton understand the situation, Paxton ignores him and instead pulls out a taser and [[StaticStunGun shocks him, knocking him out]] and putting him in the police car to be taken back to jail. In reality, a cop would be fired for excessive use of force if they tased someone mid-sentence. Tasers are part of the force continuum. They are not the first thing a cop would use encountering someone. Tasers are not apprehension devices -- they are designed to overcome aggression and resistance.
* ''Film/TheDeparted'': Sullivan graduates from the police academy and is immediately assigned as a plainclothes detective. In reality, a rookie police officer can count on ''several years'' of uniformed street work after leaving the academy. No exceptions. Only officers who have gained considerable experience and street smarts are permitted to test for promotion.
* ''Film/DieHard'':
** Channel 9 (CB distress channel) is monitored by Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams (REACT), not the police department. If someone were calling for help on Channel 9, they would talk to a REACT operator, who would then call the authorities. Either way, it would not be an FCC violation.
** Police officers are allowed to carry firearms (concealed carry) because of their state-issued law enforcement licenses. Police officers are allowed to operate only within the borders of their own states. [=McClane=] is on a plane traveling from New York to Los Angeles, taking him out of the state, meaning that his police license is would not be applicable. This also negates his right to carry his weapon. Federal agents and state and local law enforcement officers are allowed to carry on commercial flights but only on official police business (e.g., prisoner or VIP escort). Proper paperwork and verified identification would be required for such official business.
* ''Film/EndOfWatch'': When Van Hauser and Sook come to release Taylor and Zavala to go back on patrol, after he goes under the tape he takes his cigar out of his mouth, he spits. This is an official crime scene, that's what's called "leaving your own evidence on the crime scene". Professional police officers don't spit or leave any of their bodily functions on the crime scene. That confuses the case. They would also not allow an officer on duty to smoke a cigar let alone inside a crime scene.
* ''Film/TheHitman'': It would not be legal for a police officer to work undercover as a ''contract killer'', no matter how much of a CowboyCop he may be.
* ''Film/LethalWeapon'':
** Riggs and Murtaugh are introduced when Murtaugh is told he's getting a new partner. He sees another plainclothes detective showing Riggs around, but has no idea who Riggs is. When Riggs is left alone, leaning against a desk, for some reason he pulls his gun, prompting Murtaugh to scream "GUN!" and charge him. Murtaugh's reaction was 100% correct, and he would have even been justified to draw his own weapon and order Riggs to disarm. For a police officer to pull their gun for no reason whatsoever in a squad room full of cops is simply ''insane.'' Police procedure dictates that you ''only'' draw your weapon if you're in a situation where you may need to use it. In RealLife, such a stunt would have gotten Riggs suspended immediately, with his gun and badge taken away to boot. After a review by his superiors, he probably would have ended up discharged from the force with that "psycho pension" everyone thought he was trying to get.
** Riggs grabbing the suicidal man, handcuffing himself to him, and then ''jumping off the building'' with him should have ended with him being kicked off the force for good. That was just too far over the top for any police department to tolerate.
* ''Film/ThePerfectWeapon1991'': When Tanaka [[LanguageBarrier cannot understand Detective Adam Sanders' commands]], the latter [[StaticStunGun tases him, knocking him out]] to be put in the police car, and doesn't get in any trouble for it. In RealLife, he would have been fired.
* ''Film/PoliceAcademy'': The handgun range they are learning on are outdoors, with targets of 25 meters/yards. In reality, trainee police officers learn on an indoor range, with targets initially set at 10 yards, then increasing to 15 then 25 yards as they become more proficient with their guns. It's only after they're proficient with their guns that they move outdoors, to add environmental effects (wind, sun, glare, etc.) for the officers to compensate for.
* ''Film/{{RoboCop|1987}}'':
** Most modern police stations have a sally port (a separate entrance for police vehicles only; a secure controller entryway to a fortification or prison) where they load and unload prisoners. In this case, the police station ''does'' have a sally port. Lewis (and later [=RoboCop=] with Clarence) should have brought their prisoners in through the sally port, not into the lobby where they could have posed a threat to civilians.
** Whether it's a gas station robbery, apprehending a suspect in a dance club, or taking out an entire drug warehouse, Robocop never once calls in his location to dispatch. Sure, he's a bulletproof, super-strong cyborg wielding a hand cannon, but procedure dictates that officers must keep dispatch informed of their whereabouts and activities at all times. He also never does any paperwork, shoving Clarence at the Desk Sergeant with a simple "Book him." The proper response from the Desk Sergeant should have been "he's ''your'' collar. Book him yourself!"
* ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'': Sheriff Buford T. Justice pursues The Bandit ''far'' outside his Texas county jurisdiction, across ''multiple'' state lines. Whenever he's called out on it, he insists he's in the middle of a high-speed pursuit and there's no way to break it off. While he may be able to get away with this (to a point) while remaining in Texas, once the pursuit crosses state lines he would have to break it off and allow law enforcement from that state to take over.
* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': [=SpiderMan=] scales the Washington Monument while being pursued by a police helicopter. Contrary to popular belief, police helicopters are not a frontline service; they're a support for the ground units, since it's hard to shoot accurately from a helicopter.
* ''Film/SuperTroopers'':
** During the banquet scene all of the highway officers are wearing their ceremonial uniforms. However the chevrons or arrows on the shoulder all point down. In the US, the chevron or arrow insignia should be pointing upward (inverted). Grady's uniform even has 3 chevrons/arrows which indicates that he is a sergeant and not a captain. Likewise, the two chevrons/arrows on the other men's uniforms indicate the rank of corporal. Furthermore, the chevrons should also appear on the officer's day-to-day uniform as well as his/her ceremonial attire.
** When the State Police barracks are shut down, the troopers along with the captain would not have been fired or let go. They would have been assigned to another barracks or division around the state, but not fired.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode'': Discussed several times.
** Dan Brown seems to be under the impression that all it takes to extradite a British national from their own country is for a foreign law enforcement agencies to make a call to a local police officer. Also, he seems to think that said local police will simply detain the suspects until the foreign police arrive to make the arrests themselves.
** He says the French police judiciaire is the equivalent of the FBI. It's not-this refers simply to detectives. The closest France has to the FBI is the National Police, but there is no exact equivalent because of the way France's government is organized. It is not federated like the US, so there's no need for an interstate agency. The National Police takes care of civil law enforcement duties for the entire country -- except in smaller towns and more remote areas, where the Gendarmerie has jurisdiction, and municipal police exist in some towns and cities -- and the police judiciaire is the section of the National Police that investigates the most serious crimes such as murders. Whether this is a case of CreatorProvincialism or just another case of Dan not doing the research (or both) isn't clear.
** Sophie tells Langdon that the police captain suspects he committed the murder and can have him detained for months. No. French law only allows someone to be detained for 24 hours, with another 24 hours allowed if approved by the local prosecutor and the police can demonstrate it's necessary. The captain would have to prove Langdon committed the murder in the face of evidence that Langdon was nowhere in the vicinity, he'd have to answer for destroying evidence when he erased Langdon's name, they'd have to prove Langdon either smuggled a gun into France or acquired one when he was already there, the list goes on. He can't charge Langdon, only the local prosecutor can do that, and he doesn't have enough evidence to make it stick. And to repeat, the prosecutor is going to be ''seriously pissed'' that he destroyed evidence by erasing part of what the victim wrote. Of course, Sophie may have simply said that to get Langdon to stop arguing and get moving.
* In virtually every ''Literature/EncyclopediaBrown'' book, Bugs Meany tries to frame Encyclopedia for something, only for the other boy to prove that the accusations are bogus. Knowingly filing a fraudulent criminal complaint is a crime in and of itself in 99% of police jurisdictions, so Bugs' attempts to get ''the police chief's son'' arrested for crimes that never happened should have gotten ''him'' arrested and thrown into a juvenile detention facility by the end of the third book. And even if he was released, the police would likely ignore any later accusations from Bugs on that grounds that he was a known perjurer.
* ''Literature/NoCountryForOldMen'': In the film, the deputy who arrests Chigurh at the beginning simply has him sit in a chair, then turns him back on him and makes a phone call. This allows Chigurh to bend forward, slip his cuffed hands under his feet so that his hands are in front of him, then choke the deputy to death. In reality, he would have immediately been placed in a holding cell.
* Discussed in ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'': Brooks says ''"Obviously, any civilian group will not have access to a real tank or [=APC=]"''. In practice, a civilian can acquire a tank having enough money to spend, as civilian collections/museums do, just that legally all weapons have to be deactivated by welding the breechblock. But it still has treads and armor and can reduce the enemy to a bloody pulp. Plus, ever since the War on Terror began, police departments have been getting [=APCs=] with functioning turrets.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'': Played for laughs with the town drunk, Otis Campbell. Although Sherriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife do haul him in occasionally, they also allow him to check himself in and out whenever he's on a bender. Plus, they don't always lock the cell. Doubtful that such things would occur anywhere, even in small, rural towns like Mayberry.
* ''Series/BarneyMiller'': The squad room the detectives worked in had a holding cell in one corner. No one arrested would have been placed in such close proximity to working officers. They could have been disruptive, overheard witness testimony, etc. They would have been placed in a separate section of the station house specifically designed for holding detained individuals. This was mainly done so that people arrested could be placed in a location that allowed them to more easily take part in the plot.
* ''Series/HillStreetBlues'': In one episode, Lt. Goldblume (who is a genuinely NiceGuy) reveals that he never even used to load his service pistol while on the job. With that kind of behavior, it's a miracle he ever made it to Lieutenant. If there was ever a crisis and his fellow officers found out he was backing them up with an unloaded pistol, it would have been his last day on the job. Even Furillo's reaction is flimsy; it's implied he went ballistic but in reality he would have had Goldblume busted back down to patrol officer if not kicking him off the force completely.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': In the pilot episode, Dean has been arrested and is being interrogated by the local Sheriff. Sam calls in a fake 911 call to provide a distraction for Dean. Before leaving, the Sheriff simply handcuffs Dean by one wrist to the chair he's sitting in, leaving him ''alone and unobserved'' in an office filled with supplies, with one hand free. Dean quickly grabs a paperclip and is out of the cuffs in less than a minute. In RealLife, Dean would have been locked in a holding cell.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* Zigzagged in the ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' series. The first three games are meant to have you [[ByTheBookCop follow proper police procedure]] as listed in the manual such as arrest procedures, when to use your sidearm, gathering evidence and so on. Yet the hero Sonny Bonds is [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything shown doing tasks that would usually be handled by specialized investigators or officers]]. In the third game, Bonds even goes first into a crack house after the SWAT team breaks the door down and then waits outside.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Animation]]
* In ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'', based on Lilah's word, they were going to cavity search Christian after she indicates him as a terrorist in an airport. They don't seem particularly concerned about the implications of filing a false police report, nor pissing off someone who has demonstrated a willingness to spend lots of money to satiate his own petty whims.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Website/{{Cracked}}'': Discussed in [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18385_7-bullshit-police-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies_p1.html 7 Bullshit Police Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies)]], and [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18815_the-5-most-wildly-illegal-court-rulings-in-movie-history.html The Five Most Wildly Illegal Court Rulings in Movie History]] point out many instances of this trope, including many listed here, such as ''Film/TheUntouchables1987'', ''Film/PrimalFear'', ''Film/ATimeToKill'', ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'', and ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet''. Note that not all of the examples are correct, though.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Video]]
* In many ''Website/{{GoAnimate}}'' videos, troublemakers get innocent people arrested by littering a soda bottle, running away, and making it look like the innocent person littered it. When a cop drives by, they immediately arrest the person for littering, even if they say they were just putting it away, and lock them up in jail. In real life, this kind of arrest would not be allowed, and would get the cop's badge taken away.
* Sgt. Anous from ''WebVideo/{{Smosh}}'' is prone to whipping out his gun and [[MoreDakka excessively shooting unarmed people]] without warning for [[FelonyMisdemeanor minor infractions]] or [[PoliceBrutality no real crime at all]]. Such incidents include: improperly conjugating on an online forums, dumping your girlfriend, drinking tap water out of a used water bottle, parking in a handicap spot and "resisting arrest" by moving their car out of that spot, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking jaywalking]]. This is based on [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity a world-view that the world is made-up exclusively of "good for nothing criminals" and law enforcement]]. He also sees nothing wrong with prank-calling other emergency services and using his gun for mundane purposes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Alphablocks}}'': In one episode, I is made a cop and she decides what's illegal. In real life, the police don't decide what's legal and what's illegal.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q", Joe claims that he cannot arrest Jeff unless Brenda herself reports him for his behavior. While that is true of [[DomesticAbuse abusive relationships]] that are happening behind closed doors ([[NeverTrustATitle as the episode's title would suggest]]), in this case, Joe is not able to prosecute Jeff even if he physically beats Brenda right in front of him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "A Star Is Torn", Homer asks for a change for $1 to call the police at the Kwik-E-Mart. However, payphones do not require payment for 911 emergency calls--which an armed robbery in progress would definitely qualify for.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndGuessWho'': In "Elementary My Dear Shaggy" British police are seen in 1970s/1980s uniforms with the traditional British helmet and blue uniform; modern police wear black clothing, bodycams and don't have helmets except for motorcycle police and mounted police. Also, the jail depicted is wrong; it would be a lock-up holding cell instead, not jail with a key.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''
** In "Fiasco!", Plankton accidentally steals a modern art piece ([[ItMakesSenseInContext don't ask]]). First, the Police chase Plankton well out of their jurisdiction, [[SerialEscalation even up to the International Space Station]], which is mainly RuleOfFunny.
** "Banned in Bikini Bottom" had a group of MoralGuardians ban Krabby Patties for being "fun and delicious" (the episode was a parody on prohibition). You don't need to go to law school to know that is not possible even if [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections your husband is the chief of police.]] The job of the police is to enforce laws, not make them.
[[/folder]]
