History Main / SlidingScaleOfLawEnforcement

* Chief Clancy Wiggum on the {{Simpsons}} is a [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid text]] [[PoliceAreUseless book]] example of a sliding scale. He and his department are often the [[ButtMonkey butt]] of jokes about Police inefficiency. Wiggum himself often makes up laws as he goes along. Although it's a defining trait of Wiggum and the entire SPD, however, the scale shifts quite often depending on what the episode calls for. Sometimes they can be helpful, though it's usually dependant on the circumstances of the episode. The departments' corruption fluctuates as well, though generally it's not malicious.
** The entire Springfield Police Department's undergone the effect of Flanderization big time.
*** It really depends on what the episode calls for. There is an instance of an SPD Officer [[ImprobableAimingSkills shooting Homer with a pistol as he runs over a rooftop several stories off the ground]] (the cops were on the ground), while there is also the time several SPD Snipers [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy are unable to hit a passed out woman laying motionless on the floor]].

* While ThirdWatch leans heavily towards the cynical side on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism That Other Scale]], it is much more positive on its portrayal of law enforcement. While virtually all the cop characters engage in a questionable activity over the course of the show, they are generally portrayed as good people doing a tough job. Even the blatantly crooked [[WellIntentionedExtremist Sergeant Cruz]] is shown to have a strong moral reasons for her actions, even if her actions are [[ShootTheDog morally reprehensible]]. If anything, the show's message is that cops don't get enough credit for the good that they do, and that bad cops are the exception rather than the rule.

* ''{{CSI}}'' tends to sit towards the positive side, as the police themselves are generally background characters.

* Since ''{{Firefly}}'' focuses on a motley collection of outlaws and fugitives, the police are generally considered a danger and threat. However, while the cops are ''enemies'', they aren't presented as particularly evil, but range from decent local sherrifs willing to look the other way to no-nonsense federal marshals to corrupt officers running cloned body parts.

* ''HotFuzz'' sits in the middle, leaning towards the positive side. While the police are portrayed as ineffectual and bureaucratic, [[spoiler:they do end up coming for the criminals in the AncientConspiracy at the end]] and Angel is portrayed less as a contrast to a world of bad and corruption and more of a lighthearted contrast to the ineffectual, [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad politically correct]] [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bureaucracy]] of the other bobbies.

* ''Series/{{House}}}'' is largely neutral-to-positive on police generally, but Detective Tritter was portrayed as a vengeful jerkass. He [[JerkassHasAPoint was right that House was an addict in a position that should not be held by an addict]], and did get to deliver one really solid justifying speech to Cuddy[[note]]"[...] it's not being dealt with by doctors. Doctors are covering it up. The whole point of the criminal justice system is to make things right when everything else fails. With all due respect, you have failed."[[/note]], but he still came across as vindictive and petty, and the fact that he was going up against Our Favorite Jerkass didn't help.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' has been [[http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/45644/Batman_Alignment.jpg all over the map]].

At the other end of the scale, the [[BlackAndGreyMorality closest thing]] to a "good cop" is a KnightTemplar RabidCop. Most cops are [[DirtyCop corrupt]] and [[PoliceBrutality brutal]] thugs who enjoy terrorizing and brutalizing the civilian populace. If they fight against crime at all, it is either [[EvilVersusEvil a clash]] of [[LawfulEvil Lawful]] and [[NeutralEvil other]] [[ChaoticEvil evil]] or for the bidding of a rival crimelord. In milder versions of this, [[PoliceAreUseless cops are generally portrayed as bumbling, corrupt and ineffectual]], as well as [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid Lawful Stupid]], but generally well meaning, with occasional [[InspectorJavert Inspector Javerts]] and [[RabidCop Rabid Cops]] peppering the mix. There are also settings that [[BadCopIncompetentCop mix the two]], with the cops that aren't useless being dirty as all get out.

* ''HotFuzz'' sits in the middle, leaning towards the positive side. While the police are portrayed as ineffectual and bureaucratic, [[spoiler: they do end up coming for the criminals in the AncientConspiracy at the end]] and Angel is portrayed less as a contrast to a world of bad and corruption and more of a lighthearted contrast to the ineffectual, [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad politically correct]] [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bureaucracy]] of the other bobbies.
* Similarily, Film/TheDarkKnightSaga looks to be sitting in the middle. Corruption is present in the police force, but idealists like Gordon earn promotions and praise, [[spoiler: even the cop that sells out Rachel Dawes gets mention of being pressured for her mother's hospital bills]] and the police are more portrayed as misguided with occasional elements of corruption within their midst.

* ''Series/AlienNation'' had an LA Precinct overcome racism and embrace an alien cop as one of their own, and thus sits largely toward the more positive end of the middle, given that the whole show was [[{{Anvilicious}} an allegory to the struggles of minorities, immigrants, freed slaves and homosexuals]] set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. However, there were some corrupt cops, other cops who were racist jerks, and the Captain of the Precinct was a bureaucratic prick given to alternating fits of condescending and sucking up to his two more noble Buddy Cop subordinates.

* ''Series/ColdCase'' is a relatively positive portrayal, as the main characters are detectives, but issues like institutional sexism, racism and anti homosexual sentiment are still brought up, as is the problem of corruption (particularly during past eras) and police incompetence. They tend to be fairly good about PoliceBrutality, too, at least compared with ''SVU''.
* Crime Dramas in Hong Kong usually places cops on several sides of the scales of justice, on one hand there are few Corrupt Cop stories while in others, the cops are seen to have an excellent track record and their free time activities aren't just drinking beer or coffee but outings with some Camp elements.
* Gene Hunt of ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'' and ''AshesToAshes''. Very big fan of "Kicking in nonces," as he'd say. The show oscillates widely around the mid-point of the scale; Sometimes Gene Hunt is perfectly willing to do bad things in a good cause, but sometimes he's so willing to do bad things that he doesn't need a cause beyond feeling like hurting someone. The other regular officers stake out points all along the scale, with modern officers Sam Tyler and Alex Drake at the more heroic end, while Ray Carling tends to be the lower end of the range - excepting occassions when Gene overshoots him. There are also some ''really'' bent coppers, which helps the viewer see Gene as being a ''bad'' cop, but not an ''evil'' one.

* In ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'' all cops save for one exception are knuckle-dragging, corrupt thugs who care about nothing but their paychecks and the power their badges bring, and a chance to regularly beat up or shoot peaceful protesters and other freaks.

* Chief Clancy Wiggum on the {{Simpsons}} is a [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid text]] [[PoliceAreUseless book]] example of a sliding scale. He and his department are often the [[ButtMonkey butt]] of jokes about Police inefficiency. Wiggum himself often makes up laws as he goes along. Although it's a defining trait of Wiggum and the entire SPD however, the scale shifts quite often depending on what the episode calls for. Sometimes they can be helpful, though it's usually dependant on the circumstances of the episode. The departments' corruption fluctuates as well, though generally it's not malicious.

* On ''TopGear'', the "rozzers" (along with nearly every other form of invasive traffic control, such as speed cameras) are mildly annoying petty villains, whose main role is to interfere with the presenters. While some ''Top Gear'' challenges include alleged traffic stops thrown in [[RuleOfFunny entirely for humor]] (in one memorable sequence The Stig was actually arrested), other races have been delayed or interrupted when a presenter is held up by a traffic stop.
** The police did come out in full force when demonstrating proper police procedure in the Police Car Special. There was also the Bonneville episode, where Richard and Jeremy are stopped by a policeman after loudly revving the engines on their muscle cars (They do it specifically to set off car alarms and the police officer is portrayed as being completely in the right and refuses to believe that they were "Just fooling around").

** Characters at times mention that there are good cops out there, but they can only survive by keeping low profile and turning blind eye to their colleagues' activities.
* While ThirdWatch leans heavily towards the cynical side on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism That Other Scale]] it much more positive on its portrayal of law enforcement. While virtually all the cop characters engage in a questionable activity over the course of the show, they are generally portrayed as good people doing a tough job. Even the blatantly crooked [[WellIntentionedExtremist Sergeant Cruz]] is shown to have a strong moral reasons for her actions even if her actions are [[ShootTheDog morally reprehensible]]. If anything the show's message is the cops don't get enough credit for the good that they do, and that bad cops are the exception rather than the rule.

** The police did come out in full force when demonstrating proper police procedure in the Police Car Special.

* ''{{Batman}}'' has been [[http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/45644/Batman_Alignment.jpg all over the map]].

* While ThirdWatch leans heavily towards the cynical side on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism That Other Scale]] it much more positive on its portrayal of law enforcement. While virtually all the cop characters engage in a questionable activity over the course of the show, they are generally portrayed as good people doing a tough job. Even the blatantly crooked [[WellIntentionedExtremist Sergeant Cruz]] is shown to have a [[DeadLittleSister strong moral reasons]] for her actions even if her actions are [[ShootTheDog morally reprehensible]]. If anything the shows message is the cops don't get enough credit for the good that they do, and that bad cops are the exception rather than the rule.

* Rorschach in ''{{Watchmen}}'' is an AntiHero, though that's because he has impossibly high moral standards. His heroic actions include leaving a child murderer to die, and killing a serial rapist then leaving his body at the police station when the police themselves cannot catch him.

* ''{{CSI}}'' tends to sit towards the positive side, as the police themselves are generally background characters, with a mix of BookEmDanno and DirtyCop.

* Gene Hunt of ''LifeOnMars'' and ''AshesToAshes''. Very big fan of "Kicking in nonces," as he'd say. The show oscillates widely around the mid-point of the scale; Sometimes Gene Hunt is perfectly willing to do bad things in a good cause, but sometimes he's so willing to do bad things that he doesn't need a cause beyond feeling like hurting someone. The other regular officers stake out points all along the scale, with modern officers Sam Tyler and Alex Drake at the more heroic end, while Ray Carling tends to be the lower end of the range - excepting occassions when Gene overshoots him. There are also some ''really'' bent coppers, which helps the viewer see Gene as being a ''bad'' cop, but not an ''evil'' one.

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* ''{{CSI}}'' tends to sit towards the positive side, as the police themselves are generally background characters, with a mix of BookEmDanno and DirtyCop (with one RabidCop that [[{{Praetyre}} this troper]] recalls).

* Similarily, the DarkKnightTrilogy looks to be sitting in the middle. Corruption is present in the police force, but idealists like Gordon earn promotions and praise, [[spoiler: even the cop that sells out Rachel Dawes gets mention of being pressured for her mother's hospital bills]] and the police are more portrayed as misguided with occasional elements of corruption within their midst.

Portrayals of the men in blue vary greatly across history, cultures and nations. From [[TheBible governors under pressure by rabid religious groups to engage in persecution against a Jewish prophet in ancient Palestine]], to [[TheShield borderline]] {{Sociopathic Hero}}es [[TheShield engaging in regular]] PoliceBrutality against criminal suspects, views of society on law enforcement are influenced by both political climate and the present news.

* ''Series/AlienNation'' had an LA Precinct overcome racism and embrace an alien cop as one of their own, and thus sits largely toward the more positive end of the middle, given that the whole show was [[{{Anvilicious}} an allegory to the struggles of minorities, immigrants, freed slaves and homosexuals]] set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. However, there were some corrupt cops, other cops who were racist jerks, and the Captain of the Precinct was a bureaucratic prick given to alternating fits of condescending and sucking up to his two more noble Buddy Cop subordinates.

* Rorschach in ''{{Watchmen}}'' is an AntiHero, though that's because he has impossibly high moral standards. His heroic actions include leaving a child murderer to die, and killing a serial rapist then leaving his body at the police station when the police themselves cannot catch him.

* The police in ''{{KateModern}}'' are generally fairly incompetent, provoking one SerialKiller to remark "What does a person have to do to get arrested around here?" When they ''do'' arrest anyone, it's always the wrong person, and the whole legal system is manipulated by an evil secret society anyway. Interestingly, it's only the English police who are portrayed this way; the French police, while still incompetent, aren't corrupt.
* In ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'' all cops save for one exception are knuckle-dragging, corrupt thugs who care about nothing but their paychecks and the power their badges bring, and a chance to regularly beat up or shoot peaceful protesters and other freaks.

* ''SinCity'', with its WretchedHive setting and criminal protagonists, sits squarely on the negative end of the scale. As Marv, one of the criminal protagonists in question, notes, "everyone knows who they work for and what it takes to keep them happy." The cops in Sin City are so bad that they even have a ''death squad'' that deals with those who know too much about stuff those in charge want hidden. The only ''good'' cop of the bunch is Detective John Hartigan, [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished and he pays for it quite dearly]].
** Characters at times mention that there are good cops out there, but they can only survive by keeping low profile and turning blind eye to their colleagues' activities.

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* ''TheShield'', of course, as aforementioned, sits at an [[VillainProtagonist unusual]] negative end of the scale.

* Gene Hunt of ''LifeOnMars''. Very big fan of "Kicking in nonces," as he'd say.

* Rorschach in ''{{Watchmen}}'' is an AntiHero, though that's because he has impossibly high moral standards. His [[YourMileageMayVary "heroic"]] actions include leaving a child murderer to die, and killing a serial rapist then leaving his body at the police station when the police themselves cannot catch him.

Generally, [[PoliceProcedural shows with law enforcement members as protagonists]] sit somewhere near the middle of the scale, with both a few WideEyedIdealist cops and the occasional DirtyCop, InternalAffairs [[InspectorJavert Javert]] with a RabidCop (sometimes one of the protagonists) thrown in for good measure, while [[CrimeTimeTV shows with criminal protagonists]] or set in [[PoliceState tyrannical]] [[{{Dystopia}} regimes]] tend to sit somewhere towards the negative end of the scale.

* ''ColdCase'' is a relatively positive portrayal, as the main characters are detectives, but issues like institutional sexism, racism and anti homosexual sentiment are still brought up, as is the problem of corruption (particularly during past eras) and police incompetence. They tend to be fairly good about PoliceBrutality, too, at least compared with ''SVU''.

At the other end of the scale, the [[BlackAndGreyMorality closest thing]] to a "good cop" is a KnightTemplar RabidCop. Most cops are [[DirtyCop corrupt]] and [[PoliceBrutality brutal]] thugs who enjoy terrorizing and brutalizing the civilian populace. If they fight against crime at all, it is either [[EvilVersusEvil a clash]] of [[LawfulEvil Lawful]] and [[NeutralEvil other]] [[ChaoticEvil evil]] or for the bidding of a rival crimelord. In milder versions of this, [[PoliceAreUseless cops are generally portrayed as bumbling, corrupt and ineffectual]], as well as [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid Lawful Stupid]], but generally well meaning, with occasional [[InspectorJavert Inspector Javerts]] and [[RabidCop Rabid Cops]] peppering the mix.

At the other end of the scale, the [[BlackAndGreyMorality closest thing]] to a good cop is a KnightTemplar RabidCop. Most cops are [[DirtyCop corrupt]], [[PoliceBrutality brutal]] thugs who enjoy terrorizing and brutalizing the civilian populace. If they fight against crime at all, it is either [[EvilVersusEvil a clash]] of [[LawfulEvil Lawful]] and [[NeutralEvil other]] [[ChaoticEvil evil]] or for the bidding of a rival crimelord. In milder versions of this, [[PoliceAreUseless cops are generally portrayed as bumbling, corrupt and ineffectual]], as well as [[LawfulStupidChaoticStupid Lawful Stupid]], but generally well meaning, with occasional [[InspectorJavert Inspector Javerts]] and [[RabidCop Rabid Cops]] peppering the mix.

Generally, [[PoliceProcedural shows with law enforcement members as protagonists]] sit somewhere near the middle of the scale, with both a few WideEyedIdealist cops and the occasional DirtyCop, InternalAffairs [[InspectorJavert Javert]] with a RabidCop (sometimes one of the protagonists) thrown in for good measure, while [[CrimeTimeTV shows with criminal protagonists]] or set in [[PoliceState tyrannical regimes]] tend to sit somewhere towards the negative end of the scale.

Portrayals of the men in blue vary greatly across history, cultures and nations. From [[TheBible governors under pressure by rabid religious groups to engage in persecution against a Jewish prophet in ancient Palestine]], to [[TheShield borderline]] {{Heroic Sociopath}}s [[TheShield engaging in regular]] PoliceBrutality against criminal suspects, views of society on law enforcement are influenced by both political climate and the present news.

* ''AlienNation'' had an LA Precinct overcome racism and embrace an alien cop as one of their own, and thus sits largely toward the more positive end of the middle, given that the whole show was [[{{Anvilicious}} an allegory to the struggles of minorities, immigrants, freed slaves and homosexuals]] set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. However, there were some corrupt cops, other cops who were racist jerks, and the Captain of the Precinct was a bureaucratic prick given to alternating fits of condescending and sucking up to his two more noble Buddy Cop subordinates.

** Don't forget throwing a masochist who pretended to be a costumed villain in order to get beatings from heroes into an elevator shaft, presumably killing him.

* ''SinCity'', with its WretchedHive setting and criminal protagonists, sits squarely on the negative end of the scale. As Marv, one of the criminal protagonists in question, notes, "everyone knows who they work for and what it takes to keep them happy." The cops in Sin City are so bad that they even have a ''death squad'' that deals with those who know too much about stuff those in charge want hidden. The only ''good'' cop of the bunch is Detective John Hartigan, [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished and he pays for it quite dearly]].