Ask any police officer what they think of how their profession is portrayed on film or television, and you'll get a variation of one answer ( in most cases ): it's bunk. Trash. Garbage. Fiction. Absurd.
My wife knows she can't watch Rookie Blue with me in the room because I rip the plot apart as it evolves. Same thing with cops who are portrayed on soap operas. During my career, I didn't have time to pursue romantic interests with a female co-worker ( not that I would have; I am married! ), engage in outside activities while on the job, gamble, spend all of my shift at the station, etc. There were too many citizens calling for police response for that nonsense to happen. Fact is, if you don't give complete attention and concentration to the hazardous calling that IS law enforcement, you're gonna get yourself or one of your brothers/sisters in blue hurt. Or worse, a citizen.
Now, I'm not going to tell you that instances such as mentioned above don't occasionally happen, because they do. There were a few station-house romances by people who used their badge and position to influence someone into a soiree, to be sure, but by and large? Doesn't happen. Most of the men and women I worked with over the years were dedicated professionals, committed to the oath they took on Day One. Its just that those dedicated people don't make good stories; the press thrives on drama and scandal, using those instances to gain viewership or readers. Occasionally, a feel-good story will be brought to light...but those stories happen every day by the thousands. You wouldn't know it through the media, though. I could recount reams of instances where police officers went out of their way to do a solid for someone who didn't expect it, but the media? Nah, not interested. Let's print or broadcast something that gets peoples' ire up. Any more, to me, watching the crime news is like reading one of those supermarket tabloids.
What about tactics, you ask? Some of the things I've seen happen in movies or TV shows would NEVER, EVER happen. Ever.Stand in front of a door while you're knocking on it while attempting to contact a suspect? That'll get you shot. Chasing a mope on foot for blocks and blocks, apprehending he/she and then having total control of your breathing, without even a hint of sweat or a hair out of place? Sure, there's cops who also run marathons, but for the most part, its hard to get three words out in a sentence without panting for breath...add in the stress/adrenaline and its downright hard to do. I always laughed at the old TV show CHiPS, which centered around two California Highway Patrol cops on motorcycle patrol; after every extended chase, fight, whatever, when they took those cycle helmets off....the hair was perfect, uniforms immaculate. Not a drop of sweat to be found anywhere. In reality, if you fight with someone on the street, something gets ripped or torn. Glasses get broke, scratches/bruises are sustained, even wedding rings come off. I distinctly remember an instance where I was arresting an intoxicated woman on a sidewalk. A large, intoxicated woman. She fought like a man and she went to jail, but not before my badge was ripped from my shirt and I fractured a thumb when it was crushed by a handcuff between her body and the sidewalk. If you wear a badge for a living and work on the street, you're bound to get dinged up eventually.
There were/are some fairly realistic programs on television, however. Cops, of course, and the new show Nightwatch, which portrays the men and women who staff the City of New Orleans' police, fire and EMS divisions. I used to also like NBC's Third Watch when it was on, but now you can't even find it in syndication anywhere. The First 48 is very watchable, too I'm sure I've forgotten to mention a couple more, but, for the most part, you can have all the rest. I can't watch them.
If you ever really want to see what the men and women who uphold the laws of this land deal with on a daily basis, check with your local agencies about 'ride-along' programs; I guarantee you'll get your eyes opened.
...but don't expect shoot-outs every six minutes.
That's it, through the eyes of an old cop.
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