SPOKANE, Wash — Two ‘COPS’ film crews have been riding with Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Valley Deputies, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The film crews started riding with deputies in September and will continue through the first week of November.
According to SCSO Corporal Mark Gregory, ‘COPS’ film crews have ridden with Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies for many years.
“Shows like COPS highlight the work of law enforcement,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said in a press release. “They show, even for a few minutes, what the men and women out protecting our communities deal with day in and day out. People need to see how quickly things can turn, the decisions that need to be made quickly, and how well Deputies and Officers adjust and respond appropriately. They show the hard work and professionalism of law enforcement, despite what some anti-law enforcement activists and those in the media want you to believe.”
‘COPS’ along with ‘LIVE PD’ were canceled by networks in June amid unrest over police brutality and racism in the United States. ‘COPS’ was canceled by the Paramount Network and, at the time, a network spokesperson said, “Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return.”
According to the COPS website, the show is set to premiere Oct. 10 on WGNA. It’s unclear when the Spokane episodes will air.
Shows like these have led to some controversy among Spokane-area leaders and community members alike since 2018.
Spokane City Council Member Breean Beggs, who now serves as council president, began raising questions about reality police shows like ‘COPS.’ He was concerned that it showed the worst of Spokane.
Knezovich countered that point by saying the show served as a good recruiting tool for his department.
Some local groups, including the Spokane Chapter of the NAACP, have concerns about 'COPS' returning to the Spokane community.
Sheriff Knezovich said his office did not involve NAACP in discussions about 'COPS' crews returning.
"I'm not necessarily opposed to it," said NAACP President Kurtis Robinson. "I would definitely say it would have gone a long ways to have a conversation beforehand instead of after the fact so we could voice what some of our concerns were."
Sheriff Knezovich said he does not think there will be any changes to how the crews film.
Robinson said he would like to see crews filming an emphasis on crisis intervention teams. Along with capturing not just what law enforcement does right, its mistakes too.
"What you see out there is what these men and women that wear that badge every day gout and they deal with on a daily basis," Knezovich said.
Other city leaders in Spokane also brought up issues of privacy, as both "Cops" and "Live PD" did not require people's consent to appear on camera. They since created an ordinance that requires production companies to get a business license in Spokane. Producers would also have to screen footage before it aired to keep anyone with mental health problems from appearing on TV. A city employee would also be tasked with monitoring what is broadcasted. Penalties for violating these rules would result in a civil infraction with a $250 fine.