♪ Bad boys, bad boys ♪
♪ Whatcha gonna do? ♪
♪ Whatcha gonna do
when they come for you? ♪
In the early '90s,
Americans are introduced
to an arresting new kind of TV.
I was thinking, "Man, I don't
want to work on this show
because you could get shot
doing this thing."
- Get on the ground.
- Get on the ground.
It showed the police
as they really are...
Can somebody take her?
...to a public
that didn't know.
It was amidst
this w*r on Drugs.
People wanted to see these cops
as these superhero individuals.
Put your hands up
where I can see them.
Stay in the car.
I think '90s was the best
decade for police work.
Powder cocaine.
The public genuinely loved
police officers.
- What am I arrested for?
- Get on your stomach.
It was white police officers
taking advantage of
the working class poor.
The TV show "Cops"
was part of this selling
of an unjust justice system
to the American public.
♪♪
[ Dial-up modems screeching ]
♪♪
From its very first episode,
"Cops" burst onto TV screens
with its brash,
in-your-face realism.
Take her.
Come here. Take her.
And in the '90s,
audiences couldn't get enough.
It was a mind-blower.
In my town, it was what
everybody was talking about.
Back room is clear.
Alright, go.
Check your rounds real quick.
Double-check them.
What caught people's attention
was you can go to
your 9-to-5 job,
come home at night,
and have dinner,
sit down in front of the TV,
and basically be put in
the passenger seat of a...
Of a police car.
With its raw,
fly-on-the-wall style,
"Cops" was an edge-of-your-seat
adrenaline rush.
You are under arrest.
You figured that out
all by yourself, didn't you?
They were in that car.
They were in that foot chase.
They were in that fight.
And they were there handcuffing
that guy with you.
[ Indistinct talking ]
The show was unlike anything
television audiences
had ever seen.
I was seeing on prime time TV
the same things I was sh**ting
with my camera
in a news setting.
Sheriff's department.
Search warrant.
I mean,
this is how it truly is.
- Sheriff's department.
- Police. Get down. Get down.
Just really,
really good television.
[ Indistinct talking ]
Real life, raw, uncut.
This is brand new to television.
But what ends up happening
with a show like "Cops" is
they can pick and choose
what they portray
to give us this vision
of policing
that is not only inaccurate,
but is deeply dangerous.
Your boyfriend is letting you
take the fall for the drug?
The success of
this new kind of television
relied on a very old obsession.
America has always had
a fascination with crime
and cop shows.
My name's Adrien Sebro.
I'm a professor of Media Studies
at University of Texas
at Austin.
And I teach History of Media
and Television and Film.
Shows like, you know,
"Dragnet," "Kojak,"
"Columbo," "Law & Order."
There's always been
this love for, you know, crime,
because we always wonder,
like, whodunnit.
♪♪
Throughout the '80s,
shows with actors playing cops
were some of the most popular
on television.
But there was a gap between,
you know,
these very scripted
kind of TV show
and showing what cops really do.
That vice that Tubbs and
Crockett were fighting in Miami,
it looked nothing like the new
reality police were facing.
Miami Vice.
New York.
It was amidst this late '80s,
early '90s era
of this w*r on Drugs.
Narcotics violations,
robberies, and sexual assaults
were up 10.5%.
Crack cocaine use
leads President Reagan
to double down
on the so-called "w*r on Drugs."
Drugs are menacing our society.
They're threatening our values
and undercutting
our institutions.
They're k*lling our children.
So, why don't you join us in
this great new national crusade?
And as drug-fueled,
violent crime rises,
TV shows glamorizing police work
start to lose their luster.
So, really,
"Cops" came at the perfect time.
It was this idea from an
individual named John Langley.
He had a documentary
called "Cocaine Blues."
Malcolm Barbour
and John Langley got together,
and made this film documentary.
♪♪
And it was real raw.
In the past,
you might see somebody
with... at a party,
with a drink in their hand.
And now, in feature films,
you see people with coke spoons
in their nose.
The two young producers
of "Cocaine Blues"
soon land a job bringing
its realism to television.
Why cocaine?
When I first really
got involved with them,
they were doing
live broadcasting.
I'm Hank Barr.
And I spent the decade
of the '90s working on "Cops."
Before working on "Cops"...
"American Vice: The Real Story
of the Doping of Our Nation."
Barr teams up with Langley
on a gritty,
unscripted television special
starring Geraldo Rivera.
Sometime during
the course of this live program,
you'll be a witness as a pusher
goes down for the count.
After watching dozens of these
raids from very close up...
And it was a two hour live show
with inserts
of taped drug raids.
The idea is to hit swiftly,
and with overwhelming force.
Surprise and shock
are the best protection,
not only for the officer...
I was thinking that, "Man,
I don't want to work
on this show
because you could get shot
doing this thing."
Because we didn't have
any bulletproof vest.
And I could feel this person
pushing me
into this place
that we had fogged.
Couldn't see anything.
And we all could have
been shot there.
But I looked over my shoulder,
and it's Geraldo
pushing me in the door.
So, the excitement
was definitely there.
Oh, my gosh.
[ Indistinct talking ]
All right.
The deal went down.
It's all on the hidden camera...
While working on the special,
John Langley's crew
stumbles on something
that will change television.
Halfway through,
Geraldo had to leave,
and so, I threw a mic
onto the key man
that would actually key the door
of where we were gonna raid.
And I would say, you know,
"We just need to have you
talk us through."
Somebody's got to put the cuffs
on this guy.
So, for the next few hours,
we filmed all these drug raids
with just the officers
narrating.
Fully loaded
Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum.
Oh, excuse me.
.44 special.
Would have ruined our day.
There's no narrators.
There's no host.
These are
Teflon-coated b*ll*ts.
You're simply a crew following
along with a police department.
And that's how "Cops" was born.
John had the concept of "Cops."
He tried to sell it
to the networks.
I'm Randy Sutton,
and I was a cop
for a lot of years,
including in the '90s.
They said it couldn't be done.
"Never work."
And they laughed him
out of their office.
Langley shops it around to what
are then the only networks...
ABC, CBS, and NBC.
But they all turn him down.
Network TV isn't ready to buy
the realism he's trying to sell.
It doesn't surprise me
that a television executive
in that period of time
would just have to scratch your
head, and go, "I don't get it."
I'm Mark Whaley.
And for many years in the '90s,
I was a cameraman
on the TV show "Cops."
When you present to them
a radical idea,
like, "We're gonna put
a cameraman and a sound man
in a car with a policeman,
and they're just gonna
chase him around,
and whatever he does, we're
going to make that TV a show.
You want that?"
♪♪
No narration,
no track, no script.
This preposterous idea,
I'm sure, at that time.
And he was...
He was struggling.
I think, at one point,
he was living out of his car.
But Langley's luck
is about to change.
In 1988, there was
a Writers Guild strike.
And the Writers Guild strike
was huge
because it halted
many productions,
especially on sitcoms, dramas,
or other, obviously,
written shows.
Striking screenwriters
have said no
to another contract
offered by producers.
Suddenly, a show that doesn't
use script writers
looks attractive
to TV executives.
On the show "Cops," we didn't
have to have directors.
We didn't have to have writers.
It was unscripted.
And now,
there's a new network in town.
For the fledgling Fox,
a risky concept with
a low budget is irresistible.
♪ Yes, it'll have to change ♪
♪ That can be arranged ♪
♪ It's on Fox ♪
Fox was hungry for content.
They were the young network,
so they wanted to embrace
that newness with gritty, urban,
young TV and production
that you can't see
anywhere else.
When "Cops" finally makes it
to air on March 11th, 1989,
it delivers
can't-look-away realism
rarely seen on the small screen.
And she was like, "Oh, man,
this is awes...
This is gonna be good.
Watch this.
This is gonna be great."
You crawl on your hands
and knees right now.
The format of "Cops"
is simple...
Each episode tracks
three stories,
with police kicking a*s
off the top,
with what producers see as
comic relief in the middle.
How much have you had to drink?
Tell me that.
Not nearly enough.
Come on, Mary.
Get up.
Come on, Mary.
And a finale that shows police
serving and protecting.
How do you... How do you intend
to get some food for them?
Well, other than
they already had supper tonight,
he'll be here first thing
in the morning.
Who wants to carry something?
What it does is perpetuate
this idea that they're
our superheroes.
So, this is a way
in which "Cops"
continues to construct
their idea of criminal
and their idea of those who are
on the right side of the law.
Because we want to make sure
that the kids...
- I want to be a police.
- You want to be a policeman?
- Yes.
- Good.
♪♪
What "Cops" ended up doing
is creating their own audience.
We were on Saturday nights,
which is actually
the worst night of television,
and yet, our ratings
were going through the ceiling.
Our Q rating was above that of
"The Tonight Show."
It was a cult show.
I think it was great
because the video cameras
really weren't out
in patrol cars
or on officers' bodies
back then, like body cameras.
So, to have
those cameras running live
the whole entire time,
I mean, they were getting
exactly what was happening.
We just did what we normally
would do on a nightly basis.
We don't know where
his clothes are.
The guy that owns his property,
this barber shop,
lives upstairs.
He says he doesn't know him.
Viewers were getting
the live version of police work.
I don't think your dad wants to
see you come to Heaven this way.
Charles, I love you!
I think what John Langley
wanted to accomplish
with the show "Cops"
was to show the true nature
of what policing is.
But it turns out, John Langley
didn't control which aspects
of policing
the audience got to see.
The cops did.
These law enforcement agencies
had editorial control.
The whole ecosystem of policing
is getting this sort of washed
sort of look,
this fairytale version.
[ Indistinct talking ]
But as the '90s roll on,
it's painfully clear that,
for many,
it's a fairytale
without a happily ever after.
♪♪
In the early '90s,
"Cops" goes international...
...with the show's theme song
becoming a worldwide hit.
♪ Bad boys ♪
It's hard for me to imagine
a better piece of music
to use to help brand the show,
and what it's about.
But this song in and of itself
is a cultural phenomenon.
We see the film "Bad Boys,"
this three-part trilogy
is themed off the song.
They characters sing the song.
♪ Bad boys, bad boys ♪
♪ Whatcha gonna do? ♪
The chart-topping,
Grammy-winning tune
is burned into
the popular consciousness.
Even today,
we think about that show
when you're thinking about
that song.
♪ Nobody not give me
no break ♪
♪ Police not give me
no break ♪
But the song also hints at
the manipulation tactics
of the show it introduces.
Reggae music, in all
its anti-Establishment ethics
at its core,
is now promoting a show
about one of
the longest industries
that was against
people of color,
against working-class people,
and is about keeping people
in line.
The song also helps "Cops"
become a pop culture phenomenon.
We got a message
that there's a witch out here,
so we're gonna check it out.
- You got a kid?
- Yes, sir.
So, what's gonna happen
to the kid?
You get burned
at the stake, right?
Right?
Who takes care of the kid, huh?
I swear, sir, I am not...
I am not a witch.
"Cops" in Springfield.
♪ Bad cops, bad cops ♪
[ Yells ]
♪ Bad cops, bad cops ♪
♪ Springfield cops
are on the case ♪
♪ But what do you expect
for the money we make? ♪
But "Cops" ' winning formula
couldn't work
without the active participation
of the people
with the most to lose.
Every person whose face
you saw on the show,
that person signed a release.
[ Woman speaking indistinctly ]
And I just found it shocking
that they actually signed
the waivers,
like, "Hey, I'm going
to be on 'Cops.'
This is great."
Have you seen what you've done?
My name is Keith Burns,
and, in the '90s,
I was a cop on "Cops."
So, after the dust settled,
then the people
that were arrested
were in the back of the car,
and the "Cops" crew
would then approach them,
and identify themselves.
It was the cameraman's
responsibility
to release the people involved.
I'd barely get the word
"Cameraman for
the TV show 'C... '"
and they're like, "'Cops.'
I was hoping you'd say that.
Give me that. You got a pen?
Give me the pen.
Man, I can't wait
to tell my mama."
Everybody just dumped
all the empties into your car?
Obviously,
an intoxicated person
can't release themselves
in that state or condition,
so we'd have to get
their phone number,
and we'd follow up with them
when they were less intoxicated.
Touch the tip of your nose.
You know, we'd ask nice.
Now, and I'll tell you this...
I got at least
a couple of releases
with a kind word and a cold can
of Coca-Cola.
[ Indistinct talking ]
You would be surprised how a
little bit of good salesmanship
can get a good release.
I can tell you right now
the reason that people
signed the release.
It's because, for 5 minutes
of fame, they'll do anything.
There,
in that open apartment window.
One of the funniest incidents
I was involved in...
Stands in his window
with his curtains up.
This woman, every time
she would do the dishes,
her neighbor would climb up
onto his kitchen sink, and...
You know [bleep]
- What?
- And it's embarrassing.
He plays with himself.
So, I get there.
Now, there's a film crew
with me.
Do you mind if I come in
and talk to you?
Thank you.
And he was wearing
nothing but a towel.
And, in front of
he confessed to
exactly what he did.
Well, let's put it this way...
I knew what I was doing
was wrong.
I just find her
sexually attractive, I guess.
It was... So, it's bizarre.
I mean, is it necessary
for me to be arrested?
Well, see, we consider it
ill*gal to masturbate
in front of women in this state.
I guess so.
Now, remember,
this was before social media.
This was giving them
the opportunity,
"Geez, I'm gonna be
on national television."
Am I gonna be
on "Cops" one day?
One day,
you're gonna be on "Cops."
But was this just people
looking for their chance
to get on television,
no matter the cost?
Or was there more to it?
You see those clips
that they want you to see.
You don't see the reality
of the situation.
And you don't see the idea of,
like, this larger structure
of law enforcement.
Put your hands on the car!
If you move,
I'll break your head open.
It didn't happen every time.
There were plenty of people who
had enough sense to say "no."
- f*ck you and them cameras.
- All right.
cr*cker-a*s b*stards.
If the person
refused to sign...
You're the one
running around with...
they would just
blur their face out.
So, if you ever see
the "Cops" episodes
where their faces
are blurred out,
they refused to sign the waiver.
The show's groundbreaking style
also wins over the TV industry.
In the early '90s,
"Cops" is nominated four times
for an Emmy,
and wins
Best Reality Based Program
at the 1993
American Television Awards.
Over the years, I've had a lot
of people ask me, you know,
"It wasn't all really real,
was it?
I mean, some of that was staged,
right?"
No.
Everything that you saw
on the "Cops" TV show
was true reality television.
There was no staging.
There was no coaching,
or acting.
We were warned by the FCC,
"Don't say this is real
if it's not.
You could get into
a lot of trouble that way."
If it happened
in front of my lens...
Drop the bag.
You saw it on TV.
Well, you saw it
if the local police department
gave their okay.
To help make sure they did,
the show's producers,
Barbour and Langley,
were willing to filter reality
to help their subjects
look their best.
That's one of the key things
I don't think
the public ever understood
about the show,
was it was truly a partnership
between the production company
and these
law enforcement agencies.
Police department!
The house is on fire!
Come out!
The agencies
had editorial control.
If they see something
that they think would be
an embarrassment to the agency,
they can always say, "You know
what, we don't want that.
Don't put that on there."
He kicked the door in
on the wrong house.
How do we write this one up?
You're the supervisor.
You tell me.
And Barbour-Langley, of course,
has to go along with that
in order to have the access
to these police agencies.
I mean, we were pro-police.
I mean, that's why
we were called "Cops."
Otherwise,
they'd call us "Robbers."
And working alongside police
all day
can blur the line
between crew and cop.
Once, we had cornered
this hot car up in Ohio,
and the kid did a leg bale
into an apartment complex.
When I saw Richie,
the cameraman,
and our officer go one way,
I came back the other way.
I was on some steps, and he was
running right toward me.
And I realized, "You're tired.
You want to end this thing."
So, as he ran by, I jumped off
the steps, just like Batman.
And I took him to the ground.
And to my horror, I see Richie,
with the camera, filming me.
And I said, "Oh, no."
So, I got off him,
like, real quick,
because I could have
lost my job.
But I didn't.
They left it in there.
But you have to really
look for it,
because it's so quick.
And you say, "Wait a minute?
Did that really happen?
Who was that?"
Actually, that's happened
quite a few times.
Don't worry about
your head, son.
You're under arrest.
This version of reality
seen on "Cops" turns Barbour
and Langley's low-budget series
into a lucrative global brand.
Now, here's your chance
to own official "Cops" gear.
"Cops" gear is available
from your favorite retailers,
Cop Shop.
This show is now
making a ton of money.
Or directly from Cops,
The Store.
What's essentially happening
is that you get
this sort of glossy Hollywood
advertisement for policing.
But while
the "Cops" camera crews
capture their law enforcement-
approved version of policing,
a much uglier glimpse
of police at work
is caught on a camera
the cops don't control.
Unlike a lot of other cops,
Broward County Deputy Sheriff
Linda Canada has done her job
on national television.
Portraying patrol officers
as heroes makes "Cops"
a ratings hit in the early '90s.
And comfort a little girl
who was frightened
of her mother's boyfriend.
How about if I drive
by and shine my light
through the window
so you know that I was here?
I'll just come by...
Linda Canada may be the face
of pro-cop propaganda,
but not everyone is buying
the feel-good story
that "Cops" is selling.
Absolutely, there were people
who saw this show
as problematic, and challenging,
because it was part of
the selling
of an unjust justice system
to the American public.
I'm Rashad Robinson.
I'm the president
of Color of Change.
Yeah, you're looking sharp.
Doing my best.
Doing my best.
In the '90s,
I was leading youth protests
out in my community
on Long Island.
Black and brown communities
have always been treated
like enemy combatants
from police officers,
whether it was from the very
first police departments,
which were sl*ve patrols,
to the batons and the hoses that
were sprayed upon our people
when we were marching
to be able to express
our will for a better future
through the vote,
to all of the police officers
that constantly get off
for violence.
Time and time again,
police officers' lives
have been put far above
the lives of everyday people
in ways that no other profession
in our society gets treated.
But in the early '90s...
Wow.
Omnimovie uses
full-sized VHS tapes.
Advances in personal video
cameras will open the door
for citizens to expose
hidden societal injustices.
We saw a huge rise in people
being able to film things
for themselves,
and tell their own stories.
And one of the biggest stories
of the decade
is captured
on this home recording.
The three police officers
facing felony criminal charges
were among a group of 15
who stopped a 25-year-old.
In this pre-Internet era,
the footage of LAPD officers
beating Rodney King
becomes the TV news equivalent
of a viral video sensation.
Now the story
that might never have surfaced
if someone hadn't picked up
his home video camera.
We've all seen the pictures
of Los Angeles police officers
beating a man...
We see this on screen,
all across the news, everywhere.
Civil rights organizations say
the Los Angeles
Police Department
has a history of brutality
and misconduct.
Law enforcement agencies
denounce the officers' actions
as an anomaly
and a stain on the profession.
Chief Gates today called
the LAPD a "model department,"
and said he has no plans
to resign.
We, the jury,
in the above entitled action,
find the defendant,
Stacey C. Koon, not guilty.
On April 29, 1992,
the four officers charged
in Rodney King's beating
are found not guilty.
LA explodes in the aftermath.
Within an hour of the verdict,
roving, angry gangs
were taking to the mean streets
of South Central Los Angeles.
As crowds build on a corner
in downtown LA,
police gather nearby,
but refuse to engage.
Within minutes,
unchecked by police,
who were nowhere in sight,
the mob began looting stores.
When they finally move in,
it's too late
to stop the rioting.
The police are powerless,
left to form skirmish lines.
They don't represent
the people no more.
Anything that the protesters
could actually get
their hands on.
Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley
urged citizens
to show their outrage
in a constructive manner.
We don't want you
to resort to violence.
That would only destroy
every positive thing
that we have been doing.
The mayor didn't know it,
but it was already too late.
more than 1,300 injured,
more than 4,000 arrested.
Damage estimate...
$200 million and rising.
A few hours ago, the man who had
become the unwilling symbol
of this outbreak of violence
decided it was time
to speak out.
Rodney King appealed for peace.
I just want to say, you know,
can we can we all get along?
Can we... Can we get along?
The White House takes a
hard line against the violence,
but is indifferent to the
police action that provoked it.
What we saw last night
and the night before
in Los Angeles
is not about civil rights.
It's been the brutality of
a mob, pure and simple.
Out on the streets,
the anger only intensifies.
♪♪
Performer Ice-T
is hot this summer.
His album "Body Count"
and the song "Cop k*ller"
are moving up the music charts
with a b*llet.
But cops and others are angered
by these lyrics.
♪ I'm 'bout to
k*ll me something ♪
♪ A pig stopped me
for nothing ♪
♪ Cop k*ller ♪
♪ Better you than me ♪
They've still got to deal
with the question,
why did I write this record?
Cops have beaten on my friends.
They deal with us
like we're savages.
They call us "savages."
They pull you out the car.
They call you "..."
You don't know.
Unless you are in the car
with me, you don't know.
But Black people know.
And in major cities, voices
begin calling for diversity,
demanding police departments
hire more men and women
who actually know what it's like
to be Black in America.
Nowhere is the need for change
more keenly felt
than in Los Angeles.
The new regime recognizes
that the show "Cops,"
with its positive portrayal
of police officers,
could play an important role
in changing the reputation
of the LAPD.
At first, the police chief said,
"No. We don't want
'Cops' here."
The very next police chief said,
"Yes. Bring them here.
We need to fix our PR."
Come here.
Get on the ground.
Get on the ground!
Well, it's not just the LAPD.
It's other police departments
that actually sought out "Cops"
to help them build a new image.
If that doesn't tell you
everything you need to know.
Instead of actually doing
the deeper examination,
instead of actually
digging into accountability,
the police departments
lean into public relations.
And for the police officers,
appearing on "Cops"
is an opportunity
that's too good to pass up.
I absolutely believe that being
on "Cops" is great PR for cops.
Absolutely.
That was one of the reasons
I agreed to do it.
- Get on the ground.
- Get on the ground.
The overwhelming majority of
police officers
are out there to do
the right thing the right way,
help their community,
make it a safer place.
Sheriff's office.
Put your hands up
where I can see them.
Stay in the car. Stay in
the car. Put your hands up.
We live there, too,
so we'd like to make
a difference in the community.
Do you have anything in your
pockets I should know about?
Any needles?
Anything that can hurt me?
And do it the right way...
Be a part of the community,
and be accepted by the community
for what we do.
Powder cocaine.
You are presenting
and representing
the entire police profession
when you are on that show.
So, you're high
and you're watching the kids.
I know.
That's important.
As far as I'm concerned,
I think you should go to jail.
That's...
That's an opportunity...
An opportunity to touch
the lives of others,
and let them see what
it's really like to be a cop.
We don't want to ruin...
We don't want to ruin
your kids' lives.
I don't want to
ruin them, either,
'cause they're just kids.
I think you need more help
than you going to jail.
The problem is,
I'm very concerned
about those littler kids.
They call drugs
a "victimless crime."
Yeah, I got three
little victims in there.
Many people became cops
because of "Cops."
You know,
this idea of seeing people
make a difference...
On screen, at least...
And you're seeing a difference.
You want to be a part of it.
But being a part of the team
actually making the show,
that was a mixed bag.
It was... It was
a dangerous gig, for sure.
No doubt about it.
And for Mark, that danger comes
from a place he least expects.
I was accidentally shot
by a policeman
I was working with
in Chesapeake, Virginia.
- Turn around.
- Hey! Hey, stop!
Hey, stop! Stop!
- In the '90s,
being a cop on "Cops"
can be risky business.
But it can be just as dangerous
behind the camera.
We had close calls
all the time.
g*ns that were discovered
after the fact.
- g*n case in here?
- Yeah. Underneath the bed.
Man, I can't tell you
how many crazy car chases
I've been in.
All of us who worked on the show
frequently asked ourselves,
"Which one of us
is gonna be the first
to be hurt
in a car crash?"
Oh [bleep]
[ Crashing ]
[ Indistinct talking ]
The interesting thing
about Mark is that
he's the first crew member
that had gotten shot.
We got a radio call
about g*nf*re
in the neighborhood,
in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Coming into the neighborhood,
and the headlights
swing across this group
of young men.
And they're just walking down
the sidewalk.
And they're kind of looking
over their shoulder at us.
An officer approaches
the guy who called.
"Hey, what's going on tonight?"
"Well, I was out here,
and I heard g*nf*re,
and I saw those guys.
They had a g*n.
And they put it right there
in the trunk of that car."
And an officer I'm with
opens up the trunk.
And sure enough,
there's a shotgun
laying right there
in the trunk of the car.
And I'm standing
right in front of it.
And at some point,
he starts to lift
the g*n up,
like he's gonna look at it.
And I'm watching him
in the viewfinder.
And the words were forming
on my lips,
"Hey, don't you want to
check that firearm,
make sure it's safe?"
And just through
simple geometry,
lifts the g*n up,
and his finger rolls back
on the trigger guard,
presses the trigger,
and the g*n goes off.
Fortunately for me,
it is not a direct hit.
But I get the shock wave
and the fire,
and man, it literally
took me off my feet.
And the sound man
completely loses his mind.
He thinks I'm dead.
He's walking around in a circle
over here,
just screaming at the top of
his lungs at the policeman.
And when this happens,
I did not hit the button
to stop it, and the camera
rolled until it ran out of tape.
So, it's laying on its side,
documenting the whole scene.
Marie Jordan was the producer
at the time.
Comes to me in the hospital.
And he's like, "Mark,
that was the greatest thing
I've ever seen.
You know, you're there,
and you got the thing,
the g*n goes off.
Pan back.
You got the whole thing.
It's unbelievable.
I'll make sure you get a dub
so you can show
your grand kids someday.
You're gonna love it.
It's unbelievable."
To this day, I've never seen it,
I never got a dub.
Mark's never-shared,
never-aired
friendly fire sh**ting
is an example of how "Cops"
only presents police
in a positive light.
And in the '90s,
police are increasingly seen
as the solution
to every problem.
We incarcerate more people
in this country
than anywhere else in the world.
"Cops" in the '90s was happening
at the same exact time
where so many of these laws were
being passed around the country
that put us in this
mass incarceration crisis.
If people cannot stop
doing things
that threaten
other people's lives,
they simply shouldn't be
eligible for parole.
Like the crime bill in '94
that President Clinton pushed.
And that is the genesis of
the three strikes,
and you're out.
More officers on the street
is one anti-crime measure
that experts agree works.
Several of the president's
other initiatives
are far more controversial...
Among them, the so-called
"three strikes" and you're out"
amendment
mandating life without parole
for those who commit
a third violent felony.
The TV show "Cops," right
alongside the press releases
from police departments
and the policies being passed
by both Democrats
and Republicans,
really led to us being a country
that treats every single sort of
challenge we have in our society
as something
to incarcerate someone for,
especially if that person
is Black or brown.
[ Speaking indistinctly ]
These shows, like "Cops,"
what they do is
they give us a hero
law enforcement figure.
They give us a criminal person
that has no back story...
Oftentimes someone who's Black
or brown, or poor and white.
But when it comes to the white
suspects that are apprehended...
[ Indistinct talking ]
...it seemed like
they talk to them more,
it's more conversational.
It's like a laughing matter.
How come you did that?
'Cause I'm stupid!
But when it comes to
a drug perpetrator,
a drug pusher, who was usually
Black or brown, on the show,
they're seen more
like as savages.
You know, they're tackled,
wrangled to the ground,
houses broken into.
Put your hands up.
Put your hands up!
Scientific studies
of the show "Cops"
would later prove
this inherent racism.
Those who were actually
perpetrating the crimes,
that's race-based, as well.
Crack was seen as a destructive,
cheap drug
for poor communities of color.
And we see that in this show.
Let me tell you,
there's plenty of white people
selling drugs in their,
you know, posh neighborhoods,
behind the gated communities.
But they're not doing that
overtly in the street,
like a prost*tute or a crack
dealer on the street corner.
We don't see the Wall Street
individuals getting handcuffed
for their cocaine habits.
And what this does is
continuously put in our minds
this idea that these Black
and brown individuals
are the ones who are committing
these crimes, solely.
And that simply doesn't work
with the math of individuals
who are actually committing
these crimes
on a larger scale,
outside of the media.
You know,
TV has a tremendous impact
on what we do and what we think.
The information that comes into
our homes through TV
educates us about
so many different things
that we may not be able to touch
or understand.
And then, on Saturday nights,
people are turning on this show
that is telling them
these horrible things
are happening
in these communities
where they don't live.
And the thing that is keeping
these people
from coming
into their communities
and harming them
are these police officers.
Remember what this is.
This is entertainment.
This is a... This is
a commercial enterprise that,
we're both getting something
out of this, right?
Barbour/Langley is getting paid
handsomely to produce this show.
On the ground.
On the ground.
The police are not
getting paid anything.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Sheriff's department.
But what it does,
it gives us the opportunity
to show the public who we are,
who we really are.
What are you doing?
Chasing bad guys, ma'am.
In a sense.
Stay out of my yard.
Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am.
Sometimes you got to do
what you got to do.
You can't package something
that says it's reality
about policing,
then let police officers
and police departments,
at the end,
decide what you actually
get to see.
[ Sirens wailing ]
We're talking about the reality
of this gritty,
raw police department.
What actually is real is
whatever the police department
wants you to see as real.
By the end of the decade,
the filtered reality of "Cops"
becomes even more detached
from what's really happening
in the country.
You know, starting in the '90s,
violent crime starts to go down.
It was called
"Operation Hammer."
The violence of
the w*r on Drugs era
reaches its peak in 1991.
And by '99, rates of violent
crime across the country
drop almost 50%,
and keep dropping.
The streets of LA.
But every year that
Pew Research tracks it,
they show that Americans
believe violent crime
is just steadily going up.
And so, there's a gap
that ends up happening
between perception and reality.
And the climate
of outsized fear
that "Cops" has helped create
is about to get much,
much worse.
Three, two, one!
Happy 2000!
By the end of the '90s,
"Cops" is showing its age.
Ratings are a quarter
of what they once were.
But the way we look at
law enforcement
is about to change dramatically.
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Indistinct shouting ]
After 9/11, the w*r on Drugs
gives way to the w*r on Terror.
This crusade,
this w*r on terrorism,
is going to take a while.
And the American people
must be patient.
Police forces become
increasingly militarized
in the name of
keeping America safe.
And, more than ever,
cops are universally being
held up as national heroes.
That is not only inaccurate,
but is deeply dangerous,
because what it does is
it prevents us
from actually doing
the real work
to solve both the challenges
that we have in policing
and the challenges that we have
with safety and justice
in our communities.
For a growing number
of Americans,
it seems obvious
that keeping America safe
really means
keeping white people safe.
The k*lling of Trayvon Martin
and the acquittal of the man
who pulled the trigger
just confirms these beliefs.
...story causing heartache
and anguish in southern Florida.
Now, the Feds are saying
that they're in contact
with local police,
investigating the k*lling
of a teenager
by a neighborhood watch
volunteer.
That's an incident raising alarm
among civil rights leaders.
Was not committing any crime.
- No.
- Our son is your son.
[ Cheering ]
To think of this system
as inherently good is wrong,
because this system,
in and of itself,
was created without Black people
in mind.
It was created to help increase
white power.
Activists reach out
to the company
that helped define America's
understanding of policing,
to see if they might want
to cancel the show
in light of this new reality.
During this moment where
people are in the streets,
where people are protesting,
we reached out to Fox.
And the folks at Fox
were not interested.
[ Crowd chanting
"No justice, no peace!" ]
But with more pressure,
Fox reconsiders.
The day before,
I was actually heading off
for the protest in front of
their studios,
Fox reached out and said they
wouldn't be renewing the show.
Fox cancels its
longest-running series in 2013,
after 25 seasons on air.
But "Cops" gets a second life
on another network.
That's when "Cops"
moved to Spike TV.
New episodes of "Cops,"
Saturdays at 8:00, on Spike.
"Cops" did what
it did with Fox.
It brought new eyes
to the network,
and it increased its viewership.
The show's successful run on
cable proves there's an audience
that thinks cops still have
stories worth telling.
...are innocent until
proven guilty in a court of law.
A show that reveals
what police do,
there is not only a place,
it's essential
that people see it.
But today,
the Internet delivers
its own version of this show...
Without police censoring
what they don't like.
[ g*nshots ]
And 25 years after Rodney King,
shocking video evidence
of police k*lling Black men
is piling up.
Suspect down.
[Indistinct]. Code 3.
"Cops" was an expression
that didn't have a retort.
There are so many retorts now,
through the phones
that people carry in their hands
and the videos that get posted
on social media.
[ All shouting ]
The gatekeepers
have been removed.
Demands for justice and police
accountability get louder...
...until the widening gap
between the police you see
on "Cops"...
- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.
...and the police
you see on YouTube...
I can't breathe.
...triggers global outrage.
[ Crowd chanting
"Black lives matter!" ]
[ Crowd chanting
"No justice, no peace!" ]
At the height of the protests,
"Cops" is canceled again.
"Cops," one of the
longest-running TV shows,
has been canceled in the wake
of George Floyd's death.
In the social-political
environment of the year 2020,
it doesn't surprise me at all.
Give me your ID.
I got plenty of chances
to taze you.
Its 33rd was set
to premiere next Monday,
but the Paramount Network now
tells ET that's not happening,
and, "We don't have any current
or future plans
for it to return."
One year later,
the show's creator,
John Langley,
dies of a heart attack
during a cross-country
off-road race in Mexico.
[ Crowd chanting
"Black lives matter!" ]
But despite Langley's death,
"Cops," much like the debate
over policing in America,
lives on.
"Cops" is a cultural mainstay,
whether you like it or not,
unfortunately, as many people
still believe in this ideal
of how the police look.
And I think that "Cops"
will find a home somewhere.
As of October, 2021,
new episodes of "Cops,"
produced by Langley's son,
are once again airing
in the U.S.,
on a streaming service
owned by Fox News.
There are real stories
to actually tell
when it comes to policing
in this country.
And it is the responsibility
of all of us
to hold the media accountable
when they create these deep,
deep divides between perception
and reality.
♪♪
Most of our shifts were like
So, that's a long time in a car.
They were with us for,
I'd say, two weeks.
And they rode with us nightly.
And we had a lot of fun.
We got to know them.
And the officers
were always concerned
that we would be bored.
I say I've never been bored
while on a sh**t with cops,
because I enjoy it so much.
I loved working on the show.
I love the guys.
I got to know them.
We're friends.
Made friends with some
wonderful, wonderful policemen.
I literally feel like
I got years
of law enforcement training
at the knee of some of
the best policemen in America.
Come on out.
In the car with them,
watching them work,
seeing how they talk to people,
seeing how they interact,
seeing how they de-escalate,
seeing how they handle
different problems,
it was fantastic.
It was so much fun.
I loved every minute of it.
Police officer.
Don't move!
They saved my bacon
on more than one occasion.
Yeah, there were...
There were a few times when
we all kind of crossed the line.
I mean, we're there
with a camera,
and we're there
as documentarians,
to document what's happening.
But the same time, we are also
not going to watch the officer
with whom we're working
get his a*s kicked
if simple intervention is gonna
keep that from happening.
They were told,
"You're not involved.
You're not a cop.
Don't get involved."
But there was times
when I was in a fight,
and I needed some help,
and they helped.
It could be something
as benign or simple as
handing a policeman a flashlight
or some extra handcuffs.
But there were a few times when,
you know,
crew intervention was...
was needed, and appreciated.
Some of these guys got into
more action than most cops did.
But it's really disappointing
that the police departments
haven't seen reform
and accountability
as in their own self-interest,
in their own self-preservation,
that they haven't seen the need
to actually rid themselves
of the problems
inside their departments, which
is why this is such a challenge.
I know that
police corruption exists.
I know that police
misconduct exists.
I know that it has
to be dealt with.
It has to be dealt with firmly.
But I also know that there has
been a portrayal of misconduct
on a scale that doesn't exist.
If folks think
that police officers
are somehow under attack
because there is a movement
for accountability,
then they actually don't care
about good police officers.
Because, at the end of the day,
what we have here
is a systemic
and structural challenge
that makes it hard for anyone
who does want to go into
policing for reasons that are
connected to safety and justice.
The media
and so many of the politicians
have torn apart our profession.
So, you now have
a crisis taking place
across this country
in hiring and retaining
police officers of good quality.
And this is something
that we have to combat,
because we want the right people
to have the job.
We want people
that have the skills,
that can de-escalate.
We want people that have empathy
and have compassion for people.
But there's
a systemic challenge.
It's not a challenge
of the bad apples.
It is a challenge of
a rotten barrel...
A rotten barrel
and a rotten structure.
[ Crowd chanting ]
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