“COPS,” the television show that follows members of local police departments in their pursuit of catching criminals, is coming to Colorado thanks to Richard Riegenborn of the Adams County Sheriff’s Department after signing a deal to have the show follow the department. The program was canceled indefinitely after the murder of George Floyd by ex-Minneapolis Police Department officer, Derek Chauvin but was rebooted in late 2021. The decision to cancel the show was favorable to some but angered others.
In its prime, the show had a tight grip on it’s audience with intense, high-stakes situations and some comical interactions between the police and members of the public. Sound bites and memes from the show flooded the internet and provided joy to thousands of people, but more recently it’s had to take a long, hard look at itself and think about how the show affects society as a whole.
Complaints of the show being pro-police propaganda or “copaganda” ring loudly in the ears of the show’s contributors. While it was immensely popular, the majority of the show consisted of graphic and detailed depictions of often Black citizens being detained by any means necessary, a sight that is unwelcomed and unenjoyable.
With police brutality being one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society, outrage over the show is at an all-time high with its reboot, and many people are attempting to get it taken off the air once and for all. Others, however, claim that constant filming of police officers is a good thing and will help uncover the realities of dealing with the cops, whether good or bad. It is true that cameras may put some of the police on their best behavior, but the show’s producers do tend to gravitate towards places where there has been recent police misconduct and high levels of mistrust in the police.
Riegenborn and the Adams County Sheriff’s Department have gained national exposure over the past few weeks after a livestream of him participating in a stolen car chase and detaining the suspect himself was broadcasted for everyone to see. He explained that the “virtual ride-alongs” were created with the intention of engaging with the community and giving them an insight into what the officers do.
Although the effects of the reboot are still up in the air, the controversiality of it is not whatsoever. Adams County Sheriff’s Department is making attempts to recognize the situation, with Riegenborn commenting, “it won’t be the ‘COPS’ of 1990. It’ll be more progressed to 2020.” He details that the idea is to remain transparent with Adams County and is hopeful that the show will persuade those with negative opinions on police officers to see their perspective.
“I don’t want to be rolling up on a car accident and showing people that are critically injured. That’s not being mindful or thoughtful to our victims,” Riegenborn said as he emphasized thoughtfulness to the viewers.
If you, like many others, are curious about what that will consist of, the “COPS” reboot is set to premiere on the streaming network Fox Nation on Oct. 1 and will include the first four episodes of the season with new episodes every Friday after that.
