Weld County sheriff’s deputies will appear on episodes of the reality policing show “On Patrol: Live” as soon as Friday night after the Sheriff’s Office signed a yearlong contract.
The previous incarnation of Reelz’ show “On Patrol: Live,” then called “Live PD,” was canceled by its previous network A&E in 2020 during the protests over police brutality following the murder of George Floyd and amid controversy over the death of Javier Ambler in Austin that was filmed and deleted by one of the show’s camera crew.
“On Patrol: Live” premiered summer 2022, with the new name and on the new network, is in its second season. It airs live Friday and Saturday nights and is streamed on Peacock.
In a news release posted Wednesday on Facebook, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office announced the deal, saying appearances would start Friday night.
“We are looking forward to allowing the public to see the great work that men and women of the Weld County Sheriff’s office do on a daily basis,” said Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.
“On Patrol: Live” reached out to Weld County officials for the deal, sheriff’s office spokesperson Melissa Chesmore said in an email.
She said there was no community input on the decision for the sheriff’s office to sign the contract, but “I think the positive comments on social media reflect the community’s enthusiasm WCSO will be appearing on the show.”
The sheriff’s office’s Facebook post has numerous positive comments about the soon-to-be appearances on the show.
Chesmore said they do not know how many episodes Weld County deputies will make appearances.
The contract is annual and can be extended through mutual agreement for three years if they choose.
The series is hosted and executive produced by Dan Abrams, with retired Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin and South Carolina deputy Curtis Wilson.
This isn’t the first time a Colorado county will have made an appearance on a law enforcement reality show in recent years.
Adams County Sheriff Rick Reigenborn in January 2022 signed an agreement with the producers of the then newly resurrected “Cops.”
“Cops” was also canceled in 2020 during the police brutality protests but was relaunched in 2021 on Fox News Media’s streaming service Fox Nation.
Law enforcement reality television shows like “On Patrol: Live” and “Cops” have been heavily criticized in the past by racial justice groups and academics, who say such shows present excessive force as acceptable, disproportionally highlight Black and brown people suspected of crimes and serve as marketing material for law enforcement agencies because the agencies maintain so much control over editing.
The frequently asked questions page for “On Patrol: Live” states “the producers of the show exercise exclusive creative control over all ON PATROL: LIVE content – including both the live footage and the pre-taped content,” though there is a process for agencies to ‘review and request editing of ON PATROL: LIVE footage that could potentially endanger citizens and/or the safety & security of police officers.’”
We’re excited to announce that the Weld County Sheriff’s Office will be appearing on the TV documentary series On Patrol: Live starting this weekend! Tune in on Friday and Saturday nights from 7-10pm MT on REELZ @OfficialOPLive #OPLive #OPnation pic.twitter.com/Wt8SFKekYP
— Weld County Sheriff (@WeldSheriff) October 11, 2023
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