With more than 25 seasons and nearly 900 episodes since its first airing in 1989, the TV show Cops has earned a varied reputation across global culture. The show has followed officers in 140 different cities in the United States and in Hong Kong, London, and the former Soviet Union.For local law enforcement, the show’s transparency can mean good public relations, or a threat to policy.Next season, the “Cops” crew will be riding alongside the Beaumont, Texas police department… filming arrests for various crimes such as theft, assaults and drug offenses.
When asked to film in Chicago, the police department stated that “police work is not entertainment. What they do trivializes policing. We’ve never seriously even considered taping. “

However trivial and before taping even begins, the Beaumont Police Department will need to secure one million dollars in liability insurance – just in case the safety of the officers requires the involvement of the film crew.