How ‘On Patrol: Live’ Chooses Which Departments To Work With

There have been many questions about On Patrol: Live and how it works. The show premiered on Friday, July 22. It went off with many hitches. Viewers noticed lagging and audio issues. There were also 15 minutes of a black screen on both premiere nights.

The show is still working out the kinks. While most fans feel that Reelz dropped the ball with the premiere, others are confident that it will find its footing. The show is back at a new studio. It’s no longer at its old stomping digs in New York City, which explains the technical problems.

Now, there are questions about which departments they choose to work with and why.

Former Live PD executive producer breaks it down

As TV Shows Ace previously reported, former Live PD executive producer John Zito broke down all of the burning questions. Fans want to know how they choose which police departments to work with. They noticed new ones and returning favorites. Also, why are the police so willing to work with the show?

Currently, there are seven police departments that work with On Patrol: Live. Zito explained the criteria for working with their show. He admitted that they’re looking for more “diversity” this time around. They want to cover all bases of the country, sort of speak.

“We always want to make sure that you’ve got urban, you’ve got rural, you’ve got South, you’ve got Midwest, East West — we want to show the diversity of the country, which is often reflected in law enforcement and the communities they serve as well,” Zito said in his in-depth interview with Entertainment Weekly. “We want to give that snapshot of the country.”

The On Patrol: Live executive producer admitted that one area is going to look starkly different from another. That’s the kind of experience they want to bring to the viewers. They ask the police departments questions before working with them. The producers want to make sure it’s a perfect fit.

On Patrol: Live producers survey the police departments

The types of questions they ask are mostly situational questions. Sometimes they will sit down with the police departments and ask them if they’re comfortable with filming events as they happen, in raw time. On Patrol: Live producers warn them that they will film everything they do.

Whatever happens on the air “is at the production company’s discretion,” Zito added with a laugh. They’re not the only ones who ask all the questions. The departments ask questions about security and safety. It’s that kind of transparency that goes both ways.

“All the departments that we talk to and who want to do the show, they believe in the background and the training of the men and women in uniform that are with their agencies,” Zito confined. “There might be some foibles here and there, there might be some moments that aren’t perfect and pretty, but on balance, you’re going to see what these officers are up against.”

“ON PATROL: LIVE” PREMIERE WEEKEND WAS #1 MOST WATCHED SHOW ON CABLE AMONG ADULTS 25-54 #OPLive #OnPatrolLive #OPNation pic.twitter.com/cZKgdOedPK

— REELZ (@ReelzChannel) July 25, 2022

That’s what makes Live PD and On Patrol: Live so different from other cop shows. They are the first to stretch their show into three-hour segments, twice each weekend. They also make sure to reduce each interaction to 30 seconds. The main goal is to show everything as it happens — even the boring.

What are your thoughts on the premiere of On Patrol: Live? What questions do you have about the show? Sound off below in the comment section.

Check back with TV Shows Ace for more news on On Patrol: Live.