Real Criminal Justice vs. Reality TV Criminal Justice

There’s no denying society’s fascination with criminal justice and its related fields. All you have to do is flip on the television, and you’re bound to stumble across at least one law enforcement drama or reality cop show. They’re everywhere, but are they really true to real life?

Well, obviously police dramas like “Criminal Minds,” “Rookie Blue,” “Law & Order,” the seemingly hundred different versions of “CSI,” and comedies like “Reno 911” and “Monk” aren’t going to give you an accurate look into the field of criminal justice. But is there any similarity between the reality cop shows on television and the realm of criminal justice? We’re about to find out.

Let’s look at three reality criminal justice shows and do our own investigation as to whether the reality label placed on these shows is really what it claims to be.

1) "Cops"
It’s the show that started it all – literally. “Cops” is the longest running and first reality show to hit the tube. If you know any reality law enforcement shows, it’s probably “Cops.” In the show, viewers follow certain officers during particular situations, such as high-speed pursuits, DUI checks, on foot chases, arrests and more. These are real cops performing real-life scenarios. Sure, not every cop in his or her typical day-to-day operation is going to run into as much drama as these officers, but then again, that’s what has made this show the staple in reality police dramas – and reality TV in general – for the last 22 years.

Sure, we all know that the show is going to start with an officer nonchalantly discussing their daily routine and then suddenly bust into a guns-ablaze firefight, but that’s what keeps people coming back for more. The scenarios may be set up, but they are, in fact real.

2) “Police Women of Broward County”
What’s more realistic than tracking four individual Florida police women in their everyday lives on and off the clock? Okay, so this one may be further on the unrealistic side, especially since it follows these women on the job and at home, but the scenarios and procedures they follow are definitely real. It’s like criminal justice with attitude and an added sense of drama for the viewers at home as the women get to essentially broadcast their pursuits in what over time has become known as the “confession booth” in reality television. They take the viewer step-by-step through their oddball encounters and girl power scenarios in ridiculous episode names like “You’re my Kind of Woman,” “Girl Cops Rule” and “We Got a Drama Queen.”

Once again, the law enforcement procedures and scenarios are real, but the drama and excitement is totally enhanced for the viewer’s pleasure.

3) “Lockdown”
Take a trip on the other side of criminal justice with the National Geographic’s documentary “Lockdown.” Rather than following a team of police officers arrest a fresh crop of criminals, “Lockdown” puts the viewers behind bars – literally – as you gain a hardcore look at what happens with the already imprisoned. Granted the situations you see on this show aren’t going to be common among all prisons and inmates, but the intent to scare viewers into thinking, “Wow, I’ll do whatever it takes to be good so long as I don’t end up in here,” is definitely present. The inmates are real, the guards are real, and the drama is definitely exaggerated for viewing pleasure.

Of course, real law enforcement has taken its own spin on reality television with the implementation of hidden surveillance cameras in most police cruisers on the road today. These cameras provide a second set of eyes during hostile or routine situations and allow law enforcement to track escapees or even monitor police brutality. With the addition of these video cameras, encounters with criminals can be documented in real time – no staging, no gimmicks, just live drama and real-world situations.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter how many differences there may be when it comes to real versus reality television with criminal justice because there are always two unchanging similarities. The law enforcement officials are real and so are the criminals. In the end, isn’t that all you need to know?

Learn about the online criminal justice program at Bryan College Online!