Fullerton police officers will be under a national spotlight starting Friday, June 9, while featured on REELZ’s “On Patrol: Live,” a three-hour live documentary show that takes viewers on ride-alongs with officers from several police agencies scattered across the country.
Hosted by executive producer Dan Abrams, along with retired Tulsa police Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin and Richland County Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson, the show provides instant analysis of the officers’ everyday work responding to a wide range of calls for service in the communities they serve.
The Fullerton Police Department is the first California law enforcement agency to be featured in “On Patrol: Live” since the show began airing in July, said Leslie Oren, a spokeswoman for the show’s production company, Half Moon Pictures.
The show features eight law enforcement agencies at a time. Fullerton replaces Beech Grove Police Department in Indiana, which opted to take a breather. That agency’s chief, Robert Mercuri, told the IndyStar he now regretted stepping aside but added: “This decision has been in the works since February. As administrators, we see the incredible value of the show, but it’s a big ask to have people ride around in your car for eight hours. We just thought we’d give everybody a little break.”
From 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday and Saturday for the next eight weeks, two Fullerton police officers will work aside camera crews while responding to calls for service, Fullerton Capt. Jon Radus said. The department can opt in our out of filming after the eight weeks.
During the three-hour live show, “if something of interest happens in Fullerton, they’ll cut to us,” Radus said.
Besides airing on the REELZ network, it is streamed live and available on-demand through Peacock TV.
From Tuesday to Thursday each week, camera crews will ride with a pair of officers collecting footage of interesting calls for the show’s non-live segments, Radus said. A camera operator will ride in the passenger seat of the squad vehicle, while other cameras will be set up, including a dashcam.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to showcase the work our officers and non-sworn staff do every day, the hard work our police officers do to protect our community,” Radus said.
The department is not being paid, nor is the city paying producers to participate, officials with Half Moon Pictures and police said. The production company would pay an insignia fee to the city in order to use Police Department and city logos on air if necessary.
Producers of “On Patrol: Live” reached out to the department several months ago after becoming aware of a Nov. 9 Fullerton police pursuit.
It started in the city and lasted for hours, with, authorities said, the suspect stealing a utility van from an apartment complex, ramming a Fullerton police cruiser, driving erratically through Anaheim, stealing a pickup truck in Whittier, getting shot at but not hit by police at one point, and ultimately ending up at a Hacienda Heights gas station where Johnny Anchondo of Moreno Valley was arrested.
Producers were also swayed by the department’s transparency via social media, Radus said, and the size of the department and the city.
While acknowledging the possibility that crews could capture controversial events, Radus said the command staff has “zero concerns” and full faith in its officers to do “the right things every day.” Officers already wear body-worn cameras and the community has several other cameras in place.
Here is an update on the kitten stuck in the tree in Berkeley County a few weeks back. If you missed this or any other updates from #OnPatrolLive, don't miss #OnPatrolFirstShift every Friday & Saturday at 8E|5P, only on @ReelzChannel. #OPLive #OPNation pic.twitter.com/czjgnSTdD4
— On Patrol: Live (@OfficialOPLive) June 8, 2023
“Like anything else, if officers make a mistake, they’re held accountable and we move on,” Radus said.
The department will not have editorial control over the show’s content. But efforts are to be taken to protect the rights and safety of those in the public and the officers, and to preserve the integrity of investigations.
Currently, “On Patrol: Live” also follows law enforcement agencies in Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
