The Shield

[Josh]

Has anyone watched this TV show on FX?  A new episode of The Shield aires every Tuesday night at 10pm.  I know that it also reaires throughout the week. It is a really good show.  I have been watching it since the premier episode 5 weeks ago.  I just thought that I would see what your input was on this show and if any of you have seen it.  Drop some feedback.

Josh

[cpl_mike]

Put it this way- it's only entertainment . The show was originally to be titled " Rampart " or  " the Ramparts "-look at it as that, entertainment, and everything you'll view will be okay. If you are trying to "gloom" some cop lingo or procedure,forget it! Shows like that tend to sicken me, as most working officers would never,Never act like that.Remember that when people talk about bad cops where those same cops come from-society itself!Do they get through the cracks? Sadly , "YES"... Do they last long? "NO". The Rampart scandal showed us all one important fact- bad people slide through the system(they put on the image of being "good" to get to where they want to be like decent ,respectable people too).I personally liked " Homicide-life on the streets "- its scripts were better, the acting more intense and plot was not so much about policing as it was about different personalities involved in police work and how personal life and professional life can come into conflict. If you want to see a some what realistic, although dated, version of what police service is- watch Dragnet or "Adam -12" they had an on duty technical advisor and each script was reviewed by that eras Chief of Police (LAPD's Thad Brown, Tom Reddin,Wm.H. PArker ,etc).Police work is as mundane as it is violent and scary at times, and I don't think Hollywood will ever be able to tell it like it is. Also, Josh, the main reason I don't like the shield is that, for some reason, script writers think that every police agency operates the same, and they scrape procedures and problems and terminalogy from one agency, then use it to unction as a base for an entirely different locale- the " Shield " technically is L.A. (So.Calif) based but you still hear terms  like " Perp " , " Skel ", Precinct ", B-N.E , instead of Suspect/Defendant,Adam- Henry, Burg(459), and station/Sub Station-Josh , go on a ride along , you'd enjoy the " view" better and it would inform you on what you will expect to see when you decide to join...

[Josh]

cpl_mike:

I would agree that the show probably doesn't follow normal police procedure.  It is rather entertaining nonetheless.  In fact, I think that this show would make becoming a LEO a rather unattractive goal.  No police officer should break the law in order to uphold it.  I just wanted to see what people’s opinions were on the show, that’s all.

Josh  

[Josh]

Oh yeah, I’m working on setting up a ride-a-long as well.  My fiancé’s cousin is a LEO and I’m going to go on a few ride-a-long’s with him soon (it would be sooner but I’m in the process of moving into a new apartment).  I will keep you posted once I go on my first ride-a-long.

Thanks,

Josh