‘Cops’ TV Show Will Film In Paterson, NJ, Report Says

Paterson, NJ – The infamous reality television show “Cops” may be coming to a New Jersey city this summer.

Paterson police director Jerry Speziale said that authorities are outlining a plan for the show, which would film for 10 weeks starting in late July, NJ.com reported Thursday.

The agreement with show producer Langely Productions will include a $1 million insurance clause, and city officials would have 20 days to view, approve or disapprove scenes filmed for the show before it airs, Speziale told NJ.com.

The full Paterson City Council is reportedly set to vote on a resolution on the filming contract in the coming weeks, NJ.com stated.

Here’s how the show’s producers describe the program on its website:

“COPS is an American documentary television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff’s deputies during patrols and other police activities. It is one of the longest-running television programs in the United States… COPS has followed officers in 140 different cities in the United States, and also has been shot in Hong Kong, London, and the former Soviet Union.”

Some civil rights activists have lambasted the controversial show for its portrayal of minorities, including a well-publicized segment on Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling For Columbine.

Black advocacy group ColorOfChange.org launched a campaign to have the show cancelled in 2013, stating:

“With its history of dehumanizing and racially inflammatory portrayals of people of color, COPS paints a damaging and distorted portrait of crime and the criminal justice system.”

FOX dropped the show from its lineup in 2013; it was promptly picked up by Spike TV.

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