CHARLESTON, W.Va. — For 30 seasons, the reality television program “Cops” has shown viewers what it is like to be a police officer in multiple cities across the United States.
Soon, fans of the show will get to see what members of the Charleston Police Department handle on a daily basis.
The Charleston City Council approved a resolution Monday to allow Police Chief Steve Cooper to enter a deal permitting the crew of “Cops” to film on-duty officers for four to five weeks. The footage will be edited into an episode that will be part of the show’s 31st season, which will air on the Paramount Network. The show was on Fox until 2013.
Cooper said he was excited when he got a call from Langley Productions, the company that produces the program.
“We believe that it will be something that is good for the morale of the officers that work here to show what they do for the rest of the country to see,” he said.
Cooper said he believes the program will also be an opportunity to recruit new officers to the department, as they may become interested in serving after seeing what an officer goes through on a daily basis.
“Some of the departments had their episodes air and people who are interested in becoming police officers begin to inquire about coming to work at their departments,” he said.
Cooper did not specify a date when filming will begin, but said he believes it will start in late May.