2019-08-26 Bloomberg Businessweek

15

PHOTOGRAPH

BY
DOLLY

FAIBYSHEV

FOR

BLOOMBERG

BUSINESSWEEK.

DATA:

SHOWBUZZDAILY.COM

livestreamedsomewhere.I sawthisasanoppor-

tunitytogetonthefrontendofsomethingevery-

body’sgoingtobedoing.”

Some departments, including Bridgeport,

Conn.’s,havestoppedworkingwiththeshow.And

lastyear,theSpokaneCityCouncilpassedanordi-

nancemakingit difficultforpoliceshowstofilm

thereaftersomeresidentsobjectedtohowthecity

wasportrayed.

DanTaberski,hostoftheRunningfromCops

podcast,whichdissectsthelong-runningsyndi-

catedshowCops, devoteda coupleofepisodes

toLivePDearlierthisyear.Taberski’steaminter-

viewedresidents of Spokaneand Tulsa who

appearedonthe show.Theycomplainedthat

policetargetedthemforminorinfractionsbecause

theyknewthey’dmakeforgoodtelevisionandthat

theshowneveraskedpermissiontofeaturethem.

“Ashowthatpresentsitselfasbeingtransparent

asksnohardquestionsofpolice,”Taberskisays.

LivePDproducerssaythatif someofthose

beingfilmedobject,theirfacesareblurredout.

ButmostlyCesareosaystheshowdoesn’tneedto

getthesubjectstosignreleasestoincludethem

becausetheeventsareplayingoutinpublic,live.

Thatimmediacykeepsviewersengaged,asduring

anincidentinJuneinWilliamsonCounty,Texas,

wherea manpulledoverfora missinglicenseplate

andsuspectedofbeingintoxicatedtriedtorunafter

officersaskedhimtogetoutofthecar.It tookfour

deputies,usingtheirfists,a chokehold,anda taser

tosubduehim.Halfthepeoplewatchingprobably

thoughttheofficersusedtoomuchforce;halfproba-

blyfeltthatit wasjustified,Cesareosays.“That’sthe

perfectmomentfortheshow,”hesays.“Youwant

thosediscussions.”�ChristopherPalmeri

surprisedsomanysaidyes.“Wewereaskingthem

tosignupforwhatcouldbetheirworstnightmare,”

Cesareosays.“Let’sbroadcastyourworstdayat

workliveontelevision.”

A typicalLivePDepisodefollowstwoofficers

eachineightcitiesorcounties.Acameraper-

sonridesinthecars,whicharealsoequipped

withcameras.AbramshoststheshowfromA&E’s

Manhattanheadquarters,switchingbetweenlive

feedstohighlightwhicheverstoryseemsmostcom-

pelling.(Anoccasionalsegmentis identifiedashav-

ingtakenplace“earlier,”whichcouldmeanhours

ordays.)Currentandformerpoliceofficerspro-

videin-houseanalysis,whileAbramsoffersa steady

streamofdeadpanquips.“ShewantedtheUberX

versionofthatcar,”AbramssaidoneFridaynight

inAugustaftera womanstoppedforwalkinginthe

middleofa busyroadinEastProvidencedeclined

a rideinthebackofa squadcar.Theofficersput

herinanambulanceinstead.

LivePDoffersa mixofthemundaneandthe

terrifying.Inthefirstseason,viewerswatcheda

fleeingsuspectfliphiscarandtrytorunholding

histwo-year-olddaughterasa humanshield.As

thecamerarolledanda crowdgatheredwithcell-

phonesout,RichlandCounty,S.C.,sheriff ’sdeputy

ChrisMastrianniwrestledthemanformorethan

twominutesuntilbackuparrived.Atonepoint,

thesuspectreachedintohispocketforwhatmight

havebeena weapon.

RichlandCountySheriffLeonLottwasamong

thefirsttosignontotheshowandhesayshehas

noregrets.Thedepartmentgetsfanmailandjob

inquiriesfromacrossthecountry,hesays.Some

5,000fanscametoColumbia,thecounty’slarg-

estcity,fora celebrationofthe200thepisodein

April.“IthinkLivePDis thefutureoflawenforce-

ment,”saysLott.“Fiveto 10 yearsfromnow,every-

thingthatlawenforcementdoesisgoingtobe

THE BOTTOM LINE A&E’s Live PD is the most-viewed show on

cable on many weekend nights, thanks to its mixture of mundane

and frightening episodes at eight police departments.

August 26, 2019

“Let’s

broadcast

your worst day

at work live

on television”

◀ Abrams and Buccieri