Beech Grove Police Department will be in TV show 'On Patrol: Live'

Phyllis Cha, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

Beech Grove Police Department officers will be featured in "On Patrol: Live," a TV show that broadcast real-time feeds of police agencies around the country, according to a news release from Reelz.

"A lot of people do really important work behind the scenes and you'll never hear their name or know anything about it unless you see a show like this," Beech Grove Deputy Chief Tom Hurrle said.

The program is from the producers of the A&E Network series “Live PD,” which first aired in 2016 and featured eight departments, including Lawrence, before its cancellation in June 2020.

Related: Lawrence Police Department in 'initial conversations' about interest in 'On Patrol: Live'

While broadcasting the feeds, host and executive producer Dan Abrams, Sean “Sticks” Larkin, a retired Tulsa Police Department lieutenant, and Curtis Wilson, a deputy sheriff of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, will analyze and provide context on what the officers are doing and why.

The program will include citizen ride-alongs, giving residents a first-hand perspective on the work of officers. The residents will be able to share their experience on the show.

"I would love to gain their empathy, their trust, their respect, and just general understanding that we're a part of the community as well," Hurrle said.

Hurrle said the department talked to similar agencies that have been on the show and decided to join as a way to promote the department. He said he hopes the series will show taxpayers where their money is going and put the names of officers to their faces. Filming officially starts Friday, he said.

The series premieres at 9 p.m. EST Friday, July 22, and will be broadcast live 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. EST Fridays and Saturdays, the news release said.

The show’s predecessor “Live PD” was canceled in June 2020 after producers acknowledged they destroyed video of a Black man’s death during a 2019 police stop in Texas. The show was scrutinized following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beech Grove Police Department will be on A&E's 'On Patrol: Live'