The Spokane City Council has imposed new rules on TV production companies whose photographers ride along with police officers within the city. The vote came after debate about the value of reality TV programs and the messages they reinforce.
The ordinance would not ban those shows from shooting footage of police officers and arrests in Spokane, but it would require companies that film within the city limits to buy a business license. They would have to carry up to a million dollars in liability insurance. And companies would be required to get written consent from the people they film.
That last provision was mentioned by many who spoke for the ordinance, including Cynthia Fine.
“I believe it is wrong to present as entertainment the actions of people who may be having the worst day of their lives. To profit off the sadness, illness or just plain bad behavior of others is really shameful,” Fine said.
The other main theme was reality police programs perpetuate racial stereotypes. Blacks and other non-whites commit the crimes and whites catch them. That was the main theme of a paper written by Adam McDaniel, an aide to Council President Ben Stuckart, in support of the ordinance. And it was a point made Monday night by Devin Wilson.
“This cycle, this parade of people of color, people of disabilities, people of people in poverty, is not something our community needs. It’s not something our community should be perpetuating. It’s something that we’re better than," Wilson said. "And, to be completely honest, if there is someone out there that sees a show and is inspired, intrigued or is somehow appealed and is interested in joining the force, that’s a person that scares me. That’s a person that you should not want patrolling the streets.”
Not everyone agrees with the notion that these programs show police in a bad light. Councilman Mike Fagan said he made it a point to watch “Live PD”, the program in which the Spokane County Sheriff’s office participates, several times during the last couple of weeks.
“I didn’t see what a lot of some people testified on tonight, this institutional racism. I didn’t see that. I didn’t see the bias," Fagan said. "And as one gentleman, who has previously trained law enforcement here in Spokane, noted, and I would note the same thing, when I was doing the job, and I did the job for 10 years in my younger days, it was all about the behavior and not about the color.”
Local police officials say these programs are good marketing for them. They show the professionalism of officers and give viewers a taste of what life is like as a cop. And they say their employees are usually proud of how they’re portrayed.
Police Chief Craig Meidl says his officers are allowed to opt out if they don’t want cameras in their cars. And he says the department has full rights to review and approve or disapprove the footage the company wants to air. The department has an agreement with the company that makes the program “COPS.”
It’s unknown what effect this ordinance will have, especially the provision that requires people filmed to give their written consent. Meidl says the production company he works with may decide they wouldn’t get enough footage they can use and go to other communities instead. He says that would be a good marketing opportunity lost.