El Paso Police To Be Shown In National TV Show

El Paso Police officers will be seen nationwide in a show carried by Turner networks, after the approval of City Council on Tuesday.

The CEO of the production company that produces Police POV, a show that uses mini-cameras on officers’ uniforms to build stories, presented the idea, along with El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen, to City Council.

Base Productions CEO Mickey Stern said the production company would provide the technology and equipment, which include officer-worn video equipment and training to the El Paso Police Department free of charge.

The officers would then wear the equipment, and if they encountered an interesting scenario, they’d tell the producer of the show, who would then review the footage and feature it in an episode.

Chief Allen said it was a good opportunity to showcase positive stories on police officers and give the public an inside view of their procedures and what they go through on calls that don’t make the daily news.

The Police Department and a City official will have the right to review the footage and provide suggestions to the producers before the show airs.

“I’m concerned El Paso will be painted in a negative light”, said Representative Steve Ortega. But Stern said they have been working with other police departments across the country, including Chattanooga, Indianapolis and Richmond and have a trajectory of working closely with the cities to make sure they are satisfied with the themes and footage of the episodes.

“We’re not looking to focus on El Paso being a border city or to sensationalize, we want to tell positive stories, to show people what it’s like to walk in their shoes”, Stern told Council.

Allen said this was a good opportunity to show the work of his officers and the acquisition of the equipment is a plus.

City Rep. Susie Byrd said she was concerned that the exposure of crime in El Paso may further expand the misconception that the city is exceptionally dangerous due to its proximity to Mexico.

Allen said that the fact that El Paso has consistently been ranked as the second safest, big city in the U.S. doesn’t mean his department is less needed in the community, and the show will just convey that.

The Police Department will be compensated up to $5,000 per episode. Even though the production company will provide the equipment, the footage and all of the new technology will belong solely to the department and will be used and provided to the show’s producers, at the department’s discretion.

Officers who participate in the show will do so on a voluntary basis. The show’s producers will also need to obtain release forms from any residents who appear in the footage, before their faces air.

Police POV stands for Police Point of View and will air on Turner networks such as Tru TV and the Discovery Channel next spring or summer, according to Stern.

City Council approved the measure, with the condition that a city official and/or the Police Chief approve the footage that the company will use.

Only City Rep. Eddie Holguin and Beto O’Rourke voted against the move. Representative Emma Acosta was absent at Tuesday’s meeting.