User Reviews

COPS like reality show but lacking in intensity. This show from the mid 90's follows Los Angel's city police officers on location as they deal with calls & situations. Unlike COPS this show has graphics that show what district the officer is in & a voice over narration about what is going on. In addition to the voice over there is background music playing that along with the graphics & voice over make watching this show a little distracting. Worth a look if you are a fan of reality shows.

LAPD: Life on the Beat gave viewers access to the Los Angeles Police Department from the inside and showed a variety of incidents they may encounter. Apart from the various segments that mostly showed LAPD officers on patrol, viewers were shown other areas of the LAPD including the detective division which included Robbery/Homicide, Narcotics, Auto Theft, Vice, CRASH, Commercial Crimes, and Juvenile Division. Other well known units to be featured included Metro, SWAT, Air Support, K9, Traffic, Mounted Unit and so on. Viewers were also given access to the LAPD Training Division including use of force, arrest and control, gun fighting and qualifying on the firearms range. Though the LAPD had dealt with bad publicity that tarnished their image by several incidents in the past such as the Rodney King beating, the LA Riots, and the OJ Simpson murder case, the show aimed to show the LAPD in a positive and professional light.

Another positive about LAPD: Life on the Beat was where the narrator would explain the outcome of an incident whereas COPS often moved on following an arrest or end of incident.

Though the show was on TV for 4 years, and in Australia was often aired late at night or early in the morning, I thoroughly enjoyed LAPD: Life on the Beat and is one of the few Reality TV shows that I thoroughly enjoyed.

10/10.