Since its television premier on July 22, 2022, “On Patrol: Live,” a reality TV docuseries produced by Half Moon Pictures and airing on cable channel REELZ, has followed police officers and deputy sheriffs in real-time across their respective jurisdictions as they respond to the full-spectrum of calls: Some routine, many critical.
The series airs on Friday and Saturday nights at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, preceded by a one-hour recap of the previous week’s calls and patrols. Titled “On Patrol: First Shift,” the recap airs before each evening’s live episode.
How police departments benefit from appearing on the show
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), led by Sheriff Leon Lott and headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, has been one of the featured law-enforcement agencies since the series’ inception.
“The benefits of shows like this to our department are clearly evident in what viewers see demonstrated in our everyday calls — especially those that don’t make the news,” said RCSD Deputy Chief Maria Yturria, who oversees the RCSD deputies regularly featured on On Patrol: LIVE. “Whenever a TV series like this embeds civilian videographers with our patrol units, the result is complete, unedited transparency. The public sees events unfold in real time, rather than what newspapers later decide is newsworthy.”
According to Yturria, “With ‘On Patrol: Live,’ you see everything from shoplifting calls to domestic incidents and, at times, responses to individuals struggling with mental health issues — or any number of situations. It’s the day-to-day interaction with the community.”
Guess who's back? Back again, Fitz is back, with O'Shaq! SGT Fitsimmons, K-9 Specialist O'Shaughnessy and K-9 Bobi are live tonight on #REELZ hit show 'On Patrol Live".
— Richland County Sheriff's Dept. (@RCSD) March 9, 2025
Tune-in at 9 p.m. to see all the action in Richland County.
LET'S GO!!!#TeamRCSD #OPLive @OfficialOPLive pic.twitter.com/vBQEpMKqRY
She adds, “Yes, this program benefits us because it allows the public to see that we truly care — that we are flesh-and-blood people with a heart for others, just like those we are sworn to serve and protect.”
Sheriff Leon Lott agrees, adding that what the community is able to see through programs like “On Patrol: Live” is yet another means by which his deputies earn the trust of the various diverse communities served by RCSD. “‘On Patrol: Live’ reinforces and heightens the trust we have worked so hard to build over the years,” says Lott.
“I love the fact that ‘On Patrol: Live’ is unscripted and allows viewers like myself to experience the officers’ professionalism as they handle a wide variety of calls throughout the night,” said Bruce Brutschy, an advisory group member with National Defense Consultants, LLC, and past-president of the West Columbia (S.C.) Police Foundation. “It’s amazing to me and frankly enlightening in terms of the types of calls: Everything from domestic disputes to strong-arm robberies, vandalism and police pursuits where your adrenaline is surging 100 mph or faster than the speeds of the actual vehicles.”
Recruiting as an indirect benefit
“We have deputies who come to us from all across the U.S.” said Lott. “We are currently fully staffed, and we have a waiting list of sterling applicants eager to join our department. Do television series like ‘On Patrol: Live’ play into this? Yes. But we don’t and have never paid for it, nor would we. We didn’t get into the series for the purposes of recruiting. But TV has certainly highlighted and showcased who we are, the way we operate, and the professionalism demonstrated by our men and women. Our reputation and our culture are what make us stand alone. And yes, that — among other things — is an indirect though powerful benefit of the show.”
#OPNation! On this lovely Friday evening we have Sgt. Hughes and MD Harper ready to patrol the streets of Richland County! Tune into the Reelz Channel at 9PM 🕘 to see these two in LIVE action! 🚔🚨 #FirstShift starts now! #OPLive #TeamRCSD pic.twitter.com/azHGdUtxVg
— Richland County Sheriff's Dept. (@RCSD) March 1, 2025
“On Patrol: LIVE” essentially follows the same format as “Live PD,” which ran from 2016 through the late spring of 2020. That program, which aired on A&E, was cancelled following protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May 2020.
However, public demand was such that a “Live PD” “redo” was somewhat inevitable, said Brutschy: “People loved the excitement, the energy, and most of all the honest and open transparency.”
The nearly three-year-old series, “On Patrol: Live” features commentary and analysis by host Dan Abrams, Sean “Sticks” Larkin (though Larkin is now only occasionally), RCSD Deputy Curtis Wilson and Captain Tom Rizzo from the Howell Township (New Jersey) Police Department.
In addition to the live nighttime patrols on Fridays and Saturdays, “On Patrol: Live” film crews ride with and record patrol officers during the week.
The program’s studio location is in Jersey City, New Jersey.
