There’s a new show in town: “Ozark Law” is a series on A&E spotlighting the work of two small-town police departments in one of the busiest vacation spots in the country.
Lake Ozark Police Department and Osage Beach Police Department protect the people of two small Missouri towns (2,200 and 4,856 residents respectively) year-round, with a handful of full-time officers and another of reserves. So do hundreds and hundreds of other small law enforcement agencies all across the nation.
Why did the documentary producers at Lucky 8 decide to add a show about these departments to their diverse lineup, which includes everything from a Jane Goodall biopic to undercover volunteers in jail? Because “small-town cop” is only part of the story.
Lake of the Ozarks is an insanely hectic outdoor recreation destination, and it’s been building momentum for decades. In 2005, a New York Times piece described the lake as “oldest established permanent floating bacchanal in the country.” Ozark Law sets out to show what it’s like for a police department designed for a few thousand permanent residents to deal with the hundreds of thousands of boaters, partiers, fishermen, racing-boat pilots and other assorted visitors who descend on the lake every weekend and holiday.
About “Ozark Law”
Ozark Law is neatly set up by its production team this way:
“For nine months of the year, the peaceful towns around central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks are home to just a few thousand residents. However, when summer arrives, millions of tourists flock to the area, seeking fun on the water and vibrant nightlife in the bars. This surge transforms the serene environment into a bustling hub, putting extra pressure on local law enforcement. In this new 10-episode series, viewers join the Lake Ozark Police Department and Osage Beach Police Department on their daily patrols, witnessing firsthand the challenges they face in maintaining order and ensuring safety in this lively midwestern destination.
I sat down to watch the pilot, looking forward to a little “LivePD"-style treatment for the rural(ish) officers I write about. The episode opens with long shots of the crowded lake, and a narrow “strip” of low, humble eateries, shops and bars…lots and lots of bars. That led to an introduction to Lake Ozark Police Department Chief James Boren, a bearded veteran who came up through the ranks starting as a dispatcher and was called back from a detour into full-time ministry to head up the little department in 2024. Boren is calm and open, trim and professional. All of the officers who appear in the pilot seem well-equipped and well-spoken, wearing modern external vest carriers and all (except for the lone female officer) sporting groomed facial hair like the chief.
The cameras follow the officers through the crowds and chaos of a Mardi Gras-lite: colorful, noisy and more than a little drunk. I couldn’t help but wonder if the department includes “extrovert” in the job description. The officers traded banter and goodwill with partiers who waved, hollered, twerked and asked for pictures with them, never breaking their level demeanors and clearly cultivating goodwill with the enthusiastic and inebriated masses.
Later, the storyline moves to follow the Osage Beach Police Department and becomes a little quieter and more serious, handling night-time cases. One such case was a home burglary, where the theft of $80,000 cash left the self-employed owner of a diesel repair business angry and frightened without the cash cushion he needed for daily operations. Outside on the dock, a cut rope floated where his boat used to be. Investigation ensued. The boat was found and returned, but alas, not the cash…yet.
The takeaway
I’m looking forward to more episodes of “Ozark Law” and seeing how the production team develops both police departments’ daily adventures. I was a little surprised by the pilot, knowing that filming took place on the Fourth of July, at just how mild the shenanigans were. Perhaps it’s a testament to the cooperative temperaments of Midwestern recreationists or a compliment to the police department’s peacekeeping skills, but the only visible fireworks were the nonstop aerials over the lake once the sun went down. No bar fights, no streetfights, no domestics: it was remarkable, really. I’m used to Western crowds getting…well, western, once they’re well and truly liquored up. The tensest exchange in this episode was a confrontation with a citizen who disagreed with Officer Angel Macormic over the towing of a vehicle wrongly parked in a disabled spot. He wasn’t even the vehicle’s owner.
As the series progresses, their marketing team says they will build on the officers’ work, and the realities of the risks they face despite the Mayberry facade and party atmosphere. There should be plenty of material; growing post-pandemic crowds bring profits to Lake of the Ozarks, but also rising crime rates and pressures on employment and housing markets.
Where to watch “Ozark Law”
“Ozark Law” is on A&E and available on several platforms. New episodes air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Check it out and tell me what you think.
