Wichita criminals make for great TV: ‘Cops’ film crews are back

If you’ve been in trouble with the law recently, you could end up on TV.

Camera crews with the television show, “Cops,” are currently filming with the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, both agencies confirmed Monday.

According to Wichita police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow, the crews arrived April 25, and they are scheduled to be in Wichita for eight weeks – through mid-June.

“Cops” is a reality/documentary TV show that airs on Spike TV. Camera crews tag along with patrol officers and document various police activities, like drug busts, standoffs, and regular patrol duties. It’s one of the longest-running shows on television, having aired since 1989.

This is the fourth time the show has filmed in Wichita – crews were last here in late 2014.

Watch a clip from the show’s 2014 Wichita stay below:

Woodrow said camera crews are riding along with officers on all shifts from all four police bureaus in the city.

Everyone who appears on the TV show must sign consent forms to be filmed for a segment.

New episodes of “Cops” air at 7 p.m. Saturdays on Spike TV. Re-runs air frequently, including on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

This is the second time this year that Wichita’s criminal justice system has been in the national spotlight – in January and February, episodes of MSNBC’s “Lockup,” filmed in the Sedgwick County Jail, aired.

This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Wichita criminals make for great TV: ‘Cops’ film crews are back."