BBC Two Orders New Series Cops Like Us

BBC Two has commissioned Dragonfly Film & TV, part of Endemol Shine UK, to produce Cops Like Us, a three-part series following officers as they talk candidly about the frustrations of being on the beat in one of the U.K.’s most crime-ridden cities.

Filmed over six months, the series shadows Staffordshire’s police force and emergency response teams trying to combat a backlog of cases, a rise in gang culture, hate crime and domestic violence in Stoke-On-Trent. Searingly honest interviews from the chief constable and his team reveal how they manage their limited resources and how they feel about the decisions they have to make.

Despite the daily struggles, these officers are battling on with a gritty sense of humor. From their run-down base at Hanley police station, where the lights cut out and there’s no hot water, to their lives off-duty where some juggle second jobs, this is an honest account of what it’s like to be on the police frontline.

Richard Bond, creative director for Dragonfly Film & TV, said: “This is a police series unlike any other. I’ve never heard officers talk as honestly as they do here. Viewers will get to see how the challenges they face on a daily basis are not only having a huge impact on them, but also the local communities they serve.”

Gian Quaglieni, commissioning editor for the BBC, added: “This is an extraordinary insight into front line policing. Officers from Staffordshire’s force tell all in often emotional interviews about the ups and downs of being a cop on the response beat.”