The Detectives: Fighting organised crime
“A series filmed over two years with unprecedented access to Greater Manchester Police, offering frontline insight into one police force’s battle against organised crime.” – BBC
WOW. I would give this programme a million stars out of five if I could! It’s tense, gripping and opens your eyes to exactly what happens under our noses each day. It is so easy to be blissfully ignorant about real-life problems when they don’t affect you but this programme highlights the true severity. Make sure you are prepared for some gore though as they don’t hold back. In the first episode, the detectives catch up with a victim of a kidnapping – finding him completely unrecognisable. He had been pistol-whipped, tortured with a blowtorch, had irons taken to his knees and beaten so badly that there was a worry about brain damage. It is harsh but this is reality and it is not uncommon. The series has been filmed in Manchester, this was something that particularly resonated with me because they’re Northern, the county-neighbours to me and I was completely unaware of the extent of the problem. I was that blissfully ignorant person and if you feel you may be the same – give this a watch!
24 Hours in police custody
“The landmark series that follows police detectives as they investigate major crimes” – Channel 4
I’ve watched the series before and found it absolutely thrilling – catching the big boys in drug rings that have got funds in different countries and lavish lifestyles that their mules could only dream of. However, an episode in the most recent series named ‘The search for Justice’ really played on my mind a lot after. As you can probably guess, ‘Justice’ is the guy on the left… he was 21-years-old when he committed a crime that earned him the jail sentence of 22 and a half years in prison; he was the same age as I am now. In 2019, an emergency call came in that a man had been shot at point-blank range by a stranger, that stranger was Justin McCann. The shot narrowly missed the victim’s heart but thankfully he survived and recovered well – though the mental damage that was caused is ever-lasting. However, I found myself empathising with Justice. He’d been flagged on the system for years, the problems for him starting an extremely young age – he turned to alcohol and cannabis at eight years old. When hearing that, my heart sank, I was so unaware at that age and yet, he was seeking refuge… I saw the parallel and it did not feel good. It was also then noted that he’d asked for help for his mental health and anger issues, numerous times before the event. Could this have been prevented? Maybe so. I am not condoning his actions in the slightest but his lawyers did raise valid points in the case. This series offers you a viewpoint of the route into criminal lifestyle, whilst also covering the steps that the police take to find evidence for big cases such as this.
Police Interceptors
“Documentary series profiling the work of high-speed police units across Britain.” – Channel 5
Every time I watch Police Interceptors, I find myself wondering with the thought that I’d like to have the same job. Each day is different and there is always a lot of variety. Not only that because I watch it, week-in, week-out, but I’ve also grown fond of the interceptors themselves. So many people have this distorted view of the police – that they are completely switched off and unlike us ‘normal’ citizens. If that is your view then honestly, it’s time to re-evaluate! Within the interceptors, there are many stories shared, jokes shared and true friendships shown… it’s amazing to watch! My favourite pairings are PCs Lisa Desantis and Lewis Marshall – think of dry humour and times it by ten – I LOVE them!
Crimewatch Live
“Crimewatch takes to the streets of Britain to appeal directly to the public for help with unsolved cases.” – BBC
Well, Crimewatch has been around for years and years… I remember seeing it as a young girl before being ushered out of the room to bed. It’s had a bit of a re-vamp and in March 2021, we got Crimewatch Live. Hats off to Rav Wilding, he’s a great presenter and definitely engages viewers. However, this programme does not help me at all with my OTT fears. As previously mentioned, sometimes we believe that ‘ignorance is bliss’… in regards to home invasions, I would agree. Nothing unsettles me more than the thought of someone breaking into your home, it’s most certainly one of my top fears. I applaud the programme for keeping the public ‘in the know’ with wanted lists and current crisis’. It’s bizarre really because watching the extreme horror of the OCG’s doesn’t scare me but the footage on Crimewatch looms fear over me, keeping me up at night.
Traffic Cops
“Action-packed documentary series following Yorkshire-based law enforcers.” – Channel 5
This is one of those programmes that I tried week-on-week to enjoy but I just can’t seem to be able to. Before I started watching, I read the description and saw Yorkshire (God’s own county). I assumed from there that I would love this programme, listening to a mutual accent to myself and recognising the streets that the criminals are jetting about on… but no, I was very underwhelmed. For me, this particular show is very anti-climatic. I understand that the ‘small-time’ offenders need to be caught but watching multiple cop cars and a helicopter gets involved in a chase to then lose the suspects… you’re hardly sat on the edge of your seat. I rarely see any convictions either which ultimately makes me question why I just spent an hour watching it.