Police Women of Memphis

Review

Common Sense Media says

Women cops show the down and dirty side of Memphis.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a show about real police work, with all that encompasses: There are stories of domestic abuse, theft, drugs, prostitution -- and while we seldom see the crime in action, we do get to see some of the least appealing sides of the issue, including a man who soils himself in a squad car and a young boy who has been shot (with a close look at the entrance wound). The language is strong: Words like "s--t" and "f--k" are bleeped and sometimes obscured. Finally, there are some subtle differences in the way different races are presented in the show, which could send some troubling messages to viewers.

  • Positive messages0
    While the messages about respect for police officers are strong and most visible, there are some subtle differences in the way the show presents white and African-American people. African Americans are almost always subtitled, whereas white people largely are not. Most arrestees are African American and while the poor white neighborhood is described as "dramatic," the poor African-American neighborhood is described as "dangerous."
  • Positive role models3
    The police women are strong, caring people dedicated to serving their communities doing tough, dangerous work. In particular, Officer Joy Jefferson demonstrates community policing at its finest -- greeting people while on patrol, showing sympathy and concern for a victim of domestic abuse, and behaving fairly at all times.
  • Violence3
    As one of the police women notes when a kid is found shot, this is real. And in that scene, we see the entrance wound. Otherwise, there are a lot of suspects resisting arrest, and some struggling. Guns do get drawn, and the threat and possibility of gunfire always remains.
  • Sex1
    There is some discussion of prostitution.
  • Language3
    Everybody uses foul language -- one of the police women says that using srtong language gets suspects to take her seriously.  Words like "piss," "bitch," and "hell" are heard. "S--t" and "f--k" get bleeped.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    Some background smoking, plus scenes of drunk or high people, often getting arrested. Crimes often involve alcohol or drugs.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

TLC has the camera on another set of women cops, and the show is pretty much the usual collection of busts, dopey crooks, domestic tragedy, and all the other human drama that makes up police work. In one scene, a young teen is found shot in a field -- a heart-wrenching disovery for both cops and viewers.  In another, a young man is arrested for vandalizing his mother's house. The cops do their best to be fair and protect the city of Memphis from criminals.

Is it any good?

 

What makes this version of women cops more engaging than others is the women themselves. Officer Joy Jefferson is, literally, a joy to watch. She's tough when she has to be, but she prefers connecting with the people in the area she patrols. Alas, there's not enough of Joy to make up for the fact that not much else about this show is particularly unique.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how real the show is. What clues exist that shows not everything onscreen reflects what really happened?

  • How does the show present police work? Does it encourage women to become cops? Why does the show focus on the female officers?

  • Did you notice a difference in how the show presents different races? If so, what did you notice?

This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
Adult
June 16, 2010
AGE
17
 
A very informative show for children 16 and Over
I love the Police Women of Memphis and look forward to seeing it each week. Personally, I had the pleasure of meeting Officer Virginia Awkward of the Airways Precinct. Officer Awkward seems like a cool Pplice Officer, although she is about her business. I wish all of the ladies the best of luck and keep making out city streets safe.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (4) | Had useful details (6) | Read my mind (6)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
August 15, 2010
AGE
9
 
ok
this show does have a lot of violence and can have drugs occassionally and smoking and drinking there is a lot of swears bleeped out.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (5) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (5)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
TV rating:TV-14
Network:TLC
Genre:Reality TV
This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

Other real-life cops
For kids who love reality TV
Browse more TV
 

vote now

Will you see Police Women of Memphis?

Won't miss it
We'll try
Change it

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it