Disorderly Conduct: Video on Patrol

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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this reality show is entirely composed of clips of real people captured on camera in very real -- and often very dangerous -- situations. Security cameras capture a few assaults and other crimes, but a big chunk of the show is the many, many serious traffic accidents caught by the recording equipment in police cars. Though the grainy, black-and-white images aren't graphic, and the sound quality is often poor, knowing that actual people are being attacked or run over can be more unnerving than watching much more explicit images of actors and stunt doubles in a Hollywood movie.
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What's the Story?
The world is a dangerous place. Need proof? Check out DISORDERLY CONDUCT: VIDEO ON PATROL, a nonstop showcase of people at their most idiotic, all filmed by security cameras in buildings and police cars. There are high-speed chases, liquor store robberies gone bad, assaults on police officers, and many, many car accidents.
Is It Any Good?
Because the footage is all collected from security cameras, the image quality is often poor, and the sound can be hard to make out. It's often in black-and-white, the camera usually can't zoom in, and sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what's happening. But that only makes the clips seem all the more harrowing. Seeing real people get attacked by criminals and real police officers getting run over seems far more graphic than the most explicit torture-porn movie with the best special effects.
The number of security cameras in use has skyrocketed in the past several years. Though the authorities would say the cameras are there to keep us safe, anyone watching this show will see plenty of examples of dangerous behavior, and the cameras certainly don't seem like much of a deterrent to a drunken teenage driver trying to outrun a patrol car on the highway at 100 mph. Instead, the proliferation of cameras recording everyday life has led to more and more shows like this. There's no real plot, just a collection of one dangerous situation after another, suggesting that bad things can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about law and order. This show features real people breaking the law in a variety of ways. Why is it so compelling to watch actual criminals caught on film? Why do so many reality shows focus on this type of caught-in-the-act footage? Do you think seeing real violence will deter some people from breaking the law? Could it motivate copycats instead?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 27, 2006
- Cast: Robert Patrick
- Network: Spike
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 24, 2022
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