THE POLICE ADVISOR BLOG

Police interviews are a mainstay of TV drama – but so often they shown as a showdown, a shouting match in a small room: the detective bangs the table, the suspect cracks under pressure, and the confession arrives neatly before the end of the episode. The reality, of course, is less dramatic – such interactions are more controlled, more procedural, and far less theatrical. I touched on this in one of my "top tropes" posts a few years ago. But I think it's worth looking at inte

CCTV is everywhere in the UK. It’s one of the most useful tools in modern policing. But let’s be real—it’s also one of the most misrepresented things on television. In dramas, it’s often portrayed as a magic solution: perfect colour footage, crystal-clear faces, and a detective who can “zoom in” or “enhance” a grainy image until every detail is revealed. In reality, CCTV is far more limited, mundane, and less cinematic than that. What TV Gets Wrong Television loves the idea o

If you’re writing a contemporary UK police drama, there’s a quiet revolution happening that almost no one is putting on screen yet: police drones are now routine bits of kit, and the officer flying them might be miles away from the incident. That simple shift, from “on-scene gadget” to “remote, networked capability”, is a fresh, underused hook for storytelling. From novelty to everyday tool Police forces across the UK already operate hundreds of drones. They’re used to find m

Stop and search is one of those police powers that everyone has an opinion about. Most people have seen it on TV, read about it in the news, or perhaps been stopped themselves. Depending on which side of the argument you’re on, it’s either an unacceptable invasion of privacy, or a vital tool in fighting crime. From my own experience, it is also one of the powers that is easiest to misunderstand and, sometimes, easiest to get wrong. “Gotta have grounds” Officers have to have g

The news that two police officers were killed on the A66 near Middlesbrough—along with five young men in another vehicle—is horrifying. My thoughts are with the family and friends of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough of Cleveland Police. It’s heartbreaking that they left for work that day not knowing they would never return. May they rest in peace. It’s less than two days since the tragedy, and details are still emerging. Reports indicate officers were in pursuit of a VW Pa

A cell door somewhere. This is the best side to be on! If, like me, you’ve watched enough police dramas, this will already be familiar. Police have arrested someone, they’re marched into a police station, and booked in with a few brisk lines of dialogue, and “bang” they’re shut in a cell before the story moves on. The reality is that custody is one of the most legally important, carefully controlled, and often misunderstood parts of policing in England and Wales. It’s not jus

This is something I’m seeing more and more often, for some reason, in adverts and TV dramas, even the odd dark comedy (I’m looking at you, Inside No.9!) So here is my impassioned and heartfelt plea to the costume team, crowd ADs, or anyone who is putting extras and actors in police uniform in front of a camera… PLEASE NO HELMET STRAPS! Police officers wearing helmets (or ‘bowlers’ if the officer is female) with the chin strap / restraints is an absolute clanger. It never happ

Police officer hats -- maybe you've never given it much thought... There are of course the obvious ones - the iconic custodian helmet (recognised around the world as the headwear of the British "bobby") and the similar "bowler" (worn by women officers). But then there's the flat hat. And what about the bump cap? Or the riot helmet? What do they look like, who wears it, and when? Firstly, I’m talking today about England and Wales police forces - it’s different elsewhere, but I

Do you know your police ranks? What do all the stripes, pips and numbers mean? When and where are they worn? What about the colourful ones? All uniformed police officers should be displaying their rank and/or number somewhere on their uniform. Most often this will be epaulettes, on a shoulder - but they can also be on the front of stab vests, jackets, etc. There are lots of police ranks, not all of which are immediately obvious to the uninitiated. And to add to the confusion,

I was working on a set last week, and was asked for advice on handcuffing techniques, as the scene called for one of the cast to be arrested and carted away by police. There are lots of ways you could do it, but only a couple of ways to ensure it looks right! Police officers are trained in various techniques for handcuffing people, and these differ depending on whether they're compliant or not, and even what sort of offence they've been arrested for. And the rigid bar handcuf

What’s the difference between police officers and PCSOs? What powers do PCSOs have, what uniform do they wear, and what roles do they undertake? Quite often you'll see PCSOs out and about, or on news reports where police are carrying out enquiries or standing on a cordon somewhere. Most people don't notice, but there are some key differences. The role of Police Community Support Officer was created by the Labour government in 2002, with the first PCSOs being recruited and dep

If you've ever needed to call the police in an emergency situation, then you'll have been put through to the call centre in your nearest police force. Emergency '999' calls should be answered almost immediately (the national target is 90% of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds - how is your local force doing?) The person who answers your call will almost certainly be a member of police staff. Their next call could be almost literally anything - someone in fear of their life