Published 3:30 pm Tuesday, August 11, 2026
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Everett police officers survey the scene of a shooting along East Casino Road on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Oli
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Outside of Everett City Hall and the Everett Police Department on Jan. 3, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Oli
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An Everett police officer stands across the street from a home surrounded by crime scene tape along Baker Avenue on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Oli
EVERETT — Everett police could be back on reality television again in the show “Police 24/7,” pending a City Council vote Wednesday night on whether to approve an agreement with a production company.
“Police 24/7” resembles other reality TV policing shows like “Cops” and “Live PD,” as camera crews follow police officers as they respond to calls for service. The CW, the channel the program airs on, describes the show as an “adrenaline-packed series” that delivers “raw, unfiltered access into the world of sheriffs and police departments across the United States as they serve and protect at all costs.”
Everett has already participated in a similar show in 2024, “On Patrol: Live,” a successor to “Live PD.”
“I think the department really sees our presence on the TV show as a vehicle for recruitment,” said Natalie Given, a spokesperson for the Everett Police Department. “Being on a TV show like ‘Police 24/7’ really helps with our reach.”
Given said the department is consistently facing a staffing shortage of 10 or so officers. The hope is that with additional exposure, more people will learn about EPD, its officers and their policing style, leading them to join the force.
“We saw, especially on social media, a huge increase in our viewership when we participated in ‘On Patrol: Live,’” Given said.
The police department does not have any concrete metrics to support a correlation between improved recruitment and the department’s previous television appearances, but Given said it was something they will continue to monitor and collect data on.
Some worry that turning police work into a reality show — one that has the same executive producer as “Jersey Shore” — may compound negative stereotypes and portray a negative picture of Everett as a city.
“I am not sure what the goal is,” said Kathleen Kyle, executive director of the Snohomish County Public Defender Association, in an interview Monday. She said law enforcement is already regularly filmed through body cameras and dash cameras.
“To have this for-profit, third person there to put it on television as if it’s entertainment. I find very distasteful,” Kyle said. “It really seems to be taking people who are in crisis and exploiting them.”
“Police 24/7” is a newer program that was first released in 2024. Unlike “On Patrol: Live,” episodes are edited rather than presented in a live feed format. At least two other law enforcement agencies in Washington, the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Kent Police Department, have already participated in filming “Police 24/7.”
Given said she has heard from community members who miss seeing the department on “On Patrol: Live.”
She also said the department listened to feedback about people’s privacy when considering whether the live format was the best fit for the Everett community. Anyone whose face is seen on “Police 24/7” will first sign a waiver
“With this we are hearing community concerns about privacy and like adjusting,” she said. “We don’t want to be filming people, you know, in the worst moments of their lives, just because it happens to end up in public, right? So with this, there’s a lot more attention to protecting people’s privacy, for sure.”
Shows like “Police 24/7” are popular — “Cops” has been on the air for almost 40 years, after it was revived following a brief cancellation in 2020 — but reality TV police shows have also been controversial for their portrayals of law enforcement. “Cops,” in particular, has been criticized for disporportionally showing arrests for low-level drug drimes, according to an investigative podcast, “Running from ‘Cops,’” as well painting a distorted picture of people of color impacted by the criminal justice system, according to Color of Change, an advocacy group that called for the show’s cancellation.
“These types of productions only make money when systems fail,” Kyle said. “So they’re almost like rooting against a good response, because they want something to happen.”
If the production agreement is approved, Given said filming for “Police 24/7” will take place over several weeks, followed by a period of editing before the show is broadcast.
The department will maintain some control over the final cut of the show, reviewing the content to ensure nothing ends up on TV that is sensitive in nature, either because of the type of crime suspected or details that could impact a successful prosecution, Given said.
“Ultimately at the end of the day, accountability and enforcement, those are the goals and we just want to protect the integrity of our investigations,” she said.
The proposed agreement between the department and the production company, Mulholland Media, would allow the television crews exclusive access to the Everett police. No money would change hands, and the chief of police could cancel the contract at any time if he feels the TV crews or the show’s production is interfering with law enforcement operations, according to the proposedagreement.
Mulholland Media says it would maintain “complete creative and editorial control” over the project, according to the proposedagreement, but the police department would have seven days to look over a rough cut of episodes before they air and would have the right to cut out any events to ensure “factual accuracy,” prevent the release of confidential information or protect the safety of police operations.
Jazmyn Clark, the policy director of the ACLU of Washington’s Smart Justice program, wrote in a statement that it’s important for viewers to remember that shows like “Police 24/7” are just that: TV shows, with a specific worldview about the interactions that are depicted on the programs.
“These shows tend to normalize and justify police misconduct while also villainizing real people who are entitled to due process,” Clark wrote. “A reality TV show may be able to edit away the realities of policing and confuse the viewer, but this doesn’t change the seriousness of the harms perpetuated by these shows. We hope cities focus on addressing public safety with real solutions that provide safety for everyone, not just entertainment.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Cassie Franklin sent a statement but referred questions about the show to the police department.
“I am proud of the work of our Everett Police Department, including how they conduct their work with transparency. EPD will continue to partner with the media to share stories of how they are protecting and serving the community,” Mayor Cassie Franklin wrote in a statement Tuesday.
Kyle believes it’s possible for programming like this to be positive, if it includes a fair representation and perspective from the people who are facing prosecution by the criminal justice system.
“You would get a much more humane and, frankly, good story,” she said.
Given said Everett police officers are always trying to leave people with dignity, whether the interaction is on camera or not. She said officers actions, not a television show, will control the perception.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I think that if we felt that we were going to do this in some undignified way, we wouldn’t do it at all,” Given said.
The production agreement in front of City Council will be on Wednesday’s consent agenda, meaning it could be voted on as part of a batch of other routine items at the meeting. Given said the police department always wants to hear any concerns the community may have and encouraged people to email police@everettwa.gov.
She said the department understands concerns about the perception EPD’s television appearances could create, but hopes lighter moments in investigations will show off the personalities of officers and the character of the city.
“Crime is real, it’s not something that we’re getting away from. It’s just something that we can choose to see or choose not to see,” Given said. “Everett is a beautiful city, and I think they have a great police department, and hopefully, as people are watching criminal investigations, those things also shine through.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443;william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X:@willgeschke.
Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com
