Why don't the suspects on Cops ever look at or acknowledge the camera?

Oh, but it is staged. The chases and other “dramatic” events aren’t but a lot of the interaction between the cops and the perps is. Plus there is a ton of footage that ends up on the editing room floor.

There is no such thing as reality tv.

you’re shitting me! This is like finding out there’s no Santa Clause! How can you be sure?How do they get the ‘perps’ to do the acting?

Those encounters last several minutes if not hours. They probably just cut out anything like that.

Another thing to take into consideration is this: If you were busted by cops only to realize the entire thing was being filmed, do you think you would look at the camera?

@drasticdreamer I’d tell them to turn off the camera! And now that I know I’d make funny faces at it the whole time :)

Because the ones that make it onto the show are a few slices short of a yak sandwich.

mmm…yaaak…

Let’s be honest, they’re all too high to know what is going on.

because they’re all rednecks who’ve never seen a camera before, so they think if they don’t look at it it won’t attack them. redneck survival instinct, scientists are still studying it….

My favorite line from the movie “Rachael Getting Married” was when the girl walks into a liquor store, and the cashier says “Hey, didn’t I see you on Cops?”

And now there is TruTV – “Not reality, Actuality!”

As a person who was once filmed unwittingly while being heli-vacked from a bad car wreck, I wonder how much adrenaline, trauma and drugs plays into this phenomenon. In our case, our video was (there were 3 of us) televised nationally on what I think was called Rescue 911, narrated by William Shatner, back in 1989 or 1990. None of us seem to have been of sound enough mind to have any recollection of any of this filming occurring. The only reason we ever even heard about it was that other friends actually saw this thing televised.

I’ve never been asked to get out of my car when I’ve been pulled over, but I think if I was, I’d have more important things to pay attention to than the cop’s car. Also, how big are those cameras? Would you even be able to see it?

@MacBean I think they are referring to the handheld cameras being used on pursuits, not the ones mounted inside cars.

@MacBean . . .The cameras are the size of a Volkswagen Bug. They are mounted on War Of The Worlds tripod legs and are painted fireball fuchsia.