How 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' gets police work hilariously wrong
What's the story
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a much-loved comedy series focusing on the lives of detectives in a fictional precinct of New York City.
While the series makes for a hilarious and entertaining watch, it often takes creative liberties with police procedures.
Here, we take a look at some ways in which Brooklyn Nine-Nine deviates from real-life police work, and how it affects our understanding of it.
Crime scenes
Unrealistic crime scene management
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it is common to see crime scenes as chaotic and informal, with detectives roaming freely without proper protective gear.
In reality, crime scene management is an extremely meticulous affair to avoid contamination. Officers wear gloves and other protective clothing to ensure the integrity of evidence isn't compromised.
The show's portrayal can mislead viewers about the importance of maintaining a controlled environment at crime scenes.
Interrogations
Simplified interrogation techniques
The show often portrays interrogations as laid-back conversations where suspects easily admit under little pressure.
Real-life interrogations require a combination of strategic questioning techniques and psychological tricks to get someone to spill the beans.
The simplified method we see in Brooklyn Nine-Nine doesn't paint an accurate picture of the complexity and skill involved in real police interrogations.
Detective focus
Overemphasis on detective work
While Brooklyn Nine-Nine revolves around detectives cracking cases, it tends to ignore other important roles in a precinct, like patrol officers and administrative staff.
In real life, policing is a team effort across multiple departments to keep the community safe and run law enforcement operations smoothly.
The emphasis on detective work in the show may paint an incomplete picture of police departments.
Paperwork reality
Lack of paperwork representation
The series rarely depicts characters doing paperwork or administrative tasks that come with the territory of policing.
In reality, officers spend a lot of time documenting incidents, filing reports, and taking care of the bureaucratic work that is crucial for a case to move forward and for accountability.
Not seeing this may make viewers underestimate the administrative burden on law enforcement personnel.
Comedy vs Reality
Comedic approach to serious situations
While humor is at the heart of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it does at times trivialize serious situations like arrests or high-stakes investigations for comedic effect.
Real-life policing involves dealing with sensitive issues that require professionalism and empathy, not humor-driven antics as portrayed in the show's narrative structure.