Masculinity and racism The police procedural is considered to be a male-dominant genre which very often portrays the
masculine hero dedicated to the professional realm. The introduction of women as protagonists is commonly attributed to either adding
sexual appeal, introducing gendered issues like investigating
sex crimes, or delving into the personal relationships of the characters. It also often portrays
rape myths, such as that rape is more often committed by strangers rather than a known acquaintance of the victim, that the majority of rape claims are false, and that rapes only happen to "bad girls". The portrayal of the criminal justice system also under-represents issues of race and
institutional racism. A report by
Color of Change Hollywood and the USC Annenberg
Norman Lear Center This prevalence implies that viewers are often facing
TV series that place
police officers at the center of the story, showing exclusively their vision of the world. This approach has been denounced as enforcing the idea that the life and views of policemen are more important than the ones of the communities being policed. Illegal practices are often presented as a necessary decision made in the
general interest. A report by
Color of Change Hollywood and the USC Annenberg
Norman Lear Center revealed that police procedural shows were normalizing unjust practices such as
illegal searches,
surveillance,
coercion,
intimidation,
violence,
abuse, and
racism.
Misrepresentation of reality Criticisms have been raised against the genre for its unrealistic depiction of crime. Particularly, police procedurals have been accused of possessing an unrealistic preoccupation with incidents such as
homicide and
terrorism. In the United States, plot points involving murder investigations appear at more frequent rates than those involving
theft,
substance abuse, or
domestic violence, Police procedurals have additionally portrayed attempted terrorism incidents at unrealistically high rates since the
September 11 attacks and the start of the
war on terror, prompting accusations of
racial profiling and
fear-mongering. In a 2005 study conducted on the
German public, it was found that despite a decline in total offences between 1992 and 2003, "the German public believes or assumes, on balance, that crime has increased". As a result, some
television networks have been making an effort to address and correct the aforementioned criticism. In August 2020, it was announced that
CBS writing staff would partner with 21CP Solutions, an advisory group on
public safety and
law enforcement, on the network's
legal dramas and police procedurals. CBS producers stated that the team, including
civil rights experts, lawyers and police veterans, would fix issues with CBS police procedurals to make them more realistic and accurate. As a result, the main objectives and partnership's attention is supposed to focus on an increase of inclusivity, diversity and authenticity in the production of police procedurals. ==See also==