The following is a distilled and edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and Dan Abrams, ABC News’s chief legal analyst and host of “On Patrol: Live.” Catch the full interview on a new weekend edition of Morning Wire.
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1. You have built a career at the intersection of law, media, and entertainment. What led you to create “On Patrol: Live” and why do you think it has resonated so strongly with audiences?
Dan Abrams: I’m a lawyer by training and I used that to quickly pivot into media, where I ended up covering some of the highest-profile criminal cases from the last three decades. That background is, I think, why the producers came to me to host what is now “On Patrol: Live,” a live police show where we follow police departments in real time. This is a show that is different from any other police show out there because, unlike “Cops,” where it’s sort of a highlight reel of crazy moments, we’re actually live in eight or nine departments at once. So we’ll go to a department and we’ll see someone responding to a call and the officer doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. So, the audience joins the officers in that experience. I think that’s part of what makes the show so compelling.
- Why It Matters: Authentic storytelling matters. Live coverage provides a raw, unfiltered look at policing, allowing audiences to see officers as they really are rather than through a scripted or dramatized lens.
Dan Abrams: People are interested in policing. There is an element of uncertainty throughout the show. Watching police engage with the community is something people have long been interested in. There’s no other place where they can see it in real time. As a result, we try to follow a mix of departments around the country to make this a really compelling show year after year. We look for both geographical diversity and diversity of the size of the department. We’re in everything from Las Vegas – one of the top 10 biggest police departments in America – to Hensley, Arkansas, where we ride with the chief of the department.
- Why It Matters: Public interest in policing is unwavering. Despite political movements, the demand for real-time law enforcement coverage remains strong, demonstrating that audiences value transparency over ideology.
Dan Abrams: I thought it was a vast overreaction. That’s what I said when the show was cancelled – and I maintain it to this day. It’s important to talk about this because there’s going to be some other incident where a cop does something the cop shouldn’t have – and it might be really bad. And any good cop will tell you that the worst thing for good cops is a bad cop. No matter what career you’re talking about, considering there are hundreds of thousands of police officers around the country, you are going to have some bad cops. That doesn’t mean that the rest of the cops aren’t doing really good work.
- Why It Matters: Balanced perspectives are essential. In an era of quick, reactionary decisions, maintaining a steady and fair approach to evaluating law enforcement is crucial to understanding the complexities of policing.
Dan Abrams: I think there’s been a recognition that the “Defund the Police” movement was absurd. It didn’t work. And that’s why liberal cities around the country are refunding the police and rehiring police officers. They realized it made no sense. I’ll tell you, as soon as “Live PD” was canceled, I received outreach from people asking me about the project. So, from a show perspective, I think it was really just a question of when. In the immediate months after the show went off the air, however, to many, the show would have been too hot – couldn’t do it, can’t risk it, don’t want to risk the protests, don’t want to risk the backlash. I do think that has faded to some degree.
- Why It Matters: Public safety requires practical solutions. Knee-jerk policy shifts have real-world consequences, and restoring balance between law enforcement and community trust is a vital ongoing effort.
Dan Abrams: Well, I work on a lot of things. I host a daily radio show on Sirius XM on the POTUS channel. I’m still ABC News’s chief legal analyst. I own a company called Mediaite. I started “Law and Crime.” I’ve got a spirits company called Bottle Raiders, where we have an app that aggregates ratings of fine spirits and non-alcoholic drinks. So I’ve got my hand in a lot of projects, but “On Patrol: Live” is a passion project for me.
- Why It Matters: Media influences public perception. Abrams’ dedication to covering law and crime-related content ensures that audiences have access to informed, balanced perspectives on critical legal issues.
That was Dan Abrams, producer of “On Patrol: Live” and this has been a weekend edition of Morning Wire.
The post <a href=https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-questions-with-dan-abrams-the-enduring-appeal-of-on-patrol-live target=_blank >5 Questions With Dan Abrams: The Enduring Appeal Of ‘On Patrol: Live’</a> appeared first on Conservative Angle | Conservative Angle - Conservative News Clearing House
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