The cop shows available on Netflix legitimize and glorify police violence.

Netflix is still streaming cop shows, even though they legitimize police violence.

Tell Netflix to remove cop shows from their platform.

Dear John,

Officials decided not to charge Breonna Taylor’s murderers with homicide.1 And in doing so, they have chosen to legitimize police violence instead of punishing it.

At the same time, television shows centering flawed-yet-heroic police officers remain popular, and they’re especially prominent on streaming platforms like Netflix.2 We’ve asked Netflix repeatedly to remove cop shows from their platform, explaining that cop shows, like “Caught on Camera,” Under Arrest,” “Border Security: America’s Front Line,” and too many more to name, have dire, real-life consequences for Black people.3 Breonna’s murder, for example, is normalized by the very common flawed-yet-heroic narrative that’s ever-present on cop shows. But Netflix won’t do it. 

Police are harmful, not heroic. Tell Netflix to remove cop shows from their platform. 

In a moment like the one we’re in now, we can’t afford for cop shows to keep streaming. Cop shows legitimize the systemic harms and brutal violence police perpetrate, and we simply can’t let it continue.4 With every cop show that remains streaming, police violence is glorified and normalized in real life. This summer, we fought to get ‘Live PD’ and ‘Cops’ canceled because of how these shows contributed to real-world violence against Black people. Now, we need all other cops shows to go, too.5 

Our lives are at stake. We can’t let cop shows to continue to stream. Tell Netflix to dump cop shows NOW.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Arisha, Rashad, Johnny, Amanda, Marie, Evan, Imani, Eesha, Gabrielle, Samantha, Jennette, Ciera, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References: 

  1. “Kentucky grand jury declines to file homicide charges in death of Breonna Taylor,” The Washington Post, September 23, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/271943?t=10&akid=46871%2E4731121%2ES3rCjL
  2. “Cops Are Always the Main Characters,” Vulture, June 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/248682?t=12&akid=46871%2E4731121%2ES3rCjL
  3. “NCIS: The Worst Thing Each Main Character Has Done,” ScreenRant, February 21, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/271981?t=14&akid=46871%2E4731121%2ES3rCjL
  4. “Cops Are Always the Main Characters,” Vulture, June 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/248682?t=16&akid=46871%2E4731121%2ES3rCjL
  5. “Inside Color of Change's Renewed Fight Against Police Procedurals: ‘These Shows Have an Agenda,’” The Hollywood Reporter, June 25, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/271944?t=18&akid=46871%2E4731121%2ES3rCjL

Image: Pedro Nekoi/Vulture

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please help keep our movement strong.

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