A NEW television series which follows the officers and staff of the Police Service of Northern Ireland launched this week.
Described by the PSNI as the ‘real-life Blue Lights’, referring to the fictional BBC police series set in Belfast, ‘Peelers: The PSNI for Real’ takes viewers behind the scenes on patrol with the police force.
“This was a unique and really important opportunity for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to share our story – something I’ve been clear we haven’t been good enough at,” PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said.
“It’s my hope that this will provide viewers with much greater understanding and hopefully appreciation of the daily work of our police officers and police staff.”
He added: “I am incredibly proud of the dedication and courage shown by our officers and staff throughout this eye-opening series.
“Never forget that our police officers and staff are all members of their of local communities, they are ordinary people who chose to join the PSNI to make a positive difference to society, and as you will see they are doing extraordinary work every day to keep people safe.
“This is a true reflection of what our officers have to deal with, showcasing the professionalism, resilience and humanity that they bring to some of the most challenging situations in society.
“We didn’t want this series to shy away from the reality and most difficult aspects of policing. Policing is complex and often misunderstood work”
Filmed over the past two years, the series is largely focused on the work of the police force in and around Belfast.
The production team accompanied 30 police officers and staff from across the PSNI whilst they carried out their daily duties during that time to film content for the show.
“This series shows the public exactly what our officers and staff face,” Chf Cons Boutcher said.
“I’m sure many people will be genuinely shocked by what they see but I also believe that they will be reassured by the professionalism, resilience and humanity our officers and staff demonstrate, leaving them grateful that we have these ordinary people doing such extraordinary work on all our behalf.
“These officers and staff are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to keep us all safe. I’ve no doubt the series will also encourage and inspire people to join the police service and help keep their communities safe.”
He added: “I am a huge fan of the BBC drama ‘Blue Lights’, which brilliantly portrays the issues facing policing in Northern Ireland, but ‘Peelers’ is the real life ‘Blue Lights’.
The six-episode series launched last night on BBC1. All episodes will be available to view on BBC iPlayer.
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