The Richland County, S.C. deputy sheriff will join Dan Abrams and Sean Larkin in the studio.
WhenOn Patrol: Livepremieres July 22 onReelz, fans ofLive PDwill probably feel some deja vu.
I think he’s going to bring a dimension to the show that is going to be special."
‘On Patrol: Live’ co-host Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson says police ‘want to do the right thing’.Curtis Wilson/Twitter
EW caught up with Wilson during a rare moment of free time.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You were a contributor on Live PD during its run.
CURTIS WILSON:At first, I was like, are they kidding me?
Are they really serious?
Personally, I felt that it was bad timing.
A small percentage [of bad cops] does not cover everyone look at what these officers are doing.
Yes, they’re human and they do make mistakes.
It’s not all shooting and doing negative things.
I think it helps with the recruitment.
Not only that, it showcases [the department] being proactive with the community.
In this culture, that’s important.
Is that not seen as a big risk?
Transparency is very important with [police] departments.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department has a Citizens' Advisory Council.
That officer will be placed on disciplinary action, and the Sheriff here does not hide that fact.
It’s important for the citizens to see that…
I think the good has to go with the bad.
We’re responsible for our actions.
Tom Morris Jr. suggested you as his replacement.
Were you able to talk with him before you signed on?
It was really nice of Tom to suggest me.
I’ll probably bring some humor because I like to be funny when it’s called for that.
And then I’m also there to be that analyst, to be that citizen-slash-law enforcement officer.
[Laughs] I’ll venture to say it’ll take three weeks, maybe a month.
And, I’m being lenient with that.
What are your favorite kinds of calls for the public to see when cameras follow police officers live?
Or finding somebody who’s lost.
Those things that touch your heart.
I believe this show is important because people will actually get to see what’s going on.
Anything can happen on this show, and that means we can’t script it.
When deputies or officers go out on patrol, they never know what they’re going to encounter.
I hope that [critics] would give it a shot.
I think it would help people who feel negative about [police] understand that they’re human.
They live in your community; they have kids that go to school just like you.
It shows that they are part of the community, and they want to do the right thing.
Watch the show and see what we do.
On Patrol: Livewill have a new segment called Citizen Ride-Alongs.
What do you think about that idea?
I think that’s a great thing.
They get to see how situations are handled and so forth.
Then they’ll go on the set and be able to explain that to other [viewers].
Have you ever had a citizen in your car?
That’s what they love.
On Patrol: Livepremieres on July 22 at 9 p.m. on Reelz.
