HCSO Sheriff's Deputies to Star in Reality TV Show

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt County sheriff's deputies will have starring roles in a reality television show, and while some members of the Board of Supervisors have reservations about it, a contract with the show's production company has been approved. Supervisors “confirmed” the pact at their June 25 meeting.

The deal is with Half Moon Pictures, LLC, which produces the On Patrol – Live reality TV-show.

A written staff report states that the show's crew will “follow a number of deputy sheriffs as they carry out their duties throughout Humboldt County.”

Contract approval was on the meeting's routine agenda, but Supervisor Mike Wilson asked Sheriff Billy Honsal to talk about his department's involvement in the show.

Honsal said it would showcase the county's approach to policing, which he described as progressive and humanistic.

“What we do here, and I think is special and unique, is we pride ourselves on our community policing and how we provide compassionate policing,” he said. “I think this is an opportunity to put Humboldt County on the map and show how law enforcement in California is different and show that we hold people accountable, but we also seek to build trust within our community.”

Asked by Wilson how the show portrays police work, Honsal described it as “a very good show that highlights what's happening in the country in terms of crime and law enforcement.”

He said he thought being on the show would be “a positive thing” that would be “great for Humboldt County.”

Wilson expressed his doubts, thanking Honsal for his comment but saying: “I don't know if that gives me a lot of confidence.”

Supervisor Natalie Arroyo also has concerns. Some residents do too, she said, because there is uncertainty about how Humboldt police will be perceived.

“There's also some concern about showing people in a way that invades their privacy, to some extent, at their worst and I can understand that,” she said, adding: “I also know a few people who have turned to law enforcement because they've seen a show like this.”

Honsal said the TV show crew and its cameras will take all footage from publicly accessible areas and not private spaces like homes.

He said the show was “reputable” and he had “complete confidence” in it.

Wilson appeared to have concerns that were unrelated to contractual considerations.

And as the discussion drew to a close, he spoke of how social media obsessions and “a whole media sphere of fear and anxiety” around crime issues make him uncomfortable.

The contract authorization was approved along with the rest of the consent agenda.

Wilson joined the vote, but only because there was confusion over whether the contract element was included in it.