Reno Police Reach Community on Network Television
Local ABC Affiliate Airs "RPD Scanner"

April 17, 2000

Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Reno Police Officer Craig Pittman serves as community liaison to Chief Jerry Hoover. On Friday mornings, however, he dons a headset and sits in the control room at local ABC affiliate KOLO television, giving direction to camera operators for “RPD Scanner,” a half-hour show co-produced by Reno’s Police Department and the station.

Police officials believe “Scanner” is a rarity is government broadcasting: While many cities use their government access channels to televise cable programming, Reno’s show airs at 8:00 every Sunday morning on a commercial network TV station. Hosted by Bicycle Team Sergeant John Catalano, the show’s segments cover crime mapping and alerts, such as sex offender notifications, current crime trends, and guest appearances, and one offers viewers an opportunity to submit questions to Chief Hoover on a dedicated phone line or via e-mail. Answers to the questions are incorporated into the following week’s show. Videotape used for the show is shot by interns who are students at the University of Nevada Reno School of Journalism. A duplicate of each show is provided to KUVR Channel 68 which rebroadcasts it in Spanish.

Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin sees “Scanner” as a national model for community policing. “We regularly host visitors from across the country and around the world who want to improve police services in their community,” says Griffin. “This show is another creative tool our police use to reach out to the community.”

Officer Pittman got the idea for the show during a visit to Oxnard, California. There, police officers described a law enforcement TV program they produced with their local cable station. Returning to Reno, Pittman proposed a show to KOLO General Manager Bill Hall. Hall thought is was a unique idea, saw a need for it in the community, and “RPD Scanner” was born.

“It became evident to me very early on that the perception of crime isn’t as bad as people think,” says Pittman. “To offset that, we show on a map locations and types of crimes committed throughout the region and what’s being done to curb them. It’s a positive, proactive way for us to get our message out and allay residents’ fears.”

All involved are pleased that “Scanner” runs on commercial TV at no cost to Reno taxpayers. KOLO provides five crew members and Reno’s Morrey Distributing is the lead sponsor. KOLO retains no profits; once production costs are covered, remaining funds from sponsorship or underwriting are returned to the Police Department to mitigate the salaries of the officers working on the show and to cover other production costs incurred by the Department.

This month, the show is adding a segment called “You Make the Stop” in which a series of video vignettes will illustrate traffic situations. Viewers will be invited to analyze the situation and determine whether a violation has occurred. An officer then will review the situation and describe the violation, if any.

Through “RPD Scanner,” says Mayor Griffin, “we’re communicating with segments of the community that were difficult to reach in the past. It’s an opportunity for all residents to see how we work and for the Police Department to reach community members of all backgrounds.”

More information on the show is available from Officer Pittman at (775) 334-3887. 

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