KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo’s Public Safety Department is truly unique. It’s one of the first and largest in the nation to cross-trained officers to be policemen, firefighters and EMT’s.
That makes it a natural for a program like “COPS” which follows real-life officers on patrol.
The reality show had apparently made an agreement with the city to come to Kalamazoo this summer to film.
City Manager Jim Ritsema says it was an opportunity to showcase the work they do with the community.
But apparently word got out and while the city hoped to make the Department look good, a number of residents strongly expressed concerns about how they might appear.
Ritsema says the outcry was enough to convince them to scrub the idea.
(copy written by John McNeill)
