A SKIPTON based traffic officer currently appearing on a television ‘fly on the wall’ documentary says taking part in the programme has given him a chance to show the devastation that drink and drugs driving can cause.

Traffic constable, Andrew Ingram, has spent the last several weeks being shadowed for the Channel Five programme ‘Traffic Cops’ - one of three current documentaries, also including Police Interceptors, and 24 Hours in Police Custody.

Up to two million people watch Traffic Cops which follows North Yorkshire Police officers on duty, tackling criminals, and dealing with incidents, ranging from drugs raids, robberies, anti-social behaviour, and car theft.

Roads Policing Inspector Rich Champion said:“By having the Traffic Cops cameras alongside us, the public get to see the day-to-day reality of policing. Viewers also get to see the people who wear the uniform, how passionate and dedicated they are to their jobs and the vast array of situations that they have to deal with – some of which are incredibly challenging both professionally and personally.”

North Yorkshire Police have worked for several years with Mentorn Media, which produces Traffic Cops, both with Channel Five, and previously with the BBC.

TC Ingram said: “I was happy to take part in Traffic Cops because I wanted to show what my job entails and give a real picture of being a police officer. Also, it’s a great opportunity to show what a beautiful place North Yorkshire is to live and work in and how seriously we take our role of keeping it safe.

“As a Roads Policing Officer and campaigner against drink and drug drivers, the show also enabled me to inform the public of the devastation that drink and drug driving can cause and how we are clamping down on it.

“People always see police on the road, blue lighting to incidents. Traffic Cops allows them to see the end result and I’ve really enjoyed being part of the show.”

Simon Meehan, Series Producer for Traffic Cops said the programme was a great platform for the police to promote campaigns, operations, and priorities on a national and regional scale, in a very timely fashion.Traffic Cops goes out on Mondays at 10pm on Channel 5.

North Yorkshire Police is currently working with Mentorn Media on the current series of the ever popular Channel 5 programme, Traffic Cops. Airing at 10pm on Monday nights, up to two million people tune in each week to watch officers tackle criminals who use the 6,000 miles of roads that run through the county, for their own illegal gain.

The series follows response officers on duty, dealing with incidents ranging from drug raids and organised crime gangs to robberies, burglaries, anti-social behaviour, car theft and the odd runaway dog.

Speaking about why the force agreed to take part in the show, Roads Policing Inspector Rich Champion said:

“By having the Traffic Cops cameras alongside us, the public get to see the day-to-day reality of policing. Viewers also get to see the people who wear the uniform, how passionate and dedicated they are to their jobs and the vast array of situations that they have to deal with – some of which are incredibly challenging both professionally and personally.”

“We’ve worked closely with Mentorn for a number of years in the production of Traffic Cops, both for Channel 5 and previously for the BBC and we have a great working relationship with them. They understand the importance of the officers role when dealing with an incident and the fact that our operational response is above all, the most important thing. Officers are there to deal with the situation in hand and the cameras are simply bystanders, capturing the activity.

Simon Meehan, Series Producer for Traffic Cops said:

“Traffic Cops is a great platform for North Yorkshire Police to promote local campaigns, operations, and priorities on a national and regional scale, in a very timely fashion. The series is great way of highlighting road safety issues and provides public reassurance. It shows how proactive the force is, how it targets criminality, and shows how NYP’s officers protect and service their local communities. At the same time, Traffic Cops is great way to humanise NYP’s officers, show how they are real people who care deeply about their jobs and the people they serve.

“Traffic Cops is the UK’s longest running and most popular police observational documentary series, and brings with it up to two million viewers a week. It’s weekly viewership is a broad cross section of the population, from families with children, to 17 to 25 year olds, and also attracts a strong female following. Traffic Cops has been following the work of officers from North Yorkshire’s Road Policing Group since 2014, and has always had great support from those being filmed, and all those connected to the production process have always been extremely supportive and trusting in what we do, which is really important.”

Speaking about why he agree to feature in the series Traffic Constable Andy Ingram said:

“I was happy to take part in Traffic Cops because I wanted to show what my job entails and give a real picture of being a police officer. Also, it’s a great opportunity to show what a beautiful place North Yorkshire is to live and work in and how seriously we take our role of keeping it safe.

“As a Roads Policing Officer and campaigner against drink and drug drivers, the show also enabled me to inform the public of the devastation that drink and drug driving can cause and how North Yorkshire Police are clamping down on it.

“People always see police on the road, blue lighting to incidents. Traffic Cops allows them to see the end result and I’ve really enjoyed being part of the show.”

Catch the next episode of Traffic Cops on Monday at 10pm on Channel 5.