Bad cops, bad cops what you gonna do?

256   7.1   7.5 

Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin

Yes, sure, we realize that homicide detective Nick has just learned he’s a Grimm — basically, a male Buffy the Vampire Slayer endowed with the power to destroy the world’s many fairy tale-based supernatural creatures.

That’s all well and good, but why is it that he and his partner, Hank, take so long to consider that the mild-mannered, postal worker Big Bad Wolf he’s tracking just might have a basement, where he very well could be hiding the little girl he’s kidnapped?

My take on it:

Granted, Nick is what they would call on cop shows, a "rookie", but Sam and Dean Winchester would been all over the Big Bad Wolf, from the get go.

And they are not even cops.

1272   8.1   9 

Andy Brennan

There are plenty of Twin Peaks cops we wouldn’t mind having on our side, but poor Andy isn’t one of them. While he’s sweet and well-meaning, and even inadvertently helps Agent Cooper towards the end of the show’s run, his romance with secretary Lucy leaves us wondering if he understands such elementary concepts as how sex works.

My take on it:

Hey, he kinda help Agent Dale Copper, find Laura Palmer's killer, so that's gotta count. Does it?

Jamie M.'s rating:

1786   7.7   8 

Andy Bellefleur

Come to think of it, maybe outside of Mayberry we should automatically mistrust all cops named “Andy.” And if Twin Peaks‘ Andy is a good-natured idiot, Andy Bellefleur is a fool who doesn’t even always have the best of intentions.

Bon Temps’ detective-turned-sheriff bungles easy cases, takes credit for heroic acts performed by others, and eventually develops a nasty addiction to vampire blood.

In fact, it seems that of all the estimable residents of the town, Andy has the distinction of being the least qualified — and least likely — to solve a crime.

My take on it:

It's probably not a good idea, to have a police office who's about as competent as Barney Fife or Chief Wiggum, and also addicted to vampire blood as well.

4616   8.1   8.7 

Clancy Wiggum

Chief Wiggum must be the model that all incompetent cops strive to emulate. He stalks around arrogantly, chomping donuts and jumping to ridiculous conclusions. He does more harm than good.

And, if you know your Simpsons, you’ll remember that he didn’t even earn his position on the police force — he was simply given his badge by a real officer who’d had it with his job. Like many authority figures, Wiggum has a fragile ego.

But his foibles are also so… cartoonish, if you will, that it’s hard not to find him somewhat endearing.

My take on it:

You really can't have a list, of bad TV cops without Chief Wiggums.

It's no wonder, why the crime rate in Springfield, is as bad as it is. The criminals, Fat Tony, Sideshow Bob, and Snake included, must send him fruit baskets on a regular basis.

Jamie M.'s rating:

180   7.3   7.8 

Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder

Detective Sarah Linden may have seemed promising at first — a popular, ace homicide investigator who’s about to leave her home and job to get married.

But a few episodes in, we begin to understand that it’s not really her dutiful dedication that keeps her from surrendering her badge; it’s a mysterious incident from her past that’s led to an uncontrollable obsession with this case.

And that unhealthy investment in the murder of teenage Rosie Larsen leads her to make several truly unfortunate errors. Holder, meanwhile, who is supposed to be her successor, has always been sketchy. He may be over his drug problem, but the Season 1 finale sure made it look like he was planting evidence.

My take on it:

Maybe, they should have called Agent Dale Cooper, for back up help. He seems to be pretty good, at solving case involving dead females. Just as long, as he doesn't bring Andy, along for the ride.

699   8.6   9.4 

Stan Valchek

Some police officers are merely incompetent; others, like Baltimore’s Stan Valchek, are downright shady. He’s constantly playing politics, jockeying for position in the city police department’s complex power structure, and letting personal vendettas dictate how he does his job. And he’s kind of racist, too.

Yet, despite all this — and the fact that he’s never been particularly popular — Valchek ends the series as Police Commissioner.

Like most of David Simon’s characters, he’s not a one-dimensional villain. But he’s hardly the kind of guy who will put citizens’ interests above his own quest for power.

102   6.7   7.9 

Sledge Hammer

Before any of the other cops on this list made their first appearance, there was Inspector Sledge Hammer, the star of ’80s police spoof Sledge Hammer!

Hammer is the kind of reactionary, gun-worshipping, maverick enforcer who’s always getting celebrated in action movies — except his methods of catching his perp tend to be hilariously extreme. Yes, he always gets his man, but he also tends to cause more trouble than he fixes.

My take on it:

Sledge Hammer, is like the king of bad TV cops. They could only wish to be half as a TV cop, as Sledge Hammer.

Take one part Martin Riggs, one part Marion Cobretti, and one part Rick Hunter, and there you have Sledge Hammer.

1323   7.2   8.1 

Don Lamb

It’s bad enough that Balboa County Sheriff Don Lamb stole his former mentor Keith Mars’ job. Even worse, he’s bought and sold by the town of Neptune’s wealthy, corrupt “09er” community.

And even if he weren’t a pandering bureaucrat, Lamb is also totally incompetent, kind of stupid, and visibly insecure. All of this makes him the perfect enemy of Veronica Mars, a girl half his age with ten times his intelligence — making it particularly satisfying when she gets the better of him.

My take on it:

The very fact that he retained his badge, and rank for as long as he has, says a lot about him.

And the fact, that Veronica has solved the majority of the crimes, says a lot about him too.

Wow, bested by a teenage girl, who has a higher IQ than him. How embarrassing for Don.

3265   7.4   8.9 

Officer Barbrady

A step beyond even Wiggum, goofy-voiced Officer Barbrady is more likely to unknowingly aid and abet a criminal than actually solve a crime.

This may have something to do with the fact that he was illiterate well into his tenure as the only police officer in South Park. And yet, now that he’s been supplanted by Sgt. Yates and his force, we kind of miss having him in charge.

My take on it:

Also another must have on the list. I wouldn't trust him, to solve the Case of The Missing Donuts.

Jamie M.'s rating:

1171   7.1   7.7 

Randy Disher

There are garden-variety incompetent cops, and then there are the ones who are weird on top of that, like Randy Disher, the right-hand man to the SFPD’s Captain Leland Stottlemeyer.

His biggest flaw is his inability to reason through just about any case, and he’s also annoying wordy (at least for a cop). He does have a pretty sweet band, though…

284   6.2   7.3 

Reno Sheriff's Department

Seriously, people. If you happen to be a crime victim in (fictional) Reno, you’re pretty much SOL. Don’t even bother calling the police.

My take on it:

The only thing worse, than one bad TV cop, is a whole department of them.

175   6.6   7.9 

Barney Fife

The godfather of bad TV cops. Not a single episode, goes by where Barney isn't locked up behind bars.

In real life, he would been asked to hand in his badge, along time ago.

86   6.7   7.9 

Lucas Buck

As someone else on the net put it best...

" A) He either committed the crime or got you to do it for him B) he’ll make sure you take the fall and he gets away clean and C) He’s the Devil."

Not to mention, he puts the creep, in creepy.

293   6.1   6.8 

Roscoe P. Coltrane

Then again, pretty much all of the cops, in Hazzard County , are not all that bright.

Bo and Luke, need no help making them look incompetent, they are doing ok on their own, thank you very much.

2703   8.2   9 

Miami Metro

The fictional, Miami Metro, that is.

Also summed up nicely by someone else, "Those goofballs are constantly having sex with each other, serial killers, victims, and witnesses.

I guess the one small consolation would be that after they screwed it up, Dexter would figure it out eventually."

They do realize, that one of their own, is a serial killer, right?

Jamie M.'s rating:

166   7.3   8.4 

Frank Drebin

Usually, solves cases by the sure skin of his teeth, and through luck.

One of the greatest bad TV cops, of all time, and clumsiest and inept, too.

48   6.5   7.8 

Davis Quinton and Karen Pelly

Sadly, they are the only only cops, in the town of Dog River.

Most of their time, is spent goofing off, eat donuts, and trying to cut corners, when it comes doing police work.

Surprisingly, they do catch criminals. Barely.

Jamie M.'s rating: