Police Interceptors - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Police Interceptors is a TV documentary series that profiles the work of a police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

ANPR Intercept Team (now known as the Territorial Support Team) in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, United Kingdom and in series 4 profiles the work of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

Police's Road Crime Unit. The documentary has been broadcast by Channel 5 since the first episode on 9 May 2008.

Interceptor team

The show features the following police officers from Essex Police

Essex Police

Essex Police is a territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Essex in the east of England.It is one of the largest non-metropolitan police forces in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 3,600 police officers and operating across an area of over and with a population of...

and South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The police force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2...

involved in high-speed car chases following car thieves in stolen vehicles, speeding and drunken drivers, the Interceptor Team. They use the latest high-speed patrol cars to follow and hunt down boy racers

Boy racer

Boy racers refer to people, usually males in their late teens or early twenties, who "cruise" around in vehicles modified with loud exhausts and stereos, or modified body kits. This behavior is frowned upon by members of the public irritated by the noise and the criminal behavior associated with...

presenting a danger to the public. The Interceptors also use the latest number-plate reading technology (ANPR

Automatic number plate recognition

Automatic number plate recognition is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the license plates on vehicles. They can use existing closed-circuit television or road-rule enforcement cameras, or ones specifically designed for the task...

) to detect drivers without car insurance

Vehicle insurance

Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom...

, often resulting in an argument with the driver and the disclosure of other crimes

Crime

Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...

. The chases are often interspersed with light-hearted incidents involving the team's food breaks, harmless drunks and practical jokes in the incident room. There are 32 police officers in total, with 25 shown by series 3, episode 1. The show often identifies officers by humorous nicknames and on-screen graphics feature data on their years in service, likes and dislikes. Most incidents are tracked down by uniform officers from the Interceptor team but plain clothes and undercover police have also featured in the four series.

Inspector Paul Moor
Sergeant Justin Smith (featured only in the pilot and early programs before his promotion)
Inspector Gerry Parker (Series 3)
Sergeant Dan Barnes (who replaced Sergeant Smith)
Sergeant Peter Swan (who was also in Street Wars
Street Law (TV series)
Street Wars is a police reality television programme produced by Raw Cut TV for British Sky Broadcasting and broadcast on Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3. Beginning in 2005, the series followed the Tactical Team from Kent Police in Medway, Kent and the Tactical Support Group from the Police Service of...

)
Sergeant Andy Swan (Andy and Pete are brothers)
Sergeant Russ Jardine - Recently promoted
PC Steve Tisseyre
PC Mark Turner
PC Steve Syrett
PC Dave Williams
PC Ian Flynn
PC Mike Bignell
PC Grant Snow
PC Roger Watson
PC Andy Fitch
PC Russell Gay
PC Shaun Gurney
PC Dennis Logie
PC Dave Wheeler
PC Sam Nason
PC Mark Hemingway
PC Mark Edmonds
PC Rob Barlow
PC Emily Freeman
PC Andy Donaghy
PC Paul Glensman
PC Amy Rolfe
PC Adam Barry
PS Danny Torrence

From series 4 onwards, the following officers were followed as part of the South Yorkshire Roads Policing Group:

Sgt Steve Houghton
Sgt Angus Watson
PC Tim Scothern (who has also appeared in Traffic Cops
Traffic Cops
Traffic Cops is a documentary series on BBC One which follows traffic officers from various British police forces. The current series follows Bedfordshire Police. Previous series have followed Cheshire, Hampshire, Humberside, South Wales, South Yorkshire and Sussex police forces...

)
PC Phil Ackerley
PC Ange Selous
PC Craig Sharratt
PC Ack Singh
PC Gaz Marshall
PC Dave Fields
PC Rodney McEnery
PC Adam Walker
PC Mark Cooper
PC Carl Bullivant
PC Mac McEnery

Episodes

Series 1 began on 9 May 2008 on Channel 5 (as Five) and ran for six weeks with an additional compilation episode. Series 2 began at 8pm on 10 October 2008 on Channel 5 and ran for twelve weeks with two additional compilation episodes. Series 3 began on 7 June 2010 on Five for 15 episodes. Series 4 began on 13 June 2011 on Channel 5 and they follow South Yorkshire’s Road Crime Unit.

Series 1 (2008)

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	Series following the work of a high-speed police interception unit in Essex. Police chase a drug dealer on a motorway at night, a drunk driver endangers his life in a bid to avoid arrest Arrest An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others... and the team of interceptors pursue one of the area's most wanted car thieves.	9 May 2008
2	The Essex-based high-speed police interception unit pursue a gang Gang A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen... of would-be jewellery thieves, while a burglar leads the team on a car chase.	16 May 2008
3	The high-speed police interception officers pursue a thief in a souped-up Ford Mondeo who outwits their turbocharged cars and causes chaos when he drives up a one-way street in the wrong direction. After one of the unit's vehicles is rammed, a stinger device is called upon to stop the criminal in his tracks.	23 May 2008
4	The police pursue an escaped prisoner driving a stolen Ford Focus down the wrong side of a dual carriageway and a stolen van being driven erratically through the streets of Essex. Plus, the Air Support Unit's helicopter is called into action late at night to look for an armed robber.	30 May 2008
5	A police chase ends with the driver of a stolen Lexus crashing the luxury motor, and the police interception unit deal with a car which is deemed too sexy by officers. Elsewhere, a high-speed pursuit results in a head-on collision with one of the team's hi-tech vehicles.	6 June 2008
6	The team discover the garage hideout of a gang of burglars Burglary in English law Burglary in English law is defined by section 9 of the Theft Act 1968 which created two variants:##-"Enters":Although physical evidence of entry is not normally difficult to obtain, it can be difficult on occasions to decide whether an entry has occurred in law. In R v Collins, it was held that... in a country lane, and pursue a BMW driver who endangers his life by running across four lanes of a busy dual carriageway to escape with a suspicious package. The police interceptors also apprehend a mother driving with no tax, insurance or MOT, who turns out never to have passed her driving test.	13 June 2008
7	A compilation of footage from the first series following the work of the high-speed police interception unit in Essex.	20 June 2008

Series 2 (2008-2009)

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	A pair of knife-wielding criminals driving a stolen vehicle are pursued by the officers, and the number plate on a drug dealer's car flashes up on the police radar, leading to a risky interception.	10 October 2008
2	The unit are called to the heart of the Essex countryside, where they face a race against time to help rescue a man pinned beneath a tractor, and the air support crew are called out at night to assist in the high-speed pursuit of a car thief in Southend Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated... . Meanwhile, the interceptors pursue a rogue driver around the back alleys of north east London.	17 October 2008
3	The police are led on a high-speed chase across north London by car thieves, and also respond to reports of a driver swerving across a motorway. Meanwhile, the interceptors stop a vehicle, but find the occupants armed and ready for any encounter.	24 October 2008
4	Officers pursue a group of international car thieves as they try to leave the country in a stolen BMW, and police chase a drunk driver through Epping Forest Epping Forest (district) Epping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. It is named after Epping Forest, of which the district contains a large part... . In Southend, burglary suspects fleeing back to London find themselves surrounded by multiple interceptor units.	31 October 2008
5	The unit's high-tech helicopter is called upon to help in the pursuit of a motorcyclist who is driving at speeds of up to 130 mph and shows no sign of slowing down for oncoming traffic or police cars Police car A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a... . Meanwhile, a petrol thief risks danger when trying to destroy the evidence and an officer road-tests the latest weapon in the ongoing fight against crime - a Subaru Impreza STi.	7 November 2008
6	The police dog unit is called into action to chase a thief seen trying to break into a lorry, and the pursuit of a Land Rover leads the interceptors to a haul of prestige stolen cars. A seized Lamborghini brings out the team's competitive streak, and the presence of an intruder puts the station on full alert.	14 November 2008
7	Featuring some of the best moments of the series so far, including the pursuit of two knife-wielding robbers endangering both themselves and the public in a stolen Toyota. The officers also use a mixture of technology and old-fashioned legwork to chase a drug dealer whose number plate flashes up a warning.	21 November 2008
	Break in schedule
8	The officers in Essex are called upon to take drastic action when a pursuit from London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... arrives in their area, and a car thief is forced to face the consequences of his actions. Documentary series following the work of a high-speed police interception unit that has been provided with the latest technology as part of a Government experiment to combat crime.	13 February 2009
9	Members of Essex's high-speed police interception unit chase a kidnapper in a lorry across three counties. Elsewhere, the team's adapted vehicles are pushed to speeds of up to 115 mph while in pursuit of a joyrider. The officers also get a chance to drive with the Subaru World Rally Team Subaru World Rally Team The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003... .	20 February 2009
10	A high-speed chase comes to an end when the pursued car becomes trapped in a cul-de-sac, but catching the robbers involved proves more difficult. Meanwhile, officers are forced to get physical when a fight erupts outside a nightclub, and boy racers in Southend are stopped in their tracks.	27 February 2009
11	Essex's high-speed police interception unit chases the drivers of a stolen BMW X5, and the Stanway team gives two unsuspecting car thieves an early morning wake-up call. Elsewhere, officers discover a vehicle that has been turned into a four-wheeled petrol bomb, and a road-tax Vehicle excise duty Vehicle Excise Duty is a vehicle road use tax levied as an excise duty which must be paid for most types of vehicle which are to be used on the public roads in the United Kingdom... evader encounters trouble with the law.	2 March 2009
12	Stanway Police are first on the scene of a bad car crash on a country road. Four cop cars pursue a speeding Jeep down the M25 M25 motorway The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ... . An 83-year-old man fails to notice that police are trying to pull him over. Elsewhere, the interceptors join forces with Kent Police Kent Police Kent Police is the territorial police force for Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway.-Area and organisation:The force covers an area of with an approximate population of 1,660,588 . The Chief Constable is currently Ian Learmonth, who was appointed in 2010 and is the former... for Operation Lockdown, with all entrances and exits to the Lakeside Shopping complex Lakeside Shopping Centre The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London... being monitored by automatic number plate recognition technology.	6 March 2009
13	The interceptors have to drop everything when a speeding 4x4 rushes past them. The Stanway team pursues a man with a machete on the run in a public park. At police headquarters, the chief inspector unveils the latest weapon in the interceptors' arsenal.	13 March 2009
14	Featuring some of the best moments from episodes 8-13 of Police Interceptors Series 2.	20 March 2009

Series 3 (2010)

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	Three police units unite in an effort to stop an out of control 4x4 as it careens dangerously through the streets of Basildon Basildon Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford... . The cops have a mystery on their hands when they investigate what appears to be a phoney ambulance. And the ever-reliable Eurocopter is on the trail of a pair of delinquent teenage car thieves.	7 June 2010
2	Police race to intercept three men suspected of robbing Robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear.... a string of plumbers' merchants. A fleeing van speeds the wrong way round a major roundabout and causes a huge crash. Police investigate illegally customised motors in Basildon, and a man threatens to take on a whole street full of officers.	14 June 2010
3	Four joyriders have a lucky escape from the wreckage of a Ford Mondeo, stolen property is found in the back of a vehicle, and the interceptors have to rush to stop a suicidal man from jumping on to the M25.	21 June 2010
4	The officers intercept a stolen car, foil a cannabis Cannabis (drug) Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana... grower, engage in a series of drugs raids and calm a drunken sailor.	28 June 2010
5	The officers intervene in a public case of spousal abuse, chase after a racing 4x4 and try to break a county-wide car theft operation.	5 July 2010
6	The officers face a 40-mile dash to prevent a potential suicide. One of the Evos comes a cropper on the road, and a thief is caught with a haul of stolen clothes in his van.	12 July 2010
7	The interceptors catch a gang of car thieves red-handed. Officers clamp down on car crime at Essex's biggest shopping centre and help get the M25 moving after an accident.	19 July 2010
8	Officers conduct a 48-hour hunt for a thief who stole a 4x4, and their perseverance pays off when they manage to catch the culprit. Meanwhile, in Clacton-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday... , a tip-off sends the interceptors to a drug den, and the Essex chopper team co-ordinates a manhunt when three high-profile suspects evade capture by fleeing into a field full of cows.	26 July 2010
9	A knife-wielding man ruins New Year celebrations, and the interceptors race to capture a gang of fugitives. As snow causes chaos on the roads, Grant becomes furious with the guardian of a child travelling without a seatbelt.	6 August 2010
10	Biggers and Andy track down a suspected drug runner on the M25. Emily and Grant join forces with Ofcom Ofcom Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003... to raid an illegal pirate radio Pirate radio Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation... station. The new Evo 10 goes down a storm with thousands of boy racers at the national car cruise.	13 August 2010
11	The officers chase three men armed with a burglary toolkit and also stop a suspected drug-driver.	20 August 2010
12	Officers contend with riotous World Cup revellers, an offender who has breached his ASBO Anti-Social Behaviour Order An Anti-Social Behaviour Order or ASBO is a civil order made against a person who has been shown, on the balance of evidence, to have engaged in anti-social behaviour. The orders, introduced in the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, were designed to correct minor incidents that... and a shifty suspected drug dealer. Elsewhere, the interceptors are forced to close the Dartford Crossing Dartford Crossing The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel... in order to halt a stolen vehicle.	27 August 2010
13	The cops are on the trail of a group of thieves who targeted a supermarket. A rude biker finds himself the subject of police attention, and a disqualified driver tries to evade the long arm of the law.	3 September 2010
14	The police helicopter pursues an armed thief who is trying to evade arrest, and the team's new recruits put their detective skills to the test by apprehending suspected burglars. Elsewhere, PC Russ Gay tries to calm down a group of unruly drunken youths, and a sniffer dog makes an interesting discovery inside a stolen car.	10 September 2010
15	The team pulls over a very angry driver and the Air Support Unit Police aviation in the United Kingdom Police aviation in United Kingdom provides the British police with an aerial support unit to assist them in pursuit, surveillance and tracking.... has its work cut out pursuing an athletic burglar.	17 September 2010

Series 4 (2011)

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	A new series follows officers in South Yorkshire's Road Crime Unit, which is based in Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... . They pursue a drunken driver and join forces with the helicopter to track down a wanted criminal on a motorcycle. Meanwhile, a new driver crashes into an unmarked police car.	13 June 2011
2	The unit uses 20 cars and two helicopters in its pursuit of a reckless driver across two counties. Officers also discover more than expected when they track down a runaway motorcyclist, and a torrential downpour hampers the work of law enforcers at a traffic collision on the M1 M1 motorway The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the... .	20 June 2011
3	The unit pursues an armed drink-driver through a graveyard, and a romantic night out is disrupted by an alcohol-fuelled brawl. Officers also give a lesson in road safety to a man who used his moped to transport more people than it was designed for.	27 June 2011
4	Officers track down a driver trying to outrun the law, and hatch a plan to apprehend a disqualified motorist. Elsewhere, a man makes a feeble effort to hide his identity from the police.	4 July 2011
5	A drug dealer who has been driving dangerously reveals a surprising amount of information when he is pulled over, and friends try to baffle the team by changing their names. Also, an officer has a shock in store for for a law-breaking driver.	11 July 2011
6	A large quantity of drugs Illegal drug trade The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the... is discovered when an uninsured motorist is pulled over, the helicopter is used to track down a pair of burglars. A driver suspected of road rage Road rage Road rage is an aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other motor vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions... is stopped and found to be armed with a table leg, finally an officer's search for people who avoided paying a taxi fare causes disruption.	18 July 2011
7	An officer pulls over a Lamborghini that is not quite what it seems, another officer is involved in a risky confrontation with a gang of hoodies Hoodie A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket... . Finally, police pursue two known offenders through Sheffield.	25 July 2011
8	An officer is nearly run over by a desperate driver, and another's patience is tested by a drunken motorist. Also an officer goes in search of a suspicious character, and a group of youths tries to deceive the interception unit.	01 August 2011

Ultimate Police Interceptors

On 8 August 2011, a new show started entitled Ultimate Police Interceptors, this is a compilations of the best bits from previous episodes from all 4 series.

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	The new recruits are put to the test by a burglary.	8 August 2011
2	A run away drivers leads the interceptors on a length pursuit.	22 August 2011
3	The interceptors deal with a knife wielding man in Essex	30 September 2011
4	The interceptors weed out a drug dealer.	7 October 2011
5	The team contends with a street-fighting man.	14 October 2011

Compilation shows

The Essex series included Best of Police Interceptors] showing highlights of the chases and incidents from the previous programmes. At the end of series 4, Ultimate Police Interceptors contained highlights from previous shows with updates on the fate of the criminals since the series' first airing.

Police Interceptors Special Edition

A spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

to series 2, Police Interceptors Special Edition, was presented by Natalie Pinkham

Natalie Pinkham

Natalie Pinkham is a British television and radio presenter, who is currently the pitlane correspondent for BBC Radio 5 Live's Formula 1 coverage. She is also known for hosting Police Interceptors Special Edition on 5*...

on Fiver (now 5*) in 2009. This was a follow-up show to the main edition featuring highlights from the chases, interviews with members of the Essex team and Pinkham participating in "hands-on" reconstructions and police training exercises. The series received negative publicity when Pinkham, pretending to be a thief stealing a Lamborghini

Lamborghini

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...

sports car, was pursued by officers in two 150 mph patrol cars for around an hour. The police were accused of wasting time and putting lives at risk, although the officers claimed it was part of a training exercise. The show's producer argued that "...It gave" insight into the real work that police do...." Pinkham also took part in incident simulation

Simulation

Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....

s, like driving a car while a stinger

Spike strip

A spike strip is a device used to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires...

is deployed to puncture the car's tyres.

External links

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