Watcha Gonna Do, Bad Boys? Ask Barry Cooper

I've seen enough Cops episodes to know that Fox's crime fighting reality series isn't  my cup of tea.  The times I've watched the program it seems that for every truly despicable character taken down (hard) by the (not camera-shy) police officers, there's a sad, bewildered, or downright pathetic suspect on the receiving end of Cops' equally roughshod treatment.  Seeing drug-addled Americans beg dull-eyed law enforcement types for another chance, or frantically trying to explain why a crack pipe was discovered on their person, is not my idea of entertainment.

But now there's a new brand of gotcha justice in town.  KopBusters, an upcoming reality series that's already found a place in my heart due to its title, is the brainchild of former Texas drug enforcement officer Barry Cooper, whose Never Get Busted Again DVD enjoyed success far beyond its (presumably intended) core audience of cannabis devotees.  From Raw Story:  "Austin, Texas-based Cooper's latest project is not nearly so benign, and will likely generate for the former drug warrior an army of enemies in law enforcement.  KopBusters is a reality TV program that aims to sink crooked officers."  (Hmm.  It's sounding better and better.)  From NGB:  KopBusters rented a house in Odessa, Texas and began growing two small Christmas trees under a grow light similar to those used for growing marijuana.  When faced with a suspected marijuana grow, the police usually use illegal FLIR cameras and/or lie on the search warrant affidavit claiming they have probable cause to raid the house.  Instead of conducting a proper investigation which usually leads to no probable cause, the Kops lie on the affidavit claiming a confidential informant saw the plants and/or the police could smell marijuana coming from the suspected house...  The team of eleven freedom fighters wore red "Free Yolanda" shirts as they clashed with the police demanding answers for the illegal raid and the drug plant.   (Yolanda Madden is an Odessa, Texas resident currently serving time in prison after narcotics were planted on her subsequent to a local drug sting.)

KopBusters is scheduled for release this summer.  (On its website, KB has posted over sixty video clips of law enforcement officers engaged in police brutality.)  Raw Story has an exclusive trailer from the show, here.  And this is courtesy CBS-7 News: