The Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomes the broadcast of ‘Peelers: The PSNI for Real’, the series which follows officers and staff performing frontline policing duties.
The series is intended to take viewers behind the scenes on patrol with the remarkable officers and staff of Police Service of Northern Ireland. It portrays the varied range of incidents they respond to, the split‑second decisions they have to make and the professionalism they demonstrate in preventing and detecting crime, supporting victims and keeping people safe.
The production team have been working on the project over the course of the last two years and have accompanied over 30 officers and staff from across the PSNI whilst they carried out their duties serving our communities. Filming for the series, primarily in the Belfast area, observed officers and staff responding to calls for service from the public and engaging in other related policing duties.
Commenting on the series, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “This was a unique and really important opportunity for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to share our story – something I’ve been clear we haven’t been good enough at. It’s my hope that this will provide viewers with much greater understanding and hopefully appreciation of the daily work of our police officers and police staff.
“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and courage shown by our officers and staff throughout this eye opening series. Never forget that our police officers and staff are all members of their of local communities, they are ordinary people who chose to join the PSNI to make a positive difference to society, and as you will see they are doing extraordinary work every day to keep people safe.
“This is a true reflection of what our officers have to deal with, showcasing the professionalism, resilience and humanity that they bring to some of the most challenging situations in society. We didn’t want this series to shy away from the reality and most difficult aspects of policing. Policing is complex and often misunderstood work. This series shows the public exactly what our officers and staff face. I’m sure many people will be genuinely shocked by what they see but I also believe that they will be reassured by the professionalism, resilience and humanity our officers and staff demonstrate, leaving them grateful that we have these ordinary people doing such extraordinary work on all our behalf. These officers and staff are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to keep us all safe. I’ve no doubt the series will also encourage and inspire people to join the police service and help keep their communities safe.
“I am a huge fan of the BBC drama ‘Blue Lights’ which brilliantly portrays the issues facing policing in Northern Ireland, but ‘Peelers’ is the real life ‘Blue Lights’.
“This is our 25th anniversary year and it’s extremely important for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to be involved in making this series. We have achieved an enormous amount within the last 25 years but we realise that we have more to do and to achieve that we need all of society in Northern Ireland to get behind policing. We hope this programme strengthens public understanding and reinforces the vital relationship between the police and all the communities we are here to serve.
“I very much promote the need for openness and transparency in policing and this programme demonstrates that determination. Viewers will see the stark realities of policing and the split-second decisions officers must make—often in unpredictable and high-risk circumstances. This series does not shy away from the difficult aspects of policing, and neither do the officers who have been involved. I want to pay tribute to every police officer on the front line and especially those who volunteered to be filmed in this ground breaking series.
“We hope this series helps people understand the complexity and unrelenting demands facing policing in Northern Ireland as well as the remarkable courage and commitment that’s shown by our officers and staff 24/7.”
‘Peelers: The PSNI for Real’ begins on BBC1 Monday 27 April at 10:40pm on and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.