Top Police Shows in Old Time Radio

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In its modern form, the city police force started in America 1822 in Boston. Men and now women have proudly served their cities and countries and ensured public order and safety. Where there's crime and drama, there's good radio programming and there are many old time radio shows that feature the police.

Calling All Cars
This classic police drama is one of the earliest of the genres. A precursor to the popular police drama Dragnet, Calling All Cars portrayed the true crime stories of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Dragnet
The series covered crimes ranging from check fraud, petty theft, and bunko detail to more sensational topics like murder, drug abuse, and taboo topics such as sex crimes and child abduction and murder. With a semi-documentary style, realism would be the show's feature. Jack Webb began hanging out at police headquarters and riding with detective teams on house calls.

Gang Busters
This "best remembered" of all the crime stoppers shows was billed as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories."

The FBI In Peace and War
This long running series starred crime-fighter Martin Blaine as the infallible Field Agent Sheppard. This realistic crime fiction is told from the perspective of the criminal and the FBI hunted him down.

The Line Up
Inter-meshing true crime stories of the day with fiction, this realistic police drama gives radio audiences a look behind the scenes at police headquarters.

Nick Harris Detective
Super Sleuth Solves Los Angeles Crimes

Nightwatch
Ride along with Culver City Police Officers in real recordings from the squad car.

Official Detective
This classic old time radio police drama features a crime from the start to finish: from a drunk accused of murder to bride that murders her groom after discovering that he married her for her money. Even spinsters are unsafe at the hands of madmen and murderers!

Standby for Crime
Done with the barebones "just the facts" style that made Dragnet a runaway hit, Standby For Crime follows a radio newsman and his girl Friday as they dig into the city's seedy underbelly.

The Tales of the Texas Rangers
With the gritty police realism of Dragnet and the grown-up Western fusion of pragmatism and romance heard on Gunsmoke, The Tales of the Texas Rangers had everything it needed to be a hit.

This is Your FBI
Endorsed by J Edgar Hoover himself, this fact-based drama told the story of FBI cases from the agent's point of view.

True Adventures of the Junior G-Men
Hosted and produced by famed former FBI agent turned Hollywood player Melvin Purvis, The True Adventures of Junior G-Men features true crime stories from the files of the FBI.

Twenty-First Precinct
An excellent police procedural drama, 21st Precinct got its stories from the NY Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. Based on true stories, 21st Precinct aired after Dragnet gained popularity and audiences were hungry to hear behind-the-scenes stories of police life.

Unit 99
Real-Action Police Stories of the Sacramento Police Department!

Whitehall 1212
What is more exciting than crime drama? Crime drama which is based on actual case files. Just dial Whitehall 1212 to get in touch with Scotland Yard and enjoy some of the most baffling cases ever faced by London’s Finest.

We at OTRCAT.com would like to thank all police officers for all you have and continue to do to keep our local area safe and to build community within it.

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Top Police Shows in Old Time Radio

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