WHEELING — Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger hopes to generate excitement about police work and recruit new officers as television crews soon will be riding along with members of the Wheeling Police Department.

He confirmed contracts have been signed for his officers to be featured on “On Patrol: Live,” often referred to as “OPL.”

The program airs live from 9 p.m. until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights on Reelz, a cable and satellite television network.

During their broadcasts, camera crews ride along with various law enforcement agencies across the United States and broadcast their interactions as they happen. The live broadcasts are supplemented by additional footage recorded by camera crews throughout the preceding week.

“They will have camera crews here on Fridays and Saturday, and their staff will be here a couple of days in advance,” Schwertfeger said.

He admitted to having some concerns about the venture.

“I’m mostly excited,” Schwertfeger said. “I have put a lot of thought into it. There are some sensitive things that happen out on patrol that we wouldn’t want people to see live — a death, or a person’s family member having something bad done to them.”

Because of this, there will be a 30-second delay in the broadcast.

“Someone from the department will be watching live, and they can recommend something be cut,” he said. “But I really believe the good in this outweighs the bad.”

He cited the positives of television coverage being additional exposure for the department and transparency of their actions to the community. Other departments who have participated in the show also have experienced a big jump in police recruitment numbers, according to Schwertfeger.

No date has been set yet for the television crew’s arrival, but he expects them to be in Wheeling by the end of summer.

Schwertfeger said the Wheeling Police Department was approached by OPL’s producers to participate because of the department’s efforts in 2024. Last year, the department saw crime numbers decrease across the board and calls for service go down 4%. There were also 20% fewer drug-related offenses in 2024, and 37% fewer overdoses with 114 reported total – the lowest in seven years.

The department will be the first West Virginia department to be featured on OPL.

“We had a banner year,” he said. “We want to follow and see how we reduce crime.”

The show also wants to spotlight the department’s crisis response unit, and how members handle those with mental and drug addiction issues.

“We are excited to showcase our talent, showcase our community, and show how we are making strides,” Schwertfeger continued. “We will show how we exhibit professionalism and core values.”

Some of the Wheeling officers are interested in being followed by the cameras, but others aren’t, he noted.

“The crews can follow no more than two at a time,” he explained. “Some want nothing to do with it. But we have enough willing to do it that we can make a quality program.”

OPL producers are paying for the privilege of following the department, but Schwertfeger isn’t certain how much money that will be. He also doesn’t know if the money goes into the city’s public safety fund or the overall general fund.