SVU's Finest? Not So Much: A Look at Benson & Stabler's Sketchy Tactics
Despite what people expect from real-life cops, it seems that in TV shows viewers want them to be a bit maverick and loose with the laws.
You only have to look at the antics of officers on Law & Order: SVU to see what characters are able to get away with.
Elliot Stabler regularly assaults suspects in the course of his duty – and let's be honest he plays fast and loose with civil rights too. And Olivia Benson is not much better. Of course, both are known for getting some pretty dangerous sex offenders off the streets and bringing in paedophiles, so maybe viewers are happy for them to be a bit wishy-washy in the way they go about their business as the guilt of their 'victims' is already known.
But alarm bells should have been ringing way back in season 1 when Stabler admitted to fantasising about killing the paedophiles he catches. It's a view that, no doubt, many viewers can sympathise with. But it doesn't exactly scream law and order!
But holding someone's head under water is generally considered an unlawful use of force – yet Stabler seems to view it as just part of his armoury. And the one time he is pulled up on it after beating the hell out of a suspect – he's suspended until all the "bruises go away".
It's a similar situation with Benson. After being kidnapped and tortured by William Lewis, she managed to apprehend the villain and handcuff him up. And then she lays into him. Once again, this is an understandable reaction from her, and one which viewers might feel is justified. And to be fair to the writers, they have included ongoing issues with PTSD in relation to the incident.
Now, if these were one-offs, maybe it wouldn't look so bad. But there is an undertone of illegality in a lot of what the squad do and the way they behave.
Then there's Nick Amaro who assaults someone but gets away with it because the victim is blackmailed into dropping the charges by the police!
In all honesty, the newer version of Stabler who has reappeared on the show is a little more restrained. And it's true that many of the cop shows that feature these mavericks were recorded prior to the recent issues surrounding allegations of police brutality across the US and in the UK.
But the fact that so many people just went with it for so many shows over so many years, does raise a few questions.