Cable Program Puts Spotlight on Police Work

Lights, camera. . .police work.

Without the benefit of cue cards or makeup, the Ventura Police Department has joined the heady company of TV cop shows with its own cable access program, “Citizen Alert.”

The weekly program hosted by Sgt. Bob Anderson has already weighed in on the topics of domestic violence and basic crime prevention. During the first domestic violence episode, which will air again tonight, the show set up a small phone bank to answer viewers’ questions about domestic violence.

The half-hour program airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in Ventura on Channel 6.

The show has two segments, and the second part will be shown next week.

“We’re getting more and more interest from the community,” said Anderson, who said he had no television experience before his hosting job began in July. “This gives people the opportunity to see our faces, to see police out there in the field, to see that we are human too,” he said.

The show’s producers are Peter Kuehn and Deborah Mills, who run Kuehn Productions in Ventura. For now, the pair film and edit the show for free, but they are looking for sponsors.

Unlike the Oxnard Police Department’s cable access program “Street Beat”--which is a live on-air talk show--”Citizen Alert” is taped in the field and at the Police Department, Kuehn said.

“That makes it much more difficult for us,” he said. “We can spend up to 30 hours editing for a 30-minute show. But it’s much more interesting, more visual, and television is a visual medium.”

During a taping session for next week’s show, the crew spent about an hour at the department videotaping the introduction and then headed into the field.

Hooking up with arson investigator Jim Glew of the Ventura Fire Department and Ventura Police Det. Ralph Martinez, they recorded a short segment at Grant Park near the origin of the Oct. 25 Ventura fire. With the charred hillside as a backdrop, the investigators appealed to viewers for more information on the fire, which was believed to have been started by an arsonist.

The TV crew then headed to the Camarillo Airport to film the training of police dogs for a future show.

“This gives people a chance to see what we do,” Anderson said.

With features on “Ventura’s Most Wanted” and small trivia contests each show, Anderson and his producers have been able to get a steady increase in viewership. But they are still struggling to find sponsors or donors to help pay for the undertaking.

“The key thing is that the show is an outreach tool,” Anderson said. “We can deliver information on crime trends or tips on crime prevention. And we let people know what we’re up to.”

In the absence of a local television news program, the show provides residents with vital information on Ventura issues, said producer Mills.

“People want to know what’s going on in their city,” she said.

“Citizen Alert” airs every Wednesday on cable Channel 6 at 7 p.m. Those interested in helping to sponsor the show can call Anderson at 339-4369 or Kuehn Productions at 647-4905.