| Police Stop! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Directed by | Bill Rudgard |
| Starring | Graham Cole Insp. David Rowland |
| Narrated by | Graham Cole |
| Theme music composer | Hugh Mitchell-Dawson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Bill Rudgard |
| Producer | Shaie Selzer |
| Editor | Roy Wolfe |
| Running time | 50 — 80 minutes |
| Production company | Labyrinth Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | Sky1 |
| Release | 1 January 1994 – 2001 |
| Related | |
| Police Camera Action! | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Police Stop! is a British television documentary series, narrated and presented by Graham Cole, best known for his role as PC Tony Stamp in the Thames Television drama series The Bill, that was first developed in 1993 as a Direct-to-video series by creator Bill Rudgard. The series compiles footage filmed on cameras mounted in police cars and helicopters, with occasional material from road-side or hand-held cameras, with each episode focusing on a different type of road related crime, such as speeding, driving without due care and attention or dangerous overtaking, or in more extreme cases, hazards relating to weather conditions or car chases involving wanted criminals.
Seven episodes were released straight to VHS before a deal was struck with BSkyB to broadcast the series on Sky One, with a new episode to be broadcast each year from 1996 onwards. A total of fourteen episodes were filmed, with the final episode, a special focusing on policing in the United States, airing in 2001. Prior to the broadcast of Police Stop! 5, Sky also broadcast the first four episodes previously released exclusively to VHS. The series also broadcast in the United States on Syndication, which notably resulted in several episodes being cut to remove footage for which clearance rights were unavailable.
The series also spawned an international spin-off, which began broadcasting in New Zealand in 1996. The series aired on TV3, and was fronted by former Australian race car driver Peter Brock. The series' format was similar to the British versions, using footage from both the United Kingdom and United States, with additional content from the New Zealand police. Later series were retitled Police Stop – Caught in the Act, which in addition to car chase footage, also featured footage from security cameras, often from shops or public places. Footage also extended to Brock himself working alongside the New Zealand police, giving an insight into general lines of police work. Although the series concluded in 1998, a special episode was screened in 2006 as a tribute to Brock, a week after he died in a Motorsport accident.