COPS is an American documentary television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities. It is one of the longest-running television programs in the United States and the second longest-running show on Fox. Created by John Langley and Malcolm Barbour, it premiered on Saturday March 11, 1989, and has aired 700 episodes as of November 10, 2007. It won the American Television Award in 1993, and has earned four Emmy nominations. The Official COPS Website On September 30, 2007, COPS began its 20th season with a highlight episode called "20 Years Caught on Tape".

COPS is broadcast by Fox (with repeats from earlier seasons syndicated to other networks, including truTV (formerly CourtTV) and G4), and follows the activities of police officers by embedding camera crews with police units. The show's formula follows the cinéma vérité convention, with no narration or scripted dialog, depending entirely on the commentary of the officers and on the actions of the people with whom they come into contact.

The show has followed officers in 140 different cities in the United States, and also has filmed in Hong Kong, London, and the former Soviet Union. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes in length, and typically consists of three segments, with each segment being one or two self-contained police incidents.