The problem with TV cops

The first episode of Law & Order I saw----I had avoided the show for years because of it's George Wallace-esque title and the red-white-and-blue graphics. But I finally watched an episode. The prosecutors have a disturbed teen talk to a psychiatrist, learn that his problems come from years of emotional abuse at the hands of his sadistic, Amy Chua-like father. Then they prosecute the child as an adult and send him to prison for twenty years.

I decided to continue avoiding the show.

There had been an episode of Dragnet where Joe and Bill investigate a case. Someone has been embezzling money from a company. They tail one of the employees after work, a timid middle aged accountant. It turns out he has a gambling problem.

Joe and Bill sit down with him. They're very sympathetic. They explain that compulsive gambling is an addiction, a disease. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a medically recognized psychiatric condition. He can get help through such groups as Gamblers Anonymous.

In the end, the accountant and his wife come to the police station. He is finally able to admit that he does have a gambling problem.

Then, finally, before the closing credits, we are told that the accountant is now serving eight years in San Quentin for embezzlement.

You really don't want a cop helping you with your psychological problems. It creates a real problem for TV producers who want to do a show tackling some important social issue. How do they do this realistically without having the episode end with the troubled person going to prison?

On the other hand, this is probably good for people to see in case a cop ever tries to "help" them.