BUCKNER, MO (KCTV) – Rumors have been flying in Buckner about why the chief of police has been absent from his job, and some have suggested that the handling of his absence has been influenced by the upcoming premiere of a reality show based in town.
KCTV5
Buckner City Attorney Steve Mauer says that the police chief is on medical leave, and his absence has nothing to do with a reality show that paints the town as a hotbed of crime and conflict.
The show is called Outlaw Country.
It features Buckner Police Chief Mike Cook and his brother, Steve, an Independence Police Department detective, who is supposedly in town as part of a federal task force to combat crime.
“We’re embedded in small town America, literally in a war zone,” one of the show’s producers is heard saying in a voice over in a preview for the show.
The concept was laughable to the some residents.
“When I hear a war zone… maybe on Wednesday and Sunday nights when we play softball, but that’s about it,” resident Jake Ashlock said.
The police action he’s used to seeing is limited to traffic stops and speeding tickets.
“I think there’s a little bit of fantasy in there instead of reality,” resident Brittany Bauman said.
The family posse of outlaws portrayed as the Cook brothers’ nemeses didn’t ring a bell in Buckner. John and Josh Monk are portrayed by the Cook brothers in the show as “prolific criminals.”
John Monk’s tattoo shop, Revelation Tattoo, is featured prominently in the show. On the program the Cooks point to frequent quick transactions out of the shop, hint at drug activity and have a crew raid the shop with a search warrant.
Revelation Tattoo is not in Buckner. It’s in Kansas City, MO, on North Oak Trafficway. John Monk said he had signed a confidentiality agreement to be on the show so he could not comment on the legitimacy of what viewers will see.
Some people in Buckner didn’t care if the action was cooked up.
“It’s cool,” Bauman said. “Not every day do you live in a town where they’re trying to make a movie series out of.”
Others didn’t like the image it painted of the Jackson County town.
“I mean this is a pretty peaceful community,” Ashlock said. “I have children that go to school over here and I think they might perceive the town as bad, but it’s not.”
Many more residents simply dismissed the show as laughable.
Mauer says the city received $5,000 for allowing the shoot in town and that the money went into the general fund.
When asked about potential ethical issues raised by some of the violent action on screen, Mauer responded, “Obviously it’s television. It’s not real.”
“No one was on-duty when they were being filmed on the television show,” Mauer added.
He didn’t know if the chief was paid individually for his performance.
Copyright 2015 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.
New reality show features city of Buckner
No comments:
Post a Comment