The Best Police Movies and TV Shows on PlutoTV

What it's about: Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.

Where to Watch: 57 episodes (45%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 7 episodes (5%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Paramount+). 127 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).

What it's about: From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

Where to Watch: 5 episodes (1%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & CBS). 416 episodes (99%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix, Paramount+, Philo & 2 others). 35 episodes (8%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (USA & CBS). 415 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

Where to Watch: 123 episodes (95%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Plex & 1 other). 129 episodes (99%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Philo, fuboTV, BritBox & 1 other). 127 episodes (98%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief.

Where to Watch: 6 episodes (3%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & CBS). 234 episodes (99%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Paramount+ & fuboTV). 10 episodes (4%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (CBS). 234 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: The exploits of the Los Angeles–based Office of Special Projects (OSP), an elite division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that specializes in undercover assignments.

Where to Watch: 5 episodes (2%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & CBS). 42 episodes (15%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Paramount+, fuboTV & TVision). 30 episodes (11%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (USA & CBS). 278 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: A locally born and bred S.W.A.T. lieutenant is torn between loyalty to the streets and duty to his fellow officers when he's tasked to run a highly-trained unit that's the last stop for solving crimes in Los Angeles.

Where to Watch: 6 episodes (7%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & CBS). 84 episodes (99%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Paramount+ & fuboTV). 13 episodes (15%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (CBS). 84 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: In this prequel to 'Stone Cold,' LA cop, Jesse Stone relocates to a small town only to find himself immersed in one mystery after the other.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Philo) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Prime Video & 2 others).

What it's about: In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Paramount+) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Sent into a drunken tailspin when his entire unit is killed by a gang of thrill-seeking punks, disgraced Hong Kong police inspector Wing (Jackie Chan) needs help from his new rookie partner, with a troubled past of his own, to climb out of the bottle and track down the gang and its ruthless leader.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $9.99 on 2 services (Google Play & YouTube).

What it's about: This drama series is a fictionalized retelling of the story of meth dealer-turned-ATF informant Charles Falco, who spent three years inside one of America's most dangerous motorcycle gangs, the Vagos. Although Falco originally took on the assignment to avoid spending 20 years in prison on drug charges, it eventually evolved into a quest for justice for him. “Gangland Undercover” documents the lives of outlaw bikers, who live in a world in which respect is earned through fear. The series is based on Falco's memoir, “Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws,” and documented historical research of gang rivalries.

Where to Watch: 14 episodes (93%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 6 episodes (40%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 14 episodes (93%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (History). 14 episodes (93%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: In the troubled city of Edison, a young journalist, his jaded editor, and an honest investigator from the district attorney's office join forces to gather evidence against corrupt members of an elite police unit.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 3 others) & stream on a subscription service (Philo & Hoopla).

What it's about: When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman, an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Truckers form a mile long "convoy" in support of a trucker's vendetta with an abusive sheriff...Based on the country song of same title by C.W. McCall.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Hoopla) & rent or buy from $1.99 on 1 service (Google Play).

What it's about: In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O'Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and Carroll O'Connor. TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.

Where to Watch: 139 episodes (93%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & IMDb TV). 131 episodes (87%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Paramount+). 9 episodes (6%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).

What it's about: A drama about the local field office that investigates criminal cases affecting military personnel in The Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence.

Where to Watch: 5 episodes (3%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & CBS). 156 episodes (98%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Paramount+, fuboTV & TVision). 26 episodes (16%) are available to stream on a popular TV everywhere service (TNT & CBS). 157 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Set during the Rodney King riots, a robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Hoopla) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Enforcing the law within the notoriously rough Brownsville section of the city and especially within the Van Dyke housing projects is the NYPD's sixty-fifth precinct. Three police officers struggle with the sometimes fine line between right and wrong.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV & Vudu), stream on a subscription service (Starz), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Starz) & rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV & Vudu), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Paramount+, Epix & 3 others), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).

What it's about: A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Follows veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, as he struggles to take care of his family, and fights for his own survival.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 1 other) & stream on a subscription service (Kanopy).

What it's about: A confident young cop is shown the ropes by a veteran partner in the dangerous gang-controlled barrios of Los Angeles, where the gang culture is enforced by the colors the members wear.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Hoopla & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a gifted author, university professor and former CIA operative is lured back to his old life by tenacious top NYPD Detective Lizzie Needham. Though Dylan and Lizzie initially clash, when it comes to catching killers, they make an ideal team.

Where to Watch: 13 episodes (54%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 24 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Paramount+). 24 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The life and career of Andre Stander, a South African police officer turned bank robber.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV) & stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video).

What it's about: Terry is a small-time car dealer trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Martine is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighbourhood who knows that Terry is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a bank, Terry recognises the danger but realises this may be the opportunity of a lifetime. As the resourceful band of thieves burrows its way into a safe-deposit vault at a Lloyds Bank, they quickly realise that, besides millions in riches, the boxes also contain secrets that implicate everyone from London's most notorious underworld gangsters to powerful government figures, and even the Royal Family. Although the heist makes headlines throughout Britain for several days, a government gag order eventually brings all reporting of the case to an immediate halt.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The Strategic Response Unit (SRU) is an elite team of cops who specialize in high-risk critical incidents. Trained in tactics and psychology, they deal with extreme situations, where split-second decisions could save a life...or cost one.

Where to Watch: 22 episodes (29%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 75 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Paramount+). 75 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $0.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The taciturn police commander Zhang leads an undercover drugs team and in his continuous battle against the ubiquitous drug barons, takes up arms against his arch enemy, Timmy Choi. When he gets hold of Choi, he makes a deal with him: in exchange for his life (in China you can get the death penalty for producing only 50 grams of drugs) the young criminal will help the police infiltrate a sizeable drug network.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hiyah) & rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: Silk Stalkings is a crime drama television series. The series portrays the daily lives of two detectives who solve sexually-based crimes of passion among the ultra-rich of Palm Beach, Florida.

Where to Watch: 177 episodes (99%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 1 other). 174 episodes (97%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 45 episodes (25%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).

What it's about: A rookie cop's world is turned upside down when she comes face to face with Paymon - King Of Hell. Officer Jessica Loren has the last shift at a transitioning police station, assigned to wait for a crew picking up bio-hazard waste from the armoury. But unbeknownst to her, cult leader John Michael Paymon has haunted the department ever since he committed suicide in custody. Jessica is about to find out just how dangerous he still is, all alone on the graveyard shift...

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Plex & 1 other), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hoopla) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The full story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God.' The 1972 Munich Olympics were interrupted by Palestinian terrorists taking Israeli athletes hostage. Besides footage taken at the time, we see interviews with the surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey, and various officials detailing exactly how the police, lacking an anti-terrorist squad and turning down help from the Israelis, botched the operation

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $0.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).

What it's about: Two street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer that nearly killed them in the past.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (fuboTV) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Prime Video & 2 others).

What it's about: Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” — a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers he’s long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place behind the town’s peaceful facade. And when Freddy uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents, he is forced to take action and make a dangerous choice between protecting his idols and upholding the law.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Paramount+) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV), stream on a subscription service (Hoopla & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Young Treasury Agent Elliot Ness arrives in Chicago and is determined to take down Al Capone, but it's not going to be easy because Capone has the police in his pocket. Ness meets Jimmy Malone, a veteran patrolman and probably the most honorable one on the force. He asks Malone to help him get Capone, but Malone warns him that if he goes after Capone, he is going to war.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: A tough cop is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Plex & 3 others), stream on a subscription service (Philo & Hoopla) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 3 services (iTunes, Google Play & Microsoft).

What it's about: Hunter is an American police drama television series created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. In the seventh season, Hunter partnered with two different women officers. The titular character, Sgt. Rick Hunter, was a wily, physically imposing, and often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show's main characters, Hunter and McCall, resolve many of their cases by shooting dead the perpetrators. The show's executive producer during the first season was Stephen J. Cannell, whose company produced the series.

Where to Watch: 153 episodes (100%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 4 others). 76 episodes (50%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Philo & Hoopla). 151 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).

What it's about: Follow real-life law enforcement officers from various regions and departments of the United States armed with nothing but with cameras to capture their actions, performing their daily duty to serve and protect the public.

Where to Watch: 142 episodes (12%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 10 episodes (1%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video). 434 episodes (37%) are available to rent or buy from $0.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Keeping these streets clean is a Herculean task, enough to demoralize even the keenest rookie – but there’s a reason why this hotchpotch of committed cops are on this force, on this side of town. Drug labs, arsonists, neo-Nazis and notorious murderers are all in a day’s work for this close-knit team, led by the dizzyingly capable but unquestionably unhinged DI Vivienne Deering. But when a particularly twisted serial killer emerges it leaves even the most hardened of these seasoned coppers reeling.

Where to Watch: 21 episodes (100%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 21 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a subscription service (Hoopla & AcornTV). 21 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: The hard-boiled saga of hair-trigger cop Lieutenant Mike Torello and his obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca.

Where to Watch: 46 episodes (100%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 2 others). 46 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).

What it's about: Hit man Cleve approaches writer/cop Dennis about a story for his next book: How Cleve made a living, working for one of the most powerful politicians in the country. To get the story right, they travel around the country to gather statements and evidence, while strong forces use any means they can to keep the story untold.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 3 services (iTunes, Google Play & Prime Video).

What it's about: A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double cross him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Vudu).

What it's about: Lexington, Kentucky, 2004. Four young men attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in the history of the United States.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: What if...September 11th was not a surprise attack on America, but rather, a cold and calculated genocide by our own government?We were told that the twin towers were hit by commercial jetliners and subsequently brought down by jet fuel. We were told that the Pentagon was hit by a Boeing 757. We were told that flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We were told that nineteen Arabs from halfway across the globe, acting under orders from Osama Bin Laden, were responsible. What you will see here will prove without a shadow of a doubt that everything you know about 9/11 is a complete fabrication. Conspiracy theory? It's not a theory if you can prove it.Written and narrated by Dylan Avery, this film presents a rebuttal to the official version of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the 9/11 Commission Report.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: An examination of an image - a falling man from the North Tower, frozen in mid air - circulated by the press immediately after the September 11 attacks, the public's reaction, and why it was later deemed un-newsworthy.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PlutoTV).

What it's about: Wycliffe is a British television series, based on W. J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe. It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network, following a pilot episode on 7 August 1993, between 24 July 1994 and 5 July 1998. The series was filmed in Cornwall, with a production office in Truro. Music for the series was composed by Nigel Hess and was awarded the Royal Television Society award for the best television theme. Wycliffe is played by Jack Shepherd, assisted by DI Doug Kersey and DI Lucy Lane. Each episode deals with a murder investigation. In the early series, the stories are adapted from Burley's books and are in classic whodunit style, often with quirky characters and plot elements. In later seasons, the tone becomes more naturalistic and there is more emphasis on internal politics within the police.

Where to Watch: 38 episodes (100%) are available to watch free online (Tubi & PlutoTV). 37 episodes (97%) are available to stream on a subscription service (BritBox).

What it's about: A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Plex & 1 other), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu, Philo & 4 others) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Framed for murder, Detective Reno Raines becomes a fugitive bounty hunter who fights crime while trying to clear his name. His troubles began after he testified about police corruption, leading Lt. Donald Dixon to set him up.

Where to Watch: 113 episodes (96%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Peacock & 1 other). 113 episodes (96%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Hoopla & ConTV). 65 episodes (55%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).

What it's about: A tone-deaf cop works to track down a group of guerilla percussionists whose anarchic public performances are terrorizing the city.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV, Plex & 1 other), stream on a subscription service (Hoopla, Kanopy & Warriors Gangsters) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Hamish Macbeth is a comedy-drama series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995. It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton. The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the west coast of Scotland. The titular character was played by Robert Carlyle. It ran for three series from 1995 to 1997, with the first two series having six episodes and the third having eight.

Where to Watch: 40 episodes (69%) are available to watch free online (Tubi, PlutoTV & IMDb TV). 20 episodes (34%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video).