5 Reasons Jake Peralta Was Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Worst Cop
You can’t argue with number 5.
Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) was a popular cop on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His quips and antics were some of the show's best moments. And he was generally regarded as a quality detective.
But there is another way of looking at him. He was the worst cop on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Don't believe me? Well, here are five reasons why:
1. He wasn't a good negotiator
There were several occasions when Peralta's lack of social skills came to the fore (and more on that later). But when it came to negotiating, he really let himself down. Not only did he let Doug Judy walk away after a hostage situation in a jewellery store. He also nearly got Lieutenant Crews shot when he got distracted talking about how he got his friend's sperm back from his ex-wife.
2. He repeatedly let Doug Judy get away
Anyone can make a mistake, and it's not unheard of for a criminal to escape custody. But letting the same man go on four separate occasions suggests either collusion or incompetence. And the relationship between the two seemed a little too close for men on opposite sides of the law.
3. He was too sensitive
Cops put up with abuse. It's part of the job. Yet Peralta arrested a man for calling him 'Joke Peralta'. This is a New York cop we're talking about. So it's safe to assume he's heard a lot worse. He really should have let it go and grow a thicker skin.
4. Terrible paperwork
This was a feature of the show. Peralta was terrible when it came to paperwork, which made for a nice running joke, but in the real world would have prevented prosecutions and allowed criminals to walk free. In truth, a real cop would have been made to sort out their admin, or advised that a place on the force might not be for them. But Peralta just kept getting away with it.
5. Arresting people with too little evidence
Right, if you just thought of a joke about the real NYPD, that's on you.
In the show, Peralta almost always got away with arresting people on a hunch - even if it meant causing a lot of extra work for his colleagues as they desperately tried to gather the evidence that should have been gathered before anyone was put in cuffs.