I see a different aspect. The cops, following directions from the TV crew no doubt, always casually inquire as to whether they can search the car and the do-do's invariably (at least in the episodes edited for us) say, "Yeah, go ahead," even though they know there are drugs or guns in their cars. Too dumb for words. Of course, they should have warrants but if the detainee wants to waive his rights, well, what can you do?
I also notice that the cops read them their Miranda rights and, again in the edisodes we see, the retards seem to not hear or if they do, disregard the part about not having to respond to questions and the part about being furnished an attorney, and proceed to spill their guts. I suppose they are too bombed or otherwise mentally incapacitated to understand what is being said.
The local state cops use a variation of this. They stop someone for a moving violation. After talking to the "perp" and sizing up the situation, the cops tell him that he is free to go. The cops then start walking away. They then turn around, come back to the perp's car, and ask, " You wouldn't have anything illegal in there, would you?" The correct response should be, " You told me I'm free to go. Goodbye." Inevitably, the "perp" says,"No,and the cop responds, " Mind if I search your car?" At this point the perp says, "Go ahead." We read about the ones who had contraband every week in our weekly newspaper.