Well, by my count, at least once every COPS episode!
As for comic relief, I share Jay Leno's amusement at news stories about stupid criminals (I never miss "Headlines" night, I wish they'd do more of that, and less "Jaywalking"), but the news stories Leno reads only take a half a minute, and COPS gives us ten long excruciating minutes of the same bozo. Then, they follow up with another story of another bozo, doing pretty much the same thing. It gets tedious after awhile.
Not meaning to take anything away from LEO's, but COPS makes them seem more like babysitters in an insane asylum rather than people who are on the front lines of a dangerous social breakdown.
Every show? I've only seen one episode that a woman called the cops after she gave the suspected dealer money and the dealer, a recovering prostitue, stiffed her. The old adage no honor among thieves is still true.
If it's every episode I must not be watching enough.
It's safe to say you're not up for an all COPS channel? :)