Playing a police officer is no easy feat, especially if you work for Jack Webb. Luckily, Webb had the local police force on his side. Webb was so dedicated to portraying the realistic day-to-day work of law enforcement that the show's stars, Martin Milner and Kent McCord were encouraged to spend time with local law enforcement as a form of preparation for their roles on Adam-12.

According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Milner didn't just gain a model for his character when he met police officer Lou Bobbitt; he also gained a friend.

Bobbitt was a seven-year veteran of the LAPD and was tasked with showing Milner the ropes, so to speak. Milner would accompany Bobbitt on a ride-along, where he was able to see what a real police officer looked like on patrol.

While Milner was only playing a policeman on television, he had respect for Bobbitt and the profession. Additionally, the two men came from similar backgrounds and bonded together over their larger families. Bobbitt had five children, while Milner had four.

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Adam-12Martin Milner

Martin Milner felt that Adam-12 could bridge the gap between the police and the public

Even when the two weren't on patrol together, the two men revealed that a true friendship had formed not just between them, but between their families as well. Oftentimes, the Milner and Bobbitt families would spend time with one another on familial outings.

Ultimately, when Milner accompanied Bobbitt on the job, he was really looking to see the innate behaviors of a police officer that needed to become second nature to him. "While I was riding with Lou, my main objective was assimilating all the small techniques that would become natural to me (in the series) later on," said Milner. "The most beneficial aspect was learning stuff that really isn't in the books. I guess it's 'acquired instinct.'"

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