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 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.

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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 ride-alongs, giving him the opportunity to see what a real police officer's work looked like on patrol.

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

Even when the two weren't on patrol together, a true friendship had formed—not just between Milner and Bobbitt, but between their families as well. The Milner and Bobbitt families would often spend time together on family outings.

Ultimately, when Milner accompanied Bobbitt on the job, he was looking to observe 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," Milner said. "The most beneficial aspect was learning stuff that really isn't in the books. I guess it's 'acquired instinct.'"