“If you’re going to have a format that’s as large as this, which is a nationally televised show that is known, you might as well engage the topics that are at hand and maybe help the issue.”

Meloni’s OC co-star, Truitt, spoke from the perspective of not only playing a cop, but a Black and queer cop on the show.

“There’s been a shift because of what we’ve seen with Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and everyone else that there’s not a glorification of police officers doing things to people that they shouldn’t be doing,” she said. “I think that our show has a really awesome opportunity to show both sides that the people that are in law enforcement, they are human as well. They’re trying to figure out the best way to fight crime and there are a lot of good cops in this world and unfortunately, the bad cops can rock the whole bunch. I think it brings hope back to people’s minds and hearts that there are people out there that care and that want to make our communities a better place.”

Danielle Moné Truitt as Sgt. Ayanna Bell on ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ | Zach Dilgard/NBC

Still, the actress says it is important to continue to show these issues on the series.

“When a cop is seen doing something that is out of line, they have to be held accountable for that,” she continued. “We’re not glossing over that. The misuse of police force is a huge, important thing to me as an individual. So playing law enforcement, it’s always something where I’m like, ‘Ooh, how are they going to write my character? What’s my character’s viewpoint of this going to be?’ And I’m very grateful to have Ilene Chaiken as our showrunner, because the way that she’s written Bell, the things that Bell cares about, the things that are important to Bell are also important to me. So it’s easier for me to play that role.”

Jeffrey Donovan