20 Toughest Law Enforcement Agents on Television

We all love to feel safe and protected, even when watching our favorite television programs. In fact, many times we watch a show because it is a procedural that focuses on the ins and outs of being a law enforcement agent. 

Whether that be members of police departments in major cities, sheriffs in smaller towns, or even special agents of the FBI, we love a good enforcer of the law. These characters come to us in many different ways and on many different genres of television, but they all make us feel safer.

While it is hard to pick favorites, we’ve managed to narrow it down to who we believe are the toughest 20 law enforcers around. Be reminded that the potential for spoilers lies within this list so tread carefully.

Without further ado — in no particular order — here are 20 Toughest Law Enforcement Agents on Television.

1. Sheriff Noah Stilinski (Teen Wolf)

Sometimes being a tough and fair law enforcement officer means being able to see all sides of a situation and showing mercy. Sheriff Stilinski of the Beacon County Sheriff Department in Beacon Hills, CA is especially adept at this skill.

He is not just the community’s fearless leader but also their father figure. Sheriff Stilinski is a single father to a son, Stiles, but he is also a father to all of Stiles’ friends.

He leads his community through many “animal attacks” with an open mind and a tender heart. When he discovers that his world includes supernatural creatures, such as werewolves, kanimas, banshees, were-coyotes, and a hellhound, he doubles down and makes sure he does everything he can to protect all of those he serves.

Even when he loses his job due to circumstances outside of his control, the town of Beacon Hills still refers to him as Sheriff Stilinski. Everyone feels safer with him around.

2. Chief Jim Hopper (Stranger Things)

At first glance, Chief Hopper isn’t an ideal law enforcement officer — he has an alcohol problem and can barely make it through his day due to grief. However, a chance encounter with a young girl who goes by Eleven changes his whole world.

Suddenly this sheriff not only manages to do his job, but he does what no one else has been able to do: he believes Joyce Byers. He makes it his mission to bring Will home to his mother even though it means he has to give up the location of Eleven, which he regrets.

It soon becomes apparent that his skills lie beyond those outlined in his job description, and Hopper embraces all of them. He takes on the task of caring for Eleven as his own child and protecting his neighbors and residents from the strange goings-on around them.

Currently, the residents of Hawkins believe he is dead, but the reality is he’s being held in Russia. Let’s just hope he makes it back to Hawkins soon.

3. Detective Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Everyone at the 99th Precinct in New York on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an exceptional police officer. However, one stands out above the rest for her tough as nails, take no prisoners attitude.

We are talking about Detective Rosa Diaz, who wears her bisexuality like a badge of honor but doesn’t let it define her. It’s only been recently that she even opened up that part of herself to her colleagues. 

Detective Diaz is usually a very closed off person, even to her friends. Those around her don’t know the whole picture of who she is only snippets that she agrees to share.

Ultimately, we love her because she is smart, tough, and all-around badass.

4. Captain Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)

One of the original badass female law enforcement officers is Olivia Benson of Law & Order: SVU fame. As part of the NYPD, she looks out for victims of sexual assault/abuse and is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Benson isn’t afraid to confront some of the worst people in our society. Hell, this woman has been the victim of a stalker as well as being kidnapped and tortured by a suspect. 

For more than twenty years, Benson has worked the streets bringing justice to defenseless children and those whose voices beg to be heard.

She is now her precinct’s Captain, but her passion is no less present. She continues to fight every day for the good of her city. 

5. Detective Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order)

Ever since the early ’90s, every cop loving television viewer has been mesmerized by the aura that is Detective Lennie Briscoe. He is one of the original tough but fair old school detective types.

Many of the detectives and officers he came up in the NYPD with became corrupt, but Detective Briscoe never faltered in his honest nature. He is not one to ever go against his vows to serve and protect for the sake of personal gain.

His long-standing career could’ve been sidelined due to his drinking problems, but the death of a colleague sobers him up really quick. He never touches the bottle again and doubles his efforts to make amends for all the problems his drinking caused — both on and off the job.

It’s this desire to always be better and to truly serve the citizens of New York that endears us to him. He isn’t perfect but, he works to always remain one of the good ones.

Ultimately, we all love him because he knows how to take a serious moment and deliver a deadpan statement that makes us all crack a smile. 

6. Sergeant Athena Grant (9-1-1)

If you are looking for a female cop who takes charge and is fair, then look no further than 9-1-1‘s Sergeant Athena Grant. This leader isn’t afraid to tell it like it is in any situation, whether she is talking to criminals or colleagues.

The worst thing anyone can do is set this mama bear off in any way. She will die to protect not only her own kids’ lives but the lives of any of L.A.’s children. 

You can bet that Sergeant Grant will run headfirst into the fire in order to save lives and protect one of her own, which members of Firehouse 118 are privy to being a part of.

Even though her love life hasn’t had the greatest track record, she has finally settled down and found Mr. Right in the 118’s Captain Nash. Together with her ex-husband, Michael, they’ve created a blended family that reminds us all that even the toughest of cops can be the most loving individuals.

7. Agent Olivia Dunham (Fringe)

It is one thing to be a female FBI Agent in a profession surrounded by men. It’s another thing to be a female FBI Agent who works in the world of fringe science — more easily explained as science-fiction. 

Agent Olivia Dunham has been both of these things and has excelled in both arenas. In fact, Fringe even managed to pull off two versions of this character — both of whom are badass to the extreme and take nothing from no one.

She uses her intelligence and attention to detail to her advantage as she dives deeper and deeper into a world she barely understands. No, Agent Dunham will never cry “uncle” or let a man ever see her as anything other than fiercely independent and strong to the core.

8. Detective Danny Reagon (Blue Bloods)

It’s hard to stand out when being a member of the NYPD is literally in your blood. Detective Danny Reagan is definitely not the first of his family to join the force, but he is the first to really break out of the legacy shadow he’s been put under by his name.

While his grandfather and father before him have become the Police Commissioner, Danny has never had his sights set on such ambitions. In fact, he would rather bend the rules a bit to get his suspects under lock and key than ever let something go for the sake of political gain. 

Detective Reagan is more than just a cop though. He is the ultimate father and brother — sworn to protect both family and community.

When his wife dies suddenly, he is left to pick up the pieces of not only his own grief but that of his two teenaged sons as well. Detective Reagan dives instead into his work and loses sight of who he really is for a while, but luckily his family is there to guide him back.

9. Supervisory Special Agent Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)

There aren’t many law enforcement agents out there who can stand up to the prowess of SSA Spencer Reid. He takes down more criminals with his mind than his firearm.

He may be the youngest member of the BAU, but that doesn’t mean he lacks the ability to measure up. More often than not he mystifies his colleagues with his ability to remember facts and pull information seemingly out of thin air.

Reid’s genius IQ makes him the type of Agent you’d want to solve the country’s most gruesome murders. His skills disarm unsubs more accurately than any other agent on the team. 

Over time his intelligence and problem-solving skills have garnered him a high level of respect within the FBI. 

10. Detective Kim Burgess (Chicago P.D.)

Detective Voight’s unit on Chicago P.D. boasts the need for gumption and balls — no matter the gender. From the word go, Detective Kim Burgess has had ambitions of being a part of that team.

She is now one of the elite and has more than proven her toughness to them all. However, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a softer, more compassionate side.

Burgess is the type of officer who will be ordered to desk duty and still manage to insert herself into the fray of an active investigation with no concern for her own personal safety. She will do anything to save and protect those she serves. 

More recently she found out the steep cost her job can sometimes have when she suffers a miscarriage. Despite this, she continues to work and serve the city of Chicago because it’s in her blood to do so.

11. Sheriff Nicole Haught (Wynonna Earp)

Nicole Haught has come a long way since she swaggered into Shorty’s to flirt with a pretty girl.

She’s become one-half of the show’s central love story. She’s a vital member of team Earp, and as much as Wynonna is loathed to admit it, a trusted confidant.

Recently she also became Purgatory’s Sheriff, and frankly, it’s what she deserves. Nicole is everything we hope law enforcement officers aspire to be.

She’s open-minded with a deep sense of justice, honorable, loyal and brave. But most importantly she’s compassionate and cares about the community and people she serves. She’s a good cop and she knows that matters.

Randy Nedley couldn’t have picked a better successor than Nicole. Purgatory might not always deserve her, but they sure are lucky to have her. 

12. Captain Kate Beckett (Castle)

The reason to become an agent of the law is always a personal one, but none is more personal than Captain Kate Beckett’s. The death of her mother drives her to become a homicide detective.

Her shining trait as a detective is her ability to really connect with the families of the victims. This makes her a strong upholder of the law and easily trusted by those she tries to help.

Throughout her career, she has seen many different sides of the law enforcement system — first as a federal agent then as a detective and finally as a captain. All of this experience serves to make her that much more compassionate and understanding of each case from the human and legal perspective.

13. Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)

At first glance, Agent Seeley Booth is brutish with a boyish immaturity. It’s so grating on the nerves that even Dr. Temperance Brennan can’t really stand working with him.

However, both audiences and Dr. Brennan realize that he is the best kind of man to have on the case. His ability to crack down on criminals is only surpassed by how big his heart is.

His human intuition serves him well when the team at the Jeffersonian gets too caught up in the evidence of a case. Agent Booth’s nature eventually rubs off on Dr. Brennan, and she softens her nature enough to be a bit more flexible.

Booth possesses the ability to move between tough as nails FBI Agent and soft, gentle human which makes him a fascinatingly complex human.

14. Detective Stef Adams-Foster (The Fosters)

When it comes to mama bear television characters, the toughest one is hands down Detective Stef Adams-Foster. She isn’t afraid to run into an active situation — often leaving her partner in the dust — especially if it means saving the life of an innocent victim.

She has a big heart and wants to save all the children in the system that she can. It’s how she and her wife, Lena come to foster Callie and Jude — later adopting them both. 

Nothing can stop this woman from doing her job and protecting those who can’t protect themselves, not even being shot or being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her passion for upholding the law makes her a hero to so many, but can sometimes prevent her from looking at situations with her children logically. Despite all this, at the end of the day, she loves both her job and her family with a fierceness that can’t be matched.

15. Officer Carlos Reyes (9-1-1: Lone Star)

We don’t really know much yet about the newcomer, Officer Carlos Reyes from 9-1-1: Lone Star, but what we do know has us already rooting for him. This gentle and tough cop is out there protecting the streets of Austin with a smile on his face and a huge heart in his chest.

Officer Reyes shows us more about who he is as a cop and human through his interactions with Captain Michelle Blake and TK Strand more than anything else. He will go to any length to make sure they are safe and happy.

It’s already clear that this man uses his huge heart to help serve his community by letting it guide him to never back down. Sometimes that is really all that matters when it comes to those we trust to keep us safe.

16. Officer Andy McNally (Rookie Blue)

For some on this list, being an officer of the law is the only path in life. Officer Andy McNally is certainly one of those kinds of cops — it’s in her blood, literally.

She is Rookie Blue‘s most empathetic and compassionate member. She wants to save the world but learns the hard way that she can’t save those who don’t want to be saved. 

Ultimately, as a cop, she has to learn how to relinquish control of a situation sometimes in order to be successful. She is the type of cop whose heart is often in conflict with her head but uses that to her advantage in order to come out on top. 

As one of the few females on the job and raised by a tough beat cop, Officer McNally doesn’t take crap from anyone. She shows up, does her job to the best of her abilities, and she always tries to be better.

17. Detective Clive Babineaux (iZombie)

Besides having a totally awesome name, Detective Clive Babineaux is the exact kind of cop we’d want on our side during a zombie apocalypse. He never backs down during the scariest of situations, and he’s always there to listen and hear all sides of a problem.

Detective Babineaux never questions Liv when she has a “vision” and knows certain information about a case that she shouldn’t. Instead, he digs his heels in and supports her and trusts what she is telling him.

When he discovers that she is a zombie instead of abandoning her like most would, Babineaux pulls her in closer. And when the wall goes up he strives to help protect all of the citizens, even the zombies.

Detective Clive Babineaux is a leader and a team player, both skills that make him worthy of our admiration and praise. 

18. Detective Joss Carter (Person of Interest)

As a detective Jocelyn “Joss” Carter quickly becomes an asset to Finch and Reese (and the Machine’s) fight to save lives and prevent crimes. She isn’t too keen to join forces with the duo which consists of a recluse and a criminal at first, but they soon develop a strong working relationship.

With her strong sense of right and wrong, she becomes a primary asset to the team working with The Machine. She doesn’t know of The Machine’s existence until right before she is killed, but that doesn’t stop her from working with Finch and Reese to prevent future crimes.

Detective Carter is trustworthy, loyal, and a good judge of character, which she proves again and again as she works to find and solve the crimes presented to her.

She died as she lived — working hard to take down a corrupt system that was harming the residents of New York City.

19. Deputy Bishop (Deputy)

For Deputy Bishop being an officer of the law means wearing a coat of armor as protection. They identify as non-binary, which can make things a bit complicated on the job at times, but they never let it get in the way of serving the community.

They are tough, compassionate, and never willing to back down from a challenge. While they may be subordinate to Sheriff Bill Hollister, he is always willing to treat them with the equal footing and respect they deserve.

We still don’t know everything about this new deputy, but we can already tell that their presence on our television screens is going to be remembered for years to come. Not only for their service as a deputy but also for their representation of a section under the LGBTQ+ umbrella that doesn’t get to be seen very often.

20. Officer Kristin Ortega (Altered Carbon)

Even in a future world where the mind is digitized and souls are transferable into new bodies (A.K.A. sleeves), law enforcement officers are required to keep the peace. One of the toughest, most aggressive of these individuals is Officer Kristin Ortega. 

This woman has seen a lot in her life and been through even more while on the job. While she still believes in an idealistic version of law enforcement, she remains one of the most respected in her field.

Officer Ortega knows how to be cold and calculating while still being warm and inviting under the surface. She is a survivalist who will stop at nothing to solve a case — even if it means being a bit beyond the law itself.

—

Additional contributions made by Sarah Fields.

How did we do? Did your favorite law enforcement officer make the list? Sound off in the comments to let us know.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

 

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

25 Tragic TV Romances That Absolutely Ripped Our Hearts Out