Another thing these crime shows inculcate is two very important beliefs: that cameras are everywhere and necessary for catching criminals (made less Big Brother-ish by being so standard as to be banal); and that any shred of evidence is enough to tell mountains of information, so there is no escape from the law (flagrantly false given how infrequently crimes are actually solved). Columbo makes the latter work through sharp reasoning, but most modern shows rely heavily on a tech-based dragnet, and impossible forensics that bypass any need for reasoning like Columbo's.
Bonus for frequently getting info in interrogations, where shutting up would immediately de-rail everything. Flipping and provoking people is commonly relied upon.
and that any shred of evidence is enough to tell mountains of information, so there is no escape from the law
If only people realized just how fallible this machine we’re in really is. And re: shutting up:
Absolutely.
The machine we are actually in is perfect. The laws of physics enforce themselves. The machine they want you to think you're in is about as well planned and built as the OceanGate submersible.
Columbo and the like generally relied on your cop working out who did it via some logical but unprovable means and then setting things up so they confess or otherwise fuck up and drop themselves in the shit. The forensics/legal variety tend to be just the system chugging away until they hit a threshold for conviction.
Chess or poker vs. a seaside coin pusher with similar entertainment values.
Columbo's greatest weapon is how harmless and incompetent he looks and acts.
The anvil of incompetence and the hammer of being really fucking annoying.
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