compete against Adam-12? It seems a little more modern but still covers the same time period.

I'd say the closest police show was probably the Mod Squad, which had a limited lifespan because it was so identifiable with the 60s. Networks were trying a lot of urban dramas at the time.

One reason Adam-12 is so traditional and straight-laced is that it was partly created and produced by Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. I personally like Webb and each of his productions. He wanted to give the LAPD and police in general a good name and I think he did a good job of it with his shows. The police in these shows act right and I think that gave a good impression of them.