L.A. City Council wants to weigh in on movie-set policing controversy [updated]

  

Some members of the L.A. City Council are balking at the LAPD's plans to ban retired officers from wearing police uniforms and badges when they work on movie sets.

Police Chief William J. Bratton recently announced that his department would soon require that ex-officers shed their blues to more clearly distinguished themselves from active-duty officers. Instead of wearing the dark blue uniform made famous in episodes of "Dragnet" and "Adam-12," the former officers would be required to wear black pants, a white shirt and a fluorescent yellow reflective vest.

The department, citing liability concerns and control over its image, says it doesn't want the public to confuse active-duty LAPD officers with retired ones.

But location managers and retired police officers have been aggressively lobbying City Council members, saying that forcing them to wear something different would undermine their authority and their ability to provide security on sets -- which also would give filmmakers even less reason to shoot locally.

Echoing those concerns, council members Tom LaBonge and Greg Smith introduced a motion on Wednesday demanding that the LAPD, the city attorney and the city administrative officer bring their recommendations to the City Council before taking action.

"Recent discussion relative to prohibiting the wearing of police uniforms by retired police officers at motion picture and television production locations have raised a significant amount of concern over the continued effectiveness of the City's efforts to assist and nurture the motion picture, television production and entertainment industry," the motion read.

No word from the LAPD on the motion, which hasn't yet been voted on by the full council.

Update: LAPD Assisant Chief Jim McDonnell said the department would be "happy" to discuss its plans with the City Council. "I'm confident that once the Council hears our rationale for moving in this direction, they will concur with us that this is in the best interests of city," he said. "The industry will still be able to hire the people they have long-term relationships with under the same conditions. The only difference is the uniform."

-- Richard Verrier

Photo: Hal DeJong, a retired police officer, directs traffic on a film set near downtown L.A. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Peter Keenan]

As a staff commercial television producer who has worked 25 years in this business, I would like to stress the fact that retired police officers are vital to our productions. These individuals know every aspect of our abilities and are the perfect liaison between TV production and the LA County taxpayer. They have the experience and history to circumvent any and all problems as they have demonstrated for many years. I value the experience level of a retired officer’s involvement with automobile running shots, stunts and the simple act of enforcing the laws of the film permit we pay for to do business in LA County.

Having an officer with us shows off the "Badge". It means we're legit. The neighbors take notice and realize that we as a production are in check. The Officer is looking out for them as well as us. "Protect and Serve", that's the whole point of the uniform, handcuffs, Sam Brown belt and insignia's. In the 20+ years I have produced commercials in Los Angeles I have never had anything but complete cooperation and sincere "can-do" spirit. Why in the world would Chief McDonnell want to upset that working system?

[Arye Michael Bender]

The hidden fact is that seeing a uniformed L.A. cop guarding location has a huge intimidation factor on passers by. Often these cops are instructed to act beyond their legal authority on a location. But who is going to argue their rights with a cop?

Ban the uniform. Strip the fake authority.

[Jackie]

The rank and file police officers are aware that Chief Bratton refuses to accept no to his programs. The rank and file used to have a lot of respect for Chief McDonnell, but now they see him as Bratton's puppett. There are no major features scheduled due to the Chief wanting to make LA into Boston and New York. Why have another specialized unit when for 50 years the job has been done, no liability to the City,no burden on the tax payer (like the Michael Jackson Tribute) and no law suits. Even with all this flack going on when the retired officers are out there working the citizens do not give them a hard time and respect that they are and have been doing this vital job of providing for the safety of the public and the film crews on a location shoot. Chief Bratton's attempt to control the hiring of retired officers in the LAPD uniform is one major factor forcing the filming industry out of Los Angeles.
It is also obvious that the Police Commission is nothing more than a rubber stamp for Chief Bratton. Both Chief Bratton and McDonnell state they are not trying to put these men/women out of work, just change the uniform. They know that they can not do their jobs-which is traffic control-not security guards-without the uniform. Chief Bratton's proposed plan will lead to job losses for film crews, electricians, stage hands, motion picture officers, location managers, grips, industry laborers, caterers, transportation companies, equipment rental companies, and lost sales to local businesses that cater to the needs of the film and movie shoots around LA. The filming industry provides a meal for the retired officers during a long shoot, but not from Wrightwood or the taxpayer.