MassCops - Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network, A Mass Police Web Portal

Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network

Massachusetts Police News, Information and Discussions on MassCops

Pages: 1

Main Page LAPD considers using active-duty cops for films
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

By Joel Rubin
The Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The star-struck gawkers, paparazzi and businessmen walking by a big-budget film set on Broadway in downtown Thursday could be forgiven for thinking that Bill Todd was a real Los Angeles police officer.
He did, after all, shut down a lane of traffic to make room for the huge trailers and production rigs -- much to the annoyance of drivers. And then there was the matter of the pistol hanging from his hip and the Los Angeles Police Department badge clipped to the LAPD uniform.
But look closely at the 61-year-old bear of a man, leaning against an official-looking motorcycle: The sergeant's stripes on each arm had been ripped off, leaving a faint outline. The bike had no blue emergency lights. On the top edge of the badge, in tiny letters, read "RETIRED."
Todd is one of a long line of ex-LAPD officers who, for decades, have been mainstays on film sets in Los Angeles, directing traffic, escorting car chases and, in general, keeping the city's fantasy world separate from reality. But amid growing concern by residents and LAPD officials that the retired officers enjoy too cozy of a relationship with the Hollywood studios that pay them and are being too lax in enforcing filming permits, a battle over possible changes to the old way of doing things is brewing.
"We do have concerns — that these guys are just laying around on their bikes, wearing baseball caps, and haven't worked for LAPD for years. People don't know they are retired and don't work for us, but work for the film industry," said LAPD Cmdr. Bill Fierro. "It's a relationship we are looking at and saying, 'What is going on here?' "
Los Angeles police officials, seeking to increase their oversight of film sets, are reviewing the long-standing practice and considering a host of changes, Fierro said. The most dramatic idea is to retire the retired cops and require film crews to hire off-duty, active officers instead. It is part of a larger LAPD proposal under consideration to establish a contract service division that would give the department control over use of off-duty officers at major sporting and other events.
Such talk has angered Todd -- who estimates that he makes $100,000 a year working on film sets — and the other 150-odd retired cops who have the required LAPD-issued permits to assist movie and TV productions.
"They have not given this enough thought," said retired LAPD Sgt. Brett Papworth, a board member of the Motion Picture Officers Assn. "We understand how this industry works, and the industry trusts us to do our job just like they trust a stunt man to come in and do a stunt fall."
But they are hardly being left to fend for themselves. Hollywood studios are determined to keep them on the job.
Melissa Patack, a vice president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, said a wholesale change from retired to off-duty, active LAPD officers would seriously undermine the ability of directors and producers to stay on schedule and budget. Retired officers, who are not subject to the LAPD's strict overtime limits, can remain on set for the typical 12- to 16-hour days. Patack imagines a scenario where producers instead would have to hire multiple crews of off-duty police officers and disrupt shoots to switch them.
"Frankly, that doesn't work for production," she said. "It would tie the hands of production crews."
Patack said the studios welcomed LAPD's move last year to assign a sergeant to oversee the film sets and make spot checks to ensure permit compliance. A push for a blanket ban on retired officers, however, could unleash an all-out battle.
City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who chairs a council committee currently wrestling with the issue, said he, too, is opposed to getting rid of retired cops. Amid ever-increasing competition from other cities in the U.S. and overseas for the billions of dollars Hollywood spends making movies and shows each year, Los Angeles should be making it easier, not harder, Rosendahl said. He expects a compromise to be worked out in the coming months.
For his part, Todd is resigned to being barred. He acknowledged that some "bad apples" have given the retired cops a bum rap in the public eye, but said he and most others do a stand-up job.
"I bend the rules, but I don't break 'em," Todd said, by way of explaining how he deals with frequent requests by directors to keep working past curfew or to move a camera across the street for a better shot. "My job is to assist the film crew and help make things happen for them, but to make sure no one else is inconvenienced."

Wire Service

Posted by: Wolfman

They could just use flagmen, then there would be no question at all.

Posted by: resqjyw0

Took the words right out of my mouth...

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman

They could just use flagmen, then there would be no question at all.

You are correct, flag guys would be good for traffic control. What the article fails to mention is that a lot of TV and movie shoots are done in "the hood," or rightous gang neighborhoods. The officers are also there to protect the stars and the millions of dollars worth of equipment.

This is our version of details. It's a lot of retired guys and a select few off-duty guys who work these jobs. They are all motor cops and are paid very well. From what I understand, it's something like $50 an hour for the first 8 hours and then it goes up to something like $75 dollars an hour after that. Plus they get to eat the best food while sitting next to folks like, Jennifer Garner, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, etc.

Posted by: mikemac64

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Copper

This is our version of details. It's a lot of retired guys and a select few off-duty guys who work these jobs.

Maybe the LAPD active duty guys should have a crack at some of that gravy.

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikemac64

Maybe the LAPD active duty guys should have a crack at some of that gravy.

Some of the guys who work this are active, although not too many. It's kinda one of those, "you have to know somebody" to get in. There are a number of these jobs around the city but not as many as some would like.

Posted by: j809

Sounds like a weak union or maybe no union at all.

Posted by: Grasshopper

What is LAPD's union like?

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by j809

Sounds like a weak union or maybe no union at all.

Not true, Google them and check them out. They're title is: The Los Angeles Police Protective League. Or check out their website, lapd.com

It's just that these types of issues are not very important out west. They're more concerned with on-duty stuff rather than off-duty stuff.

Posted by: Grasshopper

LA...BBQ King and Spago mmmmm...good thing I don't work out there! I'd be fat and broke!

Posted by: Q5-TPR

I was checking out the Union website and saw an article on the LAPD reserves. I know they get intense training. How do the regular LAPD guys/gals get along with the reserves. Is it like here in Mass with our Aux's or are they more accepted?

****Disclaimer**** I am not flaming anyone here! I was an Auxiliary and a Special. I am just curious!

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q5-TPR

I was checking out the Union website and saw an article on the LAPD reserves. I know they get intense training. How do the regular LAPD guys/gals get along with the reserves. Is it like here in Mass with our Aux's or are they more accepted?

****Disclaimer**** I am not flaming anyone here! I was an Auxiliary and a Special. I am just curious!

We all get along just fine, although admittedly not a lot of "regular" officers like working with reserves in their first few years out because they haven't really proven themselves yet, just like a probationer. When they first come out of the academy, they have to work with regular officers but after a year they can work with other reserves.

They're required to work two shifts a month but many of them work more than that. Unlike in Mass, they have to attend the equivalent of a full LAPD Academy, although it's broken up over the course of a year. They go every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, before they graduate, unlike the "regular" folks who go for seven months straight before they graduate.

Posted by: Q5-TPR

Thanks LA C. Good to know.

Posted by: Killjoy

Let the retired guys stay retired and give the bennies to active guys...it sounds like the retired guys are far to cozy with the film industry types, and the lack of a fair shake for the rank & file guys to make some extra dough sounds sh*tty.

If some road crew I was detailed to wanted to do something dangerous, I would shut them down in 0 seconds flat...I wouldn't "bend" the rules for them. Get a flagman to do that.

Posted by: LA Copper

Some of the retired guys retire earlier than they normally would just so they can work movie jobs. And why not, at $50 an hour they get to "hob nob" with all the big celebrities, eat the best food, ride their motor around the city, don't have to go to court, and don't have to fight with gang bangers. Not to mention, they collect their pensions on top of the money they're making at the movie job.

As for the active-duty guys, the vast majority of the guys I know make enough in overtime doing police work that they don't have to work off-duty. I do know a few guys who work off-duty jobs but that's usually because they have ex-wives and kids to support or they bought too many "toys" and need to pay them off.

Basically, off-duty work out west is not as big a thing as it is back there in Mass.

Posted by: Q5-TPR

When I went through the process for LAPD in..... cough cough 1994 cough, They said that overtime was almost non-existent. If you had to go to court or anything, they would switch your shifts around. I was still active duty at the time and decided to re-enlist instead of go to LAPD. Times have changed?

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q5-TPR

When I went through the process for LAPD in..... cough cough 1994 cough, They said that overtime was almost non-existent. If you had to go to court or anything, they would switch your shifts around. I was still active duty at the time and decided to re-enlist instead of go to LAPD. Times have changed?

When they say overtime was non-existent, they were referring to pre-sheduled overtime details, such as DUI (OUI for you guys) detail, crime prevention detail, traffic enforcement detail, etc. The regular overtime for stuff you would normally get during your shift was / is always there, court included. That kind of stuff can't be helped, especially back in the early 90's when the city was out of control with crime.

I don't know what they were referring to when they said they would switch your shift around. I've been on here since 1988 and something like that has never happened. The department can't arbitrarily move your watch hours around more than three hours without your permission, that's one of the things that our union has prevented. And even those three hours never happen.

Too bad you didn't stay, you would have had fun. There are a lot of fellow New Englanders on the department... and the weather is great too!

Posted by: Q5-TPR

Believe me LA C, I had a hard decision to make. My parents were living in Granada Hills at the time and I was good to go. But the EGA wasn't outta my system yet and I decided, at the last minute, to do 4 more. Another big factor for me WAS the weather. I really needed four seasons. I might be in the minority here, but I LOVE the snow! I actually enjoy snow patrol, minus all the usual Cd-16's! So, when I finally got out, I came back home.

Posted by: LA Copper

Hey, whatever works. If you're happy doing what you're doing then more power to ya! I like the snow too... for about a week!

Are your parents still living in Granada Hills?

ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops

About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.

The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.

The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.

MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)

3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108