The Shield

[ufresdave]

Has anyone else noticed that on the tv series SHIELD, their badges are on the wrong side?? Ahhh I hate that.

~DK

[ecpd170]

i dont like it either it really ****es me off

[Duke]

As with most cop shows, they can't even get the simple things right, much less the more intricate aspects of this job.

[Delta784]

It always bothered me, even as a kid, that Sheriff Brody wore his badge on the wrong side in "Jaws".

[nobody33]

I read somewhere that it was because the Shield didn't get authorization from LAPD, whom they tried to officially portray, to use their likness, the the badge design was changed for the show and put on the right side.

[Bodie]

Another way to look at it is the Shield portrays "officers" operating quite often on the wrong side of the law hence the badge on the wrong side.

[hey_CO]

If I'm not mistaken, they have to have something just a little off. Not sure why (impersonating an officer, maybe?). For you prior military guys, next time you watch a military movie, pay attention to their ribbons or name tag. Something is always out of place.

[bradruth]

Originally posted by nobody33
I read somewhere that it was because the Shield didn't get authorization from LAPD, whom they tried to officially portray, to use their likness, the the badge design was changed for the show and put on the right side.

I've heard that too. If I recall, the first episode had the badges on the correct side. That episode would have been made as the pilot, back when the show was still titled "Rampart." The LAPD squashed that name, and likely the badge thing along with it.

[Delta784]

Originally posted by nobody33
I read somewhere that it was because the Shield didn't get authorization from LAPD, whom they tried to officially portray, to use their likness, the the badge design was changed for the show and put on the right side.

A bunch of TV shows and movies didn't have LAPD approval, but they just had to use a different design shield. Check out "The New Centurions" or "Choir Boys".

[SWATcop]

If I remember right, in the first few episodes the bagdes were on the correct side. Then they suddenly appeared on the wrong side.

[JohnKelly]

When it comes to Police TV Series, I tend to lean towards the British, but as of late, they have been few and far between in terms of quality productions.

There have however been some top American productions, Barney Miller, Hill Street Blues and the early productions of NYPD.

How come its always NYPD or LAPD? I reckon all the IrishCops should get together and do a Series on IrishCops in Boston. ;)

Anyhow, in my opinion the secret to a good TV or Movie Production, be it on the Military or the Police, lies with the appointment of good Technical Advisors.

[Delta784]

Originally posted by JohnKelly
I reckon all the IrishCops should get together and do a Series on IrishCops in Boston.

Yeah, the first episode can be about the white guy that got screwed out of a job because of affirmative action, or the other white guy that got the job by paying-off some political hack. :rolleyes:

[FedDC]

The badge is on the wrong side bc LAPD copyrighted their uniform and nobody can use it without permission. Those guys do not have permission so the badge is on the wrong side to avoid copyright laws.

[Delta784]

Originally posted by FedDC
The badge is on the wrong side bc LAPD copyrighted their uniform and nobody can use it without permission. Those guys do not have permission so the badge is on the wrong side to avoid copyright laws.

You can't "copyright" a uniform. You can trademark a badge, which is what LAPD did. With the exception of the patch & badge, I wear almost exactly the LAPD uniform (with the badge on the correct side).

[JB2245]

Originally posted by Delta784
You can't "copyright" a uniform. You can trademark a badge, which is what LAPD did. With the exception of the patch & badge, I wear almost exactly the LAPD uniform (with the badge on the correct side).

What exactly is the "LAPD uniform", last time I checked, most big city departments (mine included) wear navy blue uniforms. Our blue uniforms date back to 1865 and I doubt it's because of lapd.

[sixpanel]

I remember seeing a movie a while back where the officers didn't even have patches on their arms. It was hilarious!

[crashman]

I used to love Adam 12


http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/adam-12-6349.jpg


http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/adam-12-1.jpg

[Chase]

Originally posted by sixpanel
I remember seeing a movie a while back where the officers didn't even have patches on their arms. It was hilarious!

They probably modeled their uniform after LAPD's (i.e. no patches).

[JB2245]

Originally posted by sixpanel
I remember seeing a movie a while back where the officers didn't even have patches on their arms. It was hilarious!

My dept. doesn't wear patches either. It's a traditional thing.

[sixpanel]

Are you serious, JB2245?!?!

[Garbage Man]

Even when they use technical advisors they still screw it up. In the awful movie Hollywood Homicide the movie ended with the only funny line in the flick and it was an error. I am sure they asked some advisor for some cop talk to end the movie with the scene where the detectives comes onto a murder scene. The advisor was probably asked for some radio code talk for the uniform to say the detective when he asks him "What have we got?" So the advisor said "tell them we have a 927d and possibly a 187"

The movie ends with the cop saying "We have a 187 and possibly a 927d" which means "We have a homicide and, possibly, a dead body."

[Jakabuto]

Speaking of no patches, due to tradition, New York State Troopers don't wear badges on their uniforms, but carry them in wallets in their pockets due to tradition. The tradition is historically, the NYS Police (Troopers) used to wear the badges on their uniforms, but back in the days of cops on horseback, they used to wear thick heavy coats in the winter, and the pins on their badges had problems closing through the thick material, and many times the clasp would open up while pinned to a very thick winter coat, and the badge would fall off and get lost in the snow, so... Badges? Badges? We don't need to wear no stinkin badges.

But I'm glad I'm not the only one who's panties get in a bunch everytime I watch The Shield noticing the side the badgeis worn on. Especially, after going back and watching the first episodes on DVD and noticing that they USED to be on the right side.

[SD7]

My dad used to work for 20th Century Fox Police Department(an actual recognised police department in California)In 1988 the LAPD sued 20th Century Fox for having a police uniform (trademarked as LAPD blue)very similar to theirs. The judge deceided that since 20th Century Fox was established approximately 30 years prior to the founding of Los Angeles then the LAPD would need to change their uniforms and not 20th Century Fox. LAPD dropped the suit.

As for the badge on the right side I have seen several agencies that actually wear them on the right. Makes you want to smack them upside the head, but I don't think there are any laws governing the wearing of a badge. In fact we had department shirts made out of state and they put the damn badge on the right. Boy were we ****ed. We still have the shirts though, but have 4 now 2 printed correctly, 2 printed on the wrong side

[Cop Writer]

Originally posted by Delta784
It always bothered me, even as a kid, that Sheriff Brody wore his badge on the wrong side in "Jaws".

LOL, yeah, but any cop whose "arch enemy" is a shark is still cool!:)

[Frank Booth]

My dept. doesn't wear patches either. It's a traditional thing.
I think I read somewhere that the largest law enforcement agency in the state is allowed to not have patches, but that all others must. Thus, Detroit is "exempt" from patches while all other municipal agencies must have them. Not sure how true this is. I'd rather not wear a patch...one more thing to buy....

[Cop Writer]

We actually are not "required" to have them on our winter (ie long sleaves) but we are on our summer (short sleeve) uniforms...yes, our dept is that archaic that it still seperates summer from winter uniforms...

[Garbage Man]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SD7
[B]My dad used to work for 20th Century Fox Police Department(an actual recognised police department in California)In 1988 the LAPD sued 20th Century Fox for having a police uniform (trademarked as LAPD blue)very similar to theirs. The judge deceided that since 20th Century Fox was established approximately 30 years prior to the founding of Los Angeles then the LAPD would need to change their uniforms and not 20th Century Fox. LAPD dropped the suit.

This post is a pretty obvious lie. In 2 minutes I learned that 20th century fox was established in 1913 while the LAPD was estabished in 1846. Also there has never been any such department as 20th century fox PD. The only studio that could have a PD is Universal because they are actually a real city but even they use some private security contractor. I just wonder, whats the point of making up lies?

[retired]

Originally posted by Garbage Man
[QUOTE]Originally posted by SD7
[B]My dad used to work for 20th Century Fox Police Department(an actual recognised police department in California)In 1988 the LAPD sued 20th Century Fox for having a police uniform (trademarked as LAPD blue)very similar to theirs. The judge deceided that since 20th Century Fox was established approximately 30 years prior to the founding of Los Angeles then the LAPD would need to change their uniforms and not 20th Century Fox. LAPD dropped the suit.

This post is a pretty obvious lie. In 2 minutes I learned that 20th century fox was established in 1913 while the LAPD was estabished in 1846. Also there has never been any such department as 20th century fox PD. The only studio that could have a PD is Universal because they are actually a real city but even they use some private security contractor. I just wonder, whats the point of making up lies?

Universal City is in the unincorprated area of Los Angeles County, and thus their law enforcement services are provided by LASD:)

[SD7]

This post is a pretty obvious lie. In 2 minutes I learned that 20th century fox was established in 1913 while the LAPD was estabished in 1846. Also there has never been any such department as 20th century fox PD. The only studio that could have a PD is Universal because they are actually a real city but even they use some private security contractor. I just wonder, whats the point of making up lies?

Look, I don't appreciate being called a liar. I admit my information on the founding of 20th Century Fox and LAPD was incorrect. I will admit that. I have never lied on this forum before and don't intend to. My information may have been inaccurate on the founding and that I will admit to.

20th Century Fox Police Department (at least they were that when we left California) was a Private Police Department recognised by the City of Los Angeles)at least up to 1989. My father was employed there from 1973 until 1989. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1982 after the chief was shot in the head during a burglary at his house. To give you facts, employees of 20th Century Fox have the 20th Century Fox Federal Credit Union as a bank and insurance is provided through the Motion Picture Studios Health Insurance Network. There even used to be a private Christmas Carnival every year for the employees and kids.

If you want to do a little investigating, why don't you contact 20th Century Fox and find out when the Terminator model was stolen and how it was recovered and who the officer who investigated it was. (my father) To give you a hint it was left in the studio parking lot in a clear plastic bag. It's height is about 18" and is fully articulated.

Now as for the patch that they wore around 1982 until 1989 was a shield style with a dark blue background with yellow and silver 20th Century Fox logo. It had a gold border and across the top was Police in Gold. The badge was also shield style and had the 20th Century Fox logo in the center. Above the logo was the title Police Officer, Captain, Chief etc.

Oh, one more thing they drove at the time black and white Plymouth Grand Fury's with the studio insignia in a circle and Police in white lettering on the back quarter panels and trunk. They also had blue mopeds with orange flags and golf carts.

If you don't belive me that is fine. However I give you my word as a law enforcement officer that everything said here is correct. Take it as you will.

[Garbage Man]

Sooner or later somebody is going to ask me why I am bothering with this so I will head that off at the pass by admitting I am bored.

You say that you never lied, you were only wrong about the founding date. OK thats no biggie, I make mistakes of fact all the time. I will even allow that you thought it was plausable that the LAPD did not predate the invention of movies...But you relayed a story about a lawsuit that was setled based on the founding dates which you now realize were wrong. So did the lawsuit ever happen? What then was the setlement? What was the reason for the suit? Why would the LAPD mind the uniform your father wore, by your very detailed description of the uniform it had a patch and therefore did not resemble their uniform?

I do not dispute that your father worked for a studio security company or that the security company may have pretended to have some police powers. There was a time when corporate security used to be a real job. I myself once worked for a security company that used the police word and had some police powers but that company was contracted out to the US Air Force and the authority was given by the UCMJ.

[Garbage Man]

Originally posted by retired
Universal City is in the unincorprated area of Los Angeles County, and thus their law enforcement services are provided by LASD:)

Are you sure? I was under the impression that they are a city and contract to the LASD? Its the same result I guess. I never meant that their security provides anything but security and they use real cops for cop stuff but for some reason I find this an interesting topic and would like to know if it is a real city.

[SD7]

Originally posted by Garbage Man
"So did the lawsuit ever happen? What then was the setlement?
Why would the LAPD mind the uniform your father wore, by your very detailed description of the uniform it had a patch and therefore did not resemble their uniform?"


"So did the lawsuit ever happen?"

As far as I know it did.

"Why would the LAPD mind the uniform your father wore?"

The uniform was almost identical to LAPD except for the badge until the mid 1980's when they began wearing the patch.

"What then was the setlement?"

It looks like the patch may have come about after the lawsuit. You know how dad's are. Sometimes they exagerate on some things to their kids. My dad is no exception. It may be possible that LAPD did not have the same style uniform they do now until after the movie industry came into being, but I don't know.

As far as I know about Universal City. It is actually in LA County. The city's around the studios are normally named after the studio. For example the area around the Fox studio is known as Century City. The area around Paramount is known as Studio City and the area around Universal Studios is known as Universal City. I don't think any actually have an actual police department, but is covered by LA County Sheriff's Department

[retired]

Originally posted by Garbage Man
Are you sure? I was under the impression that they are a city and contract to the LASD? Its the same result I guess. I never meant that their security provides anything but security and they use real cops for cop stuff but for some reason I find this an interesting topic and would like to know if it is a real city.

Seeing that I retired from the department, I am quite sure.

Universal City is a one square mile island of unincorporated Los Angeles County, surrounded by the City of Los Angeles. It contains an entertainment theme park (Universal Studios-Hollywood), a complete motion picture and television production studio complex, a six thousand five hundred seat Amphitheater (Universal Amphitheater), an eighteen screen cinema (Universal Studios Cinemas), and a large restaurant and shopping district theme mall (CityWalk). The average daily population is approximately fifty thousand. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement services to Universal City from a Sub-Station located within the CityWalk Theme Mall.
The Sub Station was established in the summer of 1991. Before 1991 all calls for service were handled by West Hollywood city units being dispatched to Universal. From the summer of 1991 to the summer of 1993 the Sub Station was operated out of a trailer located in the parking lot of the studio tour. When the theme mall opened, the station was moved to its permanent location on the CityWalk. Staffing for the sub station consists of 1-Lieutenant, 2-Sergeants, 1-Detective, 1-Team leader, 12 Deputies and is manned 24 hours a day by Deputy and Security personnel.

[ftlaudcop]

not being familiar with california post standards,

i thought san francisco had..." specials' who were private

police with full power, such as " railroad police",

private police exist and have a history longer than most

govermental agencies.

www.schackdaddy.com

[irishlad2nv]

It's amazing how a post will start off on one subject then lead to another...can we end this one? And also, For the Original Post...this was brought up some time ago when the show first started...

[ufresdave]

i dont care when it was brought up. I didnt see the thread and the topic bothered me so i posted on it. just bc a thread digresses from its original point doesnt mean it should be shut down. I learned a lot from the conversations that went back and forth here. If the length of the thread bothers u, dont read it.

[irishlad2nv]

Originally posted by ufresdave
i dont care when it was brought up. I didnt see the thread and the topic bothered me so i posted on it. just bc a thread digresses from its original point doesnt mean it should be shut down. I learned a lot from the conversations that went back and forth here. If the length of the thread bothers u, dont read it.

Ok, and you are not a moderator so...and I never pointed anything towards you...or anyone in particular..."rookies" on here seem to go away from the original post, when its as simple as to start a new one...that is all...

[Delta784]

Originally posted by ftlaudcop
private police exist and have a history longer than most


"Private police" is a bit of an oxymoron. The power to arrest has to derive from a governmental entity, so there really isn't any private police.

There are many non-government organizations (college PD's for example) that wear uniforms and carry guns, but without the government's authorization to make arrests, they're basically security guards.

[Garbage Man]

Originally posted by irishlad2nv
Ok, and you are not a moderator so...and I never pointed anything towards you...or anyone in particular..."rookies" on here seem to go away from the original post, when its as simple as to start a new one...that is all...

Dude, why are there always guys on every forum that need to make up some silly rules and get upset when they are not followed? We're not selling child porn here Mr. Obsessive Compulsive. So, we are of topic and not sticking to the original point. I assure you I am so very unconcerned about doing this I intend to keep doing it whenever I feel like it. Please, please please report me.

As for the idea of private police powers there are some rules here in California, sort of, allow it under some circumstances. The best is any security for a school even a college, are not police but do have police arrest powers as long as they are acting in conjunction with their duties. For example there is the USC campus security. They are private security working for a private college (USC is just a business, and a very profitable one at that) but they operate very much like a PD and can make arrests with police type arrest authority. They do not use the "P" word though.

As for San Francisco I think you are mixing two things. First they have the BART Police which is a full Police powers government agency (Bay Area Rapid Transit District) and second you have a patrol special service that is very similar to the Special Patrol Officer (or something like that) that they have in LA. Basically its just that the two cities have additional standards and background checks that have to be done on any security patrol officer in their jurisdiction. They issue the badges and the type of uniform (in LA its slate gray and a very silly looking bottle cap badge) I do not know what it is in SF. But they are still just security guards with no special powers.