SouthLAnd LAPD lightbars

RescueWV

Member
Dec 31, 2010
337
Central PA
I'm not nearly as annoyed by not having the exact lightbar as I am by errors in colors. For example, movies and shows taking place in states where police have all red or all blue, but units in the movie have red/blues or getting it backwards when it's a one-color state (only blue on a car in NY, only red on a car in VA, etc.)
 

Storm4200

Member
Nov 2, 2011
2,912
NJ
RescueWV said:
I'm not nearly as annoyed by not having the exact lightbar as I am by errors in colors. For example, movies and shows taking place in states where police have all red or all blue, but units in the movie have red/blues or getting it backwards when it's a one-color state (only blue on a car in NY, only red on a car in VA, etc.)

yeah, that would drive me nuts
 

nerdly_dood

Member
Jun 15, 2010
2,312
Georgia
RescueWV said:
I'm not nearly as annoyed by not having the exact lightbar as I am by errors in colors. For example, movies and shows taking place in states where police have all red or all blue, but units in the movie have red/blues or getting it backwards when it's a one-color state (only blue on a car in NY, only red on a car in VA, etc.)
...But Virginia isn't a one-color-only state. About 80% of our police cars have all blue lights, but a fair number have red/blue. See Prince William County, Alexandria, and Norfolk: Police Cars A handful of places, such as Franklin County, have a Public Safety department doing police, fire and EMS work with primarily red lights on their vehicles with a little blue, and animal control vehicles are supposed to have red lights but might be counted as police vehicles, in which case they can have blue or red/blue, not all red.
 

RescueWV

Member
Dec 31, 2010
337
Central PA
nerdly_dood said:
...But Virginia isn't a one-color-only state. About 80% of our police cars have all blue lights, but a fair number have red/blue. See Prince William County, Alexandria, and Norfolk: Police Cars A handful of places, such as Franklin County, have a Public Safety department doing police, fire and EMS work with primarily red lights on their vehicles with a little blue, and animal control vehicles are supposed to have red lights but might be counted as police vehicles, in which case they can have blue or red/blue, not all red.

It was just intended to be a somewhat generic example. My apologies.
 

VFRDCHIEF1601

Member
Mar 26, 2011
147
Verbena, Alabama
Domesttuner said:
Yes. Interesting fact, it was switched after the first few episodes/season, because the fictional Farmington district was so "rough", the real LAPD commissioners and brass wanted to make sure people could see the difference in the uniforms.

I want to know what siren is used by their cars (in theory, I know it's a dub).

The first few episodes also had the LAPD style badge.
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,533
NYC
There are several things on that show that aren't accurate depictions of the LAPD- the public comportment/demeanor of the officers, the terminology, the radio procedures and call signs to name just a few.
 

Travelin Man

Member
Jul 9, 2010
295
Central Virginia
nerdly_dood said:
A handful of places, such as Franklin County, have a Public Safety department doing police, fire and EMS work with primarily red lights on their vehicles with a little blue

The Franklin DPS does not do law enforcement, they're only charged with fire, EMS and animal control. The Franklin SO does law enforcement, and uses red/blue lightbars.

and animal control vehicles are supposed to have red lights but might be counted as police vehicles, in which case they can have blue or red/blue, not all red.

A locality may elect to only consider their animal control officers to be Special Conservators of the Peace, which in Virginia would limit them to running only red/white lights.
 

Travelin Man

Member
Jul 9, 2010
295
Central Virginia
50theman said:
:eek:fftopic:
Sorry, but that is not entirely true. If you look at the code definitions Legislative Information System (Law Enforcement Officers) Animal Protection Police. This is what Henrico, Chesterfield, Fredericksburg and others have done. Yes they can run blue lights under this statue.

Absolutely, you're correct. My point was more along the lines that each jurisdiction is allowed to determine what it's animal protection officers serve as (LEO or SCOP), and that helps determine what lights they can run. In the county I live in, they're actually sheriff's deputies that happened to be assigned to the animal control section of the SO...they're running full blue light bars. Interestingly, you mentioned Henrico and Chesterfield, they're running all-red.


As 50 said, very off topic, now back to your regular LAPD discussion. ;-)
 

arsenal10

Member
Jun 9, 2010
228
California
lotsofbars said:
Anybody else notice the lightbar on the stand at 0:58?

Yea - I've seen them do the same thing in Law & Order with a vector.


I've also never seen a new style LAPD Impala. So much for "real police cars".
 

Theomethod

New Member
Jun 21, 2011
2
California
The door also says "serve and protect" rather than "protect and serve". The badges they wear are also reversed. Police Officer is on the bottom panel instead of the top. I worked on an episode, most of the background cops are real LAPD using their duty uniforms. They take great care in their technical advisement, and I was so tempted to mention the lightbars, but figured I should enjoy the time on the set instead.
 

PTRJason

Member
Jul 25, 2010
395
Silverpeak, NV
I noticed it but after hundreds of cops shows, that are not accurate, I tend not to care anymore, but I still notice it and take note.


Like it was said it came down to cost, maybe Whelen, Fed Sig and Code 3 were approached and offered to have their equip on the show, maybe Whelen gave them the best deal for the use.


But what I reall think it is, is that the Liberties can have full lens kit on, to give the bar that look, even when off. Arjents can only have top lenses, and for filming, when using low power, it the colored lenses also make the lights look crisper, as well as take away that bright punch that may mess up the cameras, which we all know they love the up close shot with the camera and the light bars.


I think it is more to give the cop car, the "cop car" look with a full light bar, red and blue, just for the viewers.


I am even surprised they are using commander mics, knowing even a shell of those are expensive.
 

lafd55

Member
May 27, 2010
2,393
New York, USA
Door Seals:


Southland


[Broken External Image]:http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/...esaroundpolicecarwhilefilmingIltrdayrqUpl.jpg


Real


[Broken External Image]:http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt272/lafd55/lapd169.jpg


Badges:


Southland


[Broken External Image]:http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt272/lafd55/Untitled1.png


Real


[Broken External Image]:http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt272/lafd55/LAPD_Badge.jpg


On another note too, they have switched portables since moving to TnT from NBC. Previously used Motorola "LAPD" Sabers and now switched to Motorola XTS portables, both have been used by LAPD.
 

Zoe

Member
May 28, 2010
776
Deerfield MA
PTRJason said:
But what I reall think it is, is that the Liberties can have full lens kit on, to give the bar that look, even when off. Arjents can only have top lenses, and for filming, when using low power, it the colored lenses also make the lights look crisper, as well as take away that bright punch that may mess up the cameras, which we all know they love the up close shot with the camera and the light bars.

Excellent points. Lightbars are heavily tinted just so they don't wash out the camera during shoots. Even interior shots of cars require all the windows to be tinted 20-15% just to get it to look "normal" on film.
 
It seems like a good time to bring up the outrageous vehicles in the CSI shows. Come on, a whole fleet of H2’s… REALLY? And how many crime labs are that nice and that well set up? This topic could open up many other questions about authenticity.
 

HILO

Member
May 20, 2010
2,781
Grand Prairie Texas
It's TV and movies. Being accurate does not bring in ratings. I was not bothered by the lack of California red on the Buick Grand National in the show Life. I was annoyed that they had gray stripes on the car. I was, however, aroused that they put HAW strobes, led grill and rvm lights in it.
 
I completely agree. It just makes me laugh. I work for the state and I cant even get ink cartridges for my printer that I use to do the work they require me to do. Its alot like how you never see fugly people in TV shows, good looking SELLS! It is funny to point it out and put it into perspective.
 

lafd55

Member
May 27, 2010
2,393
New York, USA
kenton1979 said:
It seems like a good time to bring up the outrageous vehicles in the CSI shows. Come on, a whole fleet of H2’s… REALLY? And how many crime labs are that nice and that well set up? This topic could open up many other questions about authenticity.

Hollywood, Fl has an H1 CSI vehicle in real life.
 

MeefZah

Member
Oct 6, 2011
123
New Philadelphia, OH
kenton1979 said:
It seems like a good time to bring up the outrageous vehicles in the CSI shows. Come on, a whole fleet of H2’s… REALLY? And how many crime labs are that nice and that well set up? This topic could open up many other questions about authenticity.

Pretty crappy warning package, too. Single strobe Deckblaster in red/white. C'mon...
 

lafd55

Member
May 27, 2010
2,393
New York, USA
MeefZah said:
Pretty crappy warning package, too. Single strobe Deckblaster in red/white. C'mon...

If your talking about CSI: Miami they use Red/Blue.
 

MeefZah

Member
Oct 6, 2011
123
New Philadelphia, OH
lafd55 said:
If your talking about CSI: Miami they use Red/Blue.

That's how crappy the warning is, I couldn't even tell the color!
 

irsa76

Member
May 24, 2010
342
Australia, NSW
What about the TV shows and movies from the 1980s/90s where EVERY car had a CA bar on it, regardless of which agency it was.


Still better then some Australian police shows, in alot of cases it's all very generic police cars, equipment and uniforms. Sometimes they don't even bother trying to get it accurate. One show used a number of Mazda passenger cars with plain POLICE in blue on a white background on the doors and a roof rack with a pair if blue beacons and a siren speaker.
 

lafd55

Member
May 27, 2010
2,393
New York, USA
I know this is an old thread, but have recently seen some screen shots from Southland, more specifically Shawn Hatosy(Ofc. Sammy Bryant) and noticed their badge. It now has Los Angeles Police on the top line and Police Officer on the bottom line while in reality it's the other way around. I wonder if every badge is the same as I know Ben McKenzie(Ofc. Ben Sherman) badge has Los Angeles Police on the bottom line and Police Officer on the top line.
 

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