LAPD to Contract for Private Security

Currently, Los Angeles Police Department officers can accept jobs from the owners of private venues when they are off-duty but in uniform.

The new system requires the venue operator to contract with and pay the department for the use of officers, who will be assigned in uniform on an overtime basis by the department, said Richard Tefank, executive director of the Police Commission, which oversees department policies and procedures.

"The benefit of that is you are able to have a situation where the Police Department is in control of who is assigned at these locations," Tefank said. "The officers are in an on-duty status. They have LAPD radios. There is appropriate supervision and management of those officers."

Tefank said the change was not based on any particular incident, but resulted from a general concern that the department needed to more closely supervise officers in uniform, even when they are not in their regular jobs. In a separate issue, controversy over off-duty police officers working as private investigators has the LAPD considering new rules for that kind of work.

The rules adopted Wednesday apply to officers working in uniform providing security, traffic control and crowd control at large private venues and special events, such as film premieres and shopping mall grand openings.

Some council members worried that the program could lead the public to believe that wealthy businesses can buy extra police protection at the expense of the general public.

"We specifically talked about not hiring somebody to be in front of a store," said Councilman Bernard C. Parks, a former police chief.

But LAPD officials said the officers working on contract will not be taken from their normal duties.

In addition, the city has adopted a list of approved venues, which can be added to.

They include Dodger Stadium, Staples Center, the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre, the Kodak Theatre and motion picture filming locations.

Nearly 30 retired LAPD officers, who perform security work on movie sets and at other private venues, attended the council session to object to the program, which could cost them some work.