One of the most important consequences of the Andrews International Hollywood BID Patrol’s failure to register with the Los Angeles Police Commission, as they’re almost surely required to do, is that they evade enforcement of LAMC 52.34(d)(1), which regulates uniforms and badges. It states:

Any badge, insignia, patch or uniform used or worn by any employee, officer, member or associate of a private patrol service, while on duty for said patrol service, shall be in compliance with State law. Any such badge, insignia, patch or uniform shall not be of such a design as to be mistaken for an official badge, insignia or uniform worn by a law enforcement officer of the City of Los Angeles or any other law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in the City.

In this post I’m collecting and discussing a number of images of BID Patrol officers looking especially like police (all these images and many more can be found on this new Archive collection). The only differences between BID Patrol uniforms and LAPD uniforms seem to be that the LAPD doesn’t always wear shoulder patches and the LAPD does wear nameplates. However, the LAPD is not the only Los Angeles agency that employs law enforcement officers.

There are also the School Police and the Airport Police¹ and both of those agencies have uniforms with shoulder patches, and to which BID Patrol uniforms are also essentially identical. It’s true that the uniforms of BID Patrol officers say “BID PATROL” in big letters across the back, but many police uniforms say stuff across the back. For this message to have the requisite effect, it’s necessary to already know that BID Patrol officers aren’t a kind of police. Also, the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance is famous for worrying about tourists who don’t know that they don’t have to tip street characters. Where’s the analogous worry about tourists who don’t know that the BID Patrol aren’t police officers? Turn the page for many more examples.

Now look at the image nearby (or click here for a full-size version). There is one BID Patrol officer and six LAPD officers. Can you tell who’s who? The shoulder patches give away BID Patrol officer Ki Nam (badge #131, upper right) but just barely. The fact that his arm is across the area where the LAPD pins their nameplates emphasizes the similarity. I just don’t know how anyone, especially people who purport to uphold the law, thinks this is OK.

It’s not the only law in this part of the LAMC that they violate, also. LAMC 52.37.1(c) states that:

No person, other than a regular police officer of the City of Los Angeles, shall, for any purpose whatsoever, represent himself, of falsely represent another, to be a member of the Police Department of this city, or use any sign, word, language or device calculated to induce a false or mistaken belief that he is acting or purporting to act on behalf of the Police Department of this city within the scope of any real or purported duty thereof.

In addition to dressing just like police, the BID Patrol is not above claiming that they’re blessed by the LAPD. If that’s not “purporting to act on behalf,” it’s hard to imagine what is. This particular transgression may be more of a crime than a violation of Police Commission regulations, but until they register and are subjected to appropriate scrutiny, how can we tell? Anyway, a bunch more pictures follow.

Images of BID Patrol officers are public records unless otherwise stated. Image of LAXPD officers is deep-linked to, as is image of Charlie Beck with BID Patrol officers.

1. There may be others, I don’t know.