#TheShield was inspired by the LAPD Rampart scandal involving LAPD's CRASH unit. Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums. That should tell you a lot.
Over 70 cops were accused of wrongdoing. Look it up. Pretty interesting stuff. Cops acting as criminals.
#TheShield was originally announced as RAMPART. LAPD shit itself. They threatened to sue FOX if we ever mentioned that our show was based on the LAPD.
Watch the show closely. We never say “LAPD.” Our characters say, “police” or “PD” or “Farmington” but never “LAPD.”
We were told the term “LAPD” was trademarked. Not sure if that’s true but that’s what we were told.
LAPD has trademarked their badges, too, so we had to create something that looked very different. In fact, FOX was so terrified of upsetting LAPD when we started shooting, they made us have our characters wear their badges on the wrong side of the uniform.
Take a look. US law enforcement wears their badges on the left side. #TheShield cops wear it on the right. We rationalized it as this being an ugly mirror version but the fact is, LAPD bullied us.
I also believe LAPD would not provide standard protection or traffic control when we were out on the street shooting our show. I could be wrong about that but I vaguely remember that.
This all occurred in late 2001/early 2002, just after 9/11. People hated us for portraying cops as anything but heroes at that time. We got a lot of shit for it.
We thought it was important to show the ugly side of policing. Especially at a time in which we were begging Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld to do whatever it takes to keep us safe.
Season 4 of #TheShield is all about how police use civil forfeiture to fund their departments by seizing civilian property.
I see a lot of folks examining the role of cop shows now. They should. And writers should take a good, hard look around and write the shit out of what’s going on.
Hold up that mirror, no matter how ugly the truth may be. That’s your fucking job.
