Copping a Plea

Newly imposed security policies around New York in the wake of the London subway bombings and the on-going “war on terrorism” are now having an impact on the film and television production community.

Last week the Screen Actors Guild advised actors who own police uniforms to no longer carry them to jobs. This week it was reported that on at least two separate occasions, performers who had their bags inspected as a result of the new subway search policies, were detained and/or arrested because they had legally-obtained police gear in their possession.

Although I am not actively seeking work in the profession, I am a member of SAG and own a full NYPD uniform and accessories. I purchased it many years ago, actually before I moved to NYC, but for the purpose of making myself more marketable for roles calling for police officers. It is an expensive purchase. I bought things in stages, but all told I seem to recall an outlay in the neighborhood of $500. However having such a costume and listing it on your resume can give you a leg up. If you already own one, then the production company doesn’t have to rent the costume and props and instead simply pays you what is called a uniform allowance, essentially for the rental of your clothing. Same is true for people with costumes for nurses, firefighters, chefs, or anything else.

A police uniform pays for itself quickly, I might add. When I was last a working actor, cop roles were just about all I was getting towards the end. Uniformed, undercover, detectives, you name it, I was typecast as a cop. There was a short-lived CBS series awhile back called Big Apple on which I was a regular background player. The uniform and I got a lot of work.

Nowadays, unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of production in NYC. Law & Order, L&O SVU and L&O Criminal Intent are about the only regular primetime dramas shot in the city and they call for lots of actors with cop uniforms. This new city policy not only affects actors but production companies as well. They are similarly prohibited from transporting police costumes to and from various shooting locations.

Unlike the arbitrary subway bag searches which are a clear violation of Fourth Amendment rights, I can understand and accept the rationale behind this measure. While we had to present proof that we were unionized professional actors before purchasing the costume and obtain signed letters from the city stating that we are authorized to own it, were it to become lost or stolen, anyone could pass themselves off as police officer and gain access to unauthorized areas.

But I do hope the city can come to some agreement with the production community to find a workable solution. New York City and State have recently taken major steps to try to bring more film and tv production to the city, new studio spaces are being planned in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and it is an industry that contributes millions to the local economy annually. Anything that makes production here difficult creates another excuse for producers to use less expensive places like Toronto or more hospitable environments like Hollywood to try to double for New York City.