Burbank Police hired to help studio security

Ben Godar

In an attempt to improve security around the studio, Warner Bros. is

employing Burbank Police officers to work on its lot.

Burbank officers began working on the studio lot Friday as an

enhancement to the studio’s existing security, Warner Bros. spokesman

Scott Rowe said. The studio will continue to contract off-duty CHP

officers as well, he said.

Officers working security at the studio serve in their capacity as

Burbank Police officers, but they do so while off-duty. Therefore,

spokesman Sgt. Bruce Speirs said the move does not take away from the

department’s deployment. All costs of the officers are being paid by

Warner Bros., he said.

Warner Bros. officials declined to comment on their reasons for

hiring the officers. Speirs said the primary advantage of having a

police officer at a location rather than just private security is

that it allows other officers to respond more directly.

“When we have an officer at a location, they have a radio that

puts them in direct contact with us,” he said. “If something were to

happen, we could respond immediately.”

None of the other studios in the area employs off-duty Burbank

Police officers, Speirs said.