TV show and California gun laws.

[AlanM]

I just watched Season 2 Episode 4 of "The Rookie" that is supposedly about the Los Angeles Police Department.

In it a female police officer goes up to the armory checkout window and asks for an AR15 with laser sight and night vision. I'm not the right person to identify an AR15 configuration but to me it looked like all it had was a high end holosight.

Later she gets into a fire fight and I noticed two things:
1. The gun has a REMOVABLE magazine. She is shown inserting a 30 round magazine into the mag. well.
2. Either she has a trigger finger as fast as Jerry Miculek or it was a full auto capable firearm.

Who the h*** is writing and producing this cr**???

Also they are in a firefight with three goblins, one of which was described as a straw purchaser that was known to smuggle guns into California. At least one, maybe two, of the goblins were using fully auto weapons.

Does California law enforcement have immunity when it comes to state gun laws?
Or is this program supposed to be taking place in an alternate universe where California doesn't have the most stringent and annoying gun regulations in the nation?

Are the makers of this "entertainment" that ignorant of the real world?

[Mr. Glock]

So....you are expecting any sort of accuracy from something on mainstream TV? Hmmm, interesting concept.

[Bruenor]

Yes law enforcement is exempt from some of their stringent gun laws.

In fact Police officers can purchase firearms such as the Sig P365 that are NOT listed on the "Not unsafe handgun roster" that normal california residents can not purchase. If the officer decide they no longer want the firearm they can then resell it on the open market in CA. Since there is no other way to get those firearms in California they garner a huge markup when resold. Several police officers recently got charged for purchasing firearms such as this purely with the intent to resell.

Here's the LEO exemptions
https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/exemptpo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

nope don't see full auto listed there..

California law that lets cops buy ‘off-roster’ guns expanded to include more in law enforcement


Police officer bypassed laws to resell dozens of guns, prosecutors say

[deanimator]

Deriving lessons about guns, gun laws and self-defense from television is like learning about astronautics, astronomy and planetary science by watching "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars".

[AlanM]

Deriving lessons about guns, gun laws and self-defense from television is like learning about astronautics, astronomy and planetary science by watching "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars".

Unfortunately, it seems that most, if not all, politicians get all their firearm "facts" from television and movies.

[OhioPaints]

"Let's take all guns away from law abiding citizens. Only law enforcement should have guns (...and the criminals that they sell them to)."

Yes, that will make us all safe...NOT!

Ken

[M-Quigley]

As far as the full auto question it's technically possible under federal law, IF the dept. owns the full auto firearm and is only issuing it out for duty purposes, as was depicted in the show. If however the LEO wants to own a selective fire themselves, they have to jump through the same hoops as everyone else. For example, there once was Dayton Ohio ex cop who wanted to buy a full auto firearm and got the chief to sign his form to be submitted to the ATF. At the time the Dayton PD possessed selective fire weapons, even at one time prior to moving to more modern arms owning Thompson SMG's with drum mags. Most states other than Ohio also have similar ways a dept. can own and issue selective fire weapons to on duty officers if they choose to do so, and I bet California has similar state excemptions. I know for a fact that California has exceptions for full auto firearms for the entertainment industry, so why not local PD's?

Also they are in a firefight with three goblins, one of which was described as a straw purchaser that was known to smuggle guns into California. At least one, maybe two, of the goblins were using fully auto weapons.

That seems to be a recurring theme in TV shows, all the criminals have full auto, fire a lot of rounds, and almost never hit any GG's. I guess shooting semi auto looks too boring on screen? If they do happen to hit any GG's it's always some uniformed cop or plainclothes cop from another agency, someone who has no speaking role and isn't a regular character anyway. They rarely take cover or fire and move, even if the BG's are ex SF. Meanwhile the regular characters always hit what they are shooting at.

[schmieg]

That seems to be a recurring theme in TV shows, all the criminals have full auto, fire a lot of rounds, and almost never hit any GG's. I guess shooting semi auto looks too boring on screen? If they do happen to hit any GG's it's always some uniformed cop or plainclothes cop from another agency, someone who has no speaking role and isn't a regular character anyway. They rarely take cover or fire and move, even if the BG's are ex SF. Meanwhile the regular characters always hit what they are shooting at.

The regular characters usually have a contract which needs to be paid whether they appear or not, so it isn't financially practical to kill them.