For moviegoers who want to see an Oscar-nominated blockbuster at a Los Angeles theater this weekend, they will see first a short LAPD recruiting film mixed in with the soft drink and public radio ads.
Taking its cue from Hollywood movie makers, the Los Angeles Police Department's recruiting film, "To Protect and To Serve," will go citywide on 95 screens starting Friday and running through May 26, said a city official on Thursday.
It may be the first time in the United States that a major police department uses this method to find recruits.
The film, shown as three separate 180-second episodes, has been running since December in "limited release" on about 11 screens, said Bruce Whidden, director of public information for the city's personnel department.
"It's part of the city's recruitment effort," the official said. "We're hiring a lot of police officers."
The city plans to hire about 300 new police officers by June.
Calling the film concept something "brand new," Whidden said there was some speculation about a similar program in New York, " but we beat them to it."
Whidden said the three episodes, to be rotated in showings at theaters, feature two LAPD sworn officers.
The woman, a detective in real life, and the man, a real-life patrol officer, face a number of challenges to provide a look at what it is like to join the force.
The film follows a day in the life of the officers, showing them taking part in the capture of a robbery suspect, dealing with a gunman holding a woman hostage, mediating a fight, and "most rewardingly, helping find a young kidnap victim."
A number of officers volunteered to star in the three-episode film, which was developed under a 500,000-dollar multi-year contract with Weber Shandwick Worldwide, a public relations and advertising firm, according to Whidden.