Not a bad question, Mike. Webb had access tp whatever he needed from LAPD (cars, trucks, Motors, etc,),, but he had a budget he had to hold to (and remember this episode was shot on the Universal lot, not on location) so the episode was shot in a close area, and if more units were shown in the program wouldn't have been seen anyway... .Today, "Sniper" calls (actually broadcast "Shooting In progress") will have a lot of units on scene in less than 2-3 minutes. Doctrine, tactics and 9600 officers has changed response dynamics in 33 years.Back then, LAPD was a smaller force (3900 or so), with fewer Basic cars in each division, which had to travel longer distances to answer "help" calls. What was shown was, as I said above, not a "real" LAPD response - but depending on how busy the radio was at the time, perhaps what you saw was all they would have had available, for real.The SWAT panel truck was real LAPD, as was the Receiving Hospital ambulance. When the episode was filmed, SWAT had only exited for 2 years, and was goin through some major growing pains. Google "Black Panther Shootout LAPD" for some very interesting reading!Mike - Fmr. LAPD CommDiv.
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