''This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller
Los Angeles County Police''
Memorial to fallen deputies. Located outside the LASD
Lakewood Station.
The 'Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department' ('LASD') is a local law enforcement agency that serves
Los Angeles County, California. It is the largest Sheriff department in the US and provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, serving as the equivalent of the
county police for unincorporated areas of the county as well as
incorporated cities within the county who have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "
contract cities" in local jargon). It also holds primary jurisdiction over facilities operated by Los Angeles County, such as local parks, marinas and government buildings; provides marshal service for the
Superior Court of California - County of Los Angeles; operates the
county jail system; and provides services such as laboratories and academy training to smaller law enforcement agencies within the county. The 'Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department' ('LASD') is sometimes referred as as the 'Los Angeles Sheriff's Office' ('LASO').
On March 10, 2007, actor
Jackie Chan has joined forces with the LA County Sheriff's Department in their current recruitment campaign in encouraging the Asian community to be a deputy sheriff. In the announcement with Sheriff
Lee Baca, Chan was seen wearing an LA County Sheriff's Deputy uniform.
[1] [2] [3]. An LASD
public service announcement will feature Chan.
Statistics
The LASD is the largest
sheriff's department and the fourth largest state or local law enforcement agency in the
United States with over 16,000 employees, over 8,400 of whom are sworn deputies.
Leroy D. Baca is the current sheriff.
LASD deputies provided law enforcement services to 2,557,754 residents in an area of 3,171 square miles both in the
unincorporated County land and within the contract cities (1995 figure).
The Sheriff's Department also operates one the largest jail systems which provides short-term incarceration services for all of the County (including the cities like
Los Angeles which have their own police departments). The
Men's Central Jail (MCJ) and
Twin Towers Correctional Facility (TTCF) are located in a dense cluster northeast of
Union Station that is next to the station's rail yard. The
North County Correctional Facility (NCCF) is the largest of the four jail facilities located at the
Pitchess Detention Center in
Castaic, California.
Some of the newer contract cities like
Santa Clarita and
West Hollywood have never had police departments. When their city governments were founded, they took over what was formerly unincorporated land, but then contracted their police responsibilities right back to the county sheriff. Since the sheriff already had substations in those areas anyway, the result was to maintain the status quo.
In contrast,
Compton, California, used to have a police department, but in 2000 the city council voted to dismantle the police department and become a contract city. Compton has been at times notorious for
gang violence.
LA County Sheriff's academy training is at Sheriffs Training and Regional Services Center (STARS Center) in
Whittier. Reserves may use either STARS Center or
College of the Canyons( Santa Clarita ) for academy training. Academy training is 18 weeks.
Achievements
The LASD has gained an international reputation for its efforts in developing and integrating the latest law enforcement technologies, especially nonlethal weapons. Because many developers, especially those developing technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense, have little idea of the needs of domestic law enforcement, the LASD provides experts to assist in the development and implementation of technologies that will be of service to law enforcment when fully mature. In the late 1990's the LASD successfully implemented a county-wide sound recorder/meter system, ShotStopper, to detect loud noises.
[1] When dispatch has a call from a citizen reporting possible gunfire near their residence, these sound towers can pinpoint within about 25 to 30 feet where the shots were coming from and record the sound for investigative purposes, and at the same time, relay the GPS info to HQ and deputies on the street. The system is up and running and has already been responsible for the arrest of a felony shooting suspect.
Currently the LASD is working with the Federal Aeronautics Administration and local government officials to deploy their remote control aerial surveillance drone system. This would allow the Sheriff's Department to have real time imagery from the streets of Los Angeles to combat street violence and record crimes in progress, not to mention searching for missing hikers, "patrolling" behind the surf zones of the beaches and looking for lost children. The drones are not intended to replace police helicopters, but in specific incidents could be better, cheaper and quieter to use.
The LASD hired the first female deputy sheriff in the United States in 1912.
Margaret Q. Adams remained a deputy in the evidence department at the Los Angeles Couthouse for 35 years until her retirement in 1947.
The LASD is also known for having some of the sharpest cops around,especially in the Special Enforcement Bureau, which houses the famous Special Weapons Team or their version of SWAT, a creation of their brothers at LAPD. Both LAPD and LA Sheriff SWAT teams are thought highly around the globe. SEB SWAT has even helped the US Defense Department in the early 90's by training US special forces on policing skills prior to going overseas. Swat teams from all around the world look to SEB for training and advice. Before conflicts like Bosnia and Kosovo came up, US special forces wanted to be able to enter that very scenario as sepcialized peacekeepers. Modern tactics of dynamic entries with large firepower was thought to be too much and would conflict the situation further. The idea was to control a scene,take people into custody,and at the same time keep the peace.
In 1992 after the King riots in LA proper, both the LAPD and LASD SWAT teams decided to work on tactics that would rescue people from dangerous crowds and at the same time provide a way to elimate a threat such as a gunman without being noticed. In the first example, the idea was to have SWAT ride in one of the departments AIR Rescue units with LASD paramedics to enter a scene by using SWAT as a threat to ground opposition while Medics could safely drop in and pick up an injured person. In the second example, sharpshooters could be used at high altitudes in the air units to look for threats on the ground and at the same time strike would-be killers.
-Discovery Channel circa 2000
The LASD Air Rescue program is used for many emergencies in LA county. Angeles Forest, especially. Those who are trapped in LA in a place they think no one will find them will usually be found and rescued by this team. The LASD staffs multiple sea King helicopters for this program.
In addition to having a fleet of Sea Kings, the model of helicopter used by the President of the United States as Marine-One, the LASD also use Eurocopter A-stars and Hughes NOTAR helicopters. Those models are used primarily as the patrol air units.
Demographics
'By sex:'
★ Male: 86%
★ Female: 14%
'By race:'
★ White: 60%
★ Hispanic: 26%
★ African American/Black: 10%
★ Asian: 4%
Fallen members
March and a sign there reads "Deputy David W. March, Los Angeles County Sheriff Memorial Interchange."
As a result of this case, Congressman
David Dreier, working with fellow Congressman
Adam Schiff and Sheriff
Lee Baca, introduced legislation that would make it a federal crime for any suspect who murders a public safety official and flees the United States. Three attempts have failed in committee and on February 22, 2007, Congressman Dreier introduced such legislation for a fourth time.
In honor of Deputy David March, the Department adopted this creed: "My goals are simple, I will always be painfully honest, work as hard as I can, learn as much as I can and hopefully make a difference in people’s lives." Deputy David W. March (EOW: April 29, 2002)
On May 1, 2007, Deputy Raul Gama was killed in an accident involving a teenage driver. The driver was charged with
manslaughter. The officer was on a stakeout and at first it was thought the teen driver had hit a parked car. Unfortunately, it was later discovered there was someone in the parked car, Deputy Da Gama. This delay might have played a role in the death of the officer. This was a terrible tragedy for the families of both the officer and the teen driver who was on his way to school at the time of the accident. Coincidentally, Deputy Gama died exactly 20 years after completing the academy.
Contract Law Enforcement by LASD==
Cities
LASD has entered into contracts with the below cities to serve as their police department/law enforcement agency.
Santa Fe Springs was a contract city served by the LASD-Norwalk Station until the 1990s. It now contracts with Whittier Police Department.
Agencies that Contract with LASD for Law Enforcement Services
Transit Services Bureau
★
Metrolink
★
Los Angeles MTA
Community Colleges Services Bureau
★
Los Angeles Community College District
Court Services Division
★ Prisoner Transport Services with 31 of the 58 counties in California
★ Los Angeles County Marshal/Municipal Courts (Merged into LASD Court Services)
Contract Custody Services
★
California Department of Corrections (Housing Parole Violators)
★
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Detention of Illegal Aliens arrested by ICE at the Mira Loma Detention Center in Lancaster)
[4]
Reserve Program
The
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department supplements its full time ranks with over 700 'reserve deputies'.
Like Full-time Deputies, Reserve Deputies are professionally trained and duly sworn
law enforcement personnel. In most cases, Reserves are assigned to the same duties as Full-time Deputies. Since Reserve Deputies have the same powers of
arrest as Full-time Deputies they are required by law to meet the same hiring, background, medical and psychological standards as Full-time Deputies. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs enjoy the challenge and excitement offered by law enforcement, as well as the satisfaction of providing a worthwhile community service. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs first complete the extensive state mandated training and then work assignments on evenings and/or weekends as their regular jobs permit. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are issued a badge, an identification card, uniforms, a
Beretta 92FS duty weapon,
handcuffs,
baton, and most other necessary equipment. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs have full peace officer powers when on duty, and, if issued a
CCW permit, may choose to carry a concealed weapon when off duty. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs volunteer 20 hours per month of their time with the regular compensation being one dollar per year. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs may also qualify for shooting bonus pay of up to $32.00 per month, and some paid special event assignments are occasionally available. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs serve at the will of the Sheriff, must obey all Departmental regulations, but do not fall into the framework of the civil service system. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs supplement the regular operations of the Sheriff's Department by working in their choice of Uniform Reserve (Patrol), Mounted Posse, Search and Rescue or as a Specialist.
Television shows based on LASD
In the late 1950's, a short lived "
Dragnet (drama)"-style
television series, "Code 3", aired based on real cases (though names and locations were changed) from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The late
Eugene Biscailuz, then
Sheriff of
Los Angeles County, was featured in a cameo tag line at the end of every episode.
The department's Emergency Services Detail (ESD) which functions under the unbrella of the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) was depicted in the short lived
television series, ''
240-Robert''. The SEB also includes the Canine Services Detail (K-9), and the Special Enforcement Detail (SED) which is the department's special weapons team.
In September 2003,
ABC premiered '' a prime time drama (with a light comedy twist) based on a rookie with the
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The show lasted one season. The show's name was based on the police radio code for "on duty".
★
ABC's 10-8
★
List of 10-8's Cast
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Recruit Training Bureau is featured on
Fox Reality show "
The Academy," documenting the day to day activities of the recruits and training staff of LASD Academy Class 355.
[5][6]The Academy
See also
★
Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety
★
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Air Rescue 5
★
Los Angeles Police Department
★
Sheriff
External links
★
Official Web Site of the LASD
★
LASD Reserve Message Board
★
LASD Reserve Program
★
Lakewood Accountability Action Group A group of residents that lives in Lakewood California (within the LASD Lakewood substation jurisdiction) and often challenges the Sheriff's Dept. on issues that affect Lakewood residents.
★
Exclusive Q & A with Capt. Anthony La Berge of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station
★
Article on Ride Along with LA County Deputy in Santa Clarita
★
Los Angeles County Disaster Communications Service ( DCS )
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