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EspañolLOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
The 'Los Angeles Police Department' ('LAPD') is the police department of the City of Los Angeles, California. With over 9,500 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of 473 square miles with a population of more than 3.5 million people, it is the fifth largest law enforcement agency in the United States (trailing behind the New York Police Department, Chicago Police Department, California Department of Corrections, and FBI). The agency has been under federal supervision since 1992. This department is known world wide and has been heavily fictionalized due to its many corruptions in numerous movies and television shows. It has also been involved in a number of controversies, perhaps most notably the infamous Rodney King incident and the subsequent 1992 Los Angeles riots
The LAPD should not be confused with the Los Angeles General Services Police.
Organization
Clearing street in front of LA City Hall.
Resources, mobility and technology
Main articles: Los Angeles Police Department resources, Los Angeles Police Department#External links
The LAPD has vast resources, including the second largest private or non-military air force in the world. The New York City Police Department or NYPD commands a larger force of 28 helicopters. Air Support Division resources include 26 helicopters ranging from Bell Jet Rangers to Eurocopter A-stars and even some Hueys. LAPD also has 3 known planes and 1 unspecified and undenied drone.
Main Airship missions are flown out of downtown's Piper Tech center at the Hooper Heliport, located outside of Union Station. LAPD also houses air units at Van Nuys airport.
At one time the LAPD also had a military submarine.
Work Environment
The LAPD has a 3 day-12 hour and 4 day-10 hour work week schedule. They have over 250 job assignments and each officer is eligible for such assignments after two years on patrol. LAPD Patrol Officers almost always work with a partner, unlike suburban departments surrounding Los Angeles, in which many departments deploy officers in one-officer units. Other departments use single officer patrol cars to maximize police presence, allowing a smaller amount of officers to patrol a larger area, while LAPD prefers to err on the side of caution.
The department's training division has three facilities throughout the city, including Elysian Park, Ahmanson Recruit Training Center (Westchester), and the Edward Davis Training Center (Granada Hills).
Limitations
Throughout its modern history, the department has suffered from chronic underfunding and under-staffing. In comparison to most large cities, the LAPD has historically had one of the lowest ratios of police personnel to population served and thus the current chief, William J. Bratton, has made enlarging the force one of his top priorities (Bratton has been quoted as saying, "You give me 3,999 more officers and I'll give you the safest city in the world."). The LAPD's own web site illustrates the challenges faced by the department [1]. For example, New York City boasts one officer for every 228 residents. In Chicago, the ratio is one officer per 216 citizens and in Philadelphia there is one officer for every 219 persons. By contrast, the Los Angeles Police Department protects its city with only one officer for every 426 residents. For Los Angeles to have the same ratio of officers as New York City, the LAPD would need nearly 17,000 officers. As of the spring of 2007, the Department is in the middle of a large recruiting drive, looking to hire an additional 1500 officers. One problem with such a drive is the lack of qualified candidates. Stringent hiring practices instituted by top LAPD brass following several accusations of corrupt police officers has led to fewer than 1 in 10 initial applicants actually being hired. Also, the city has three specialized police agencies which are not affiliated with the LAPD. Port of L.A., or Harbor Dept. Police, Los Angeles World Airports Police, and Dept. of General Services Office of Public Safety Police, which police city owned properties, parks, zoo, libraries, and convention center.
Force composition
During the Parker-Davis-Gates period, the LAPD was overwhelmingly white, and much of it lived outside of the city. In 1980, only 20% of the force was minority officers.[2] Simi Valley, the Ventura County suburb that later became infamous as the site of the state trial that immediately preceded the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has long been home to a particularly large concentration of LAPD officers, almost all of them white. A 1994 ACLU study of officer's home zip codes, concluded that over 80% of police officers lived outside city boundaries.[1]
Hiring quotas began to change this during the 1980s, but it was not until the Christopher Commission reforms that substantial numbers of black, Hispanic, and Asian officers began to join the force. Minority officers can be found in both rank-and-file and leadership positions in virtually all precincts, and the LAPD is starting to reflect the general population. As of 2002, 13.5% of the LAPD is black, 34.2% is Latino, and 6.9% is Asian or Pacific Islander. [2]
The LAPD hired the first female police officer in the United States in 1910, Ms Alice Stebbins Wells. Since then, women have been a small, but growing part of the force. Up through the early 1970s, women were classified as "policewomen" on the LAPD. Through the 1950s, their duties generally consisted as working as matrons in the jail system, or dealing with troubled youths working in detective assignments. Rarely did they work any type of field assignment and they were not allowed to promote above the rank of sergeant. However, a lawsuit (Fanchon Blake) by a policewoman from that period instituted court ordered mandates that the Department begin actively hiring and promoting women police officers in its ranks. The Department eliminated the rank of "Policeman" from new hires at that time along with the rank of "Policewoman." Anyone already in those positions were grandfathered in, but any new hires were classified instead as "Police Officers" which continues to this day.
In 2002, women made up 18.9% of the force. Women have made significant strides within the ranks of the Department since the days of the Fanchon Blake lawsuit. The highest ranking woman on the Department today is Assistant Chief Sharon Papa, who came to the LAPD as a commander from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Transit Police Department in 1997. Chief Papa was the last Chief of Police for the MTA.
The LAPD also hired the first known black Police Officer in America.
LAPD also had the first SWAT team (Special Weapons and Tactics) in America which was instituted in the mid 1960's in an effort to deal with threats from organized factions such as the Black Panther Party and other radical groups operating during that time. LAPD's SWAT team is considered by many in the business to be the premier unit of its kind.
History
Main articles: History of the Los Angeles Police Department
Parker Center-LAPD's Headquarters
The first specific Los Angeles police force was founded in 1853 as the Los Angeles Rangers, a volunteer force that assisted the existing County forces. The Rangers were soon succeeded by the Los Angeles City Guards, another volunteer group. Neither force was particularly efficient and Los Angeles became known for its violence, gambling and "vice".
Controversies
The LAPD has been involved in a number of public controversies, most notably the infamous Rodney King beating and the subsequent 1992 Los Angeles riots.
In 2004, pursuit suspect Stanley Miller was seen roughed up by eight LAPD officers from the Southeast Division when Officers used the excuse that he was fleeing from officers in Compton. Officer John Hatfield was seen kicking and hitting Miller multiple times. Four of the officers faced disciplinary action and Officer Hatfield was fired from the LAPD. No charges were filed and Miller was given $450,000.
On May 1st, 2007, the LAPD reacted to May Day Marches in favor of illegal immigrant rights with what critics claim was excessive force, using nonlethal weaponry on reporters and demonstrators. The most notable incident was at MacArthur Park[3] Leading up to this incident over the police radio, supervisors beyond field Sergeants gave specific orders and later gave mixed accounts in a news conference. Command staff ID's were heard giving METRO deployments to MacArthur park.
On May 7th, 2007, at a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Commission President John Mack, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton announced changes to his command staff in an attempt to fix the problems.
Deputy Chief Cayler "Lee" Carter, Commanding Officer of Operations-Central Bureau, was reverted to the rank of Commander. However, he was then assigned to his home with pay. On May 8, 2007, Chief Bratton announced that Cmdr. Sergio G. Diaz would replace Carter at the Police Commission meeting in order to appease the Hispanics. Additionally, Commander Louis Gray, Assistant Commanding Officer of Operations-Central Bureau, was reassigned to the Office of Operations.
During the recent May 1, 2007 illegal immigrant rally demonstration at MacArthur Park, Carter served as the highest-ranking officer present. Gray was the second highest-ranking officer on scene and was tired of his Officers being hit by bottles and rocks by the crowd.
Board of Police Commissioners
The 'Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners' is a five-member body of appointed officials which oversees the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The board functions like a corporate board of directors and is responsible for setting policies for the department and overseeing its operations.
LAPD Operations
Currently, the Los Angeles Police Department is organized as follows:
Central Facilities Building
★ Office of the Chief of Police
★
★ Executive Administrative Assistant
★
★ Adjutant to the Chief of Police
★
★ Community Relations Section
★ Office of the Chief of Staff (First Assistant Chief)
★
★ Employee Relations Group
★
★ Public Information Office
★
★ Use of Force Review Division (Also known as the spin department and Polically Correct story changing department)
★
★ Governmental Liaison Section because of their federal supervision that they are under.
★ Professional Standards Bureau
★
★ Internal Affairs Group which is corrupt as the rest of the department
★
★
★ Administrative Investigation Division
★
★
★ Criminal Investigation Division
★
★ Special Operations Division
★
★ Force Investigation Division
★ Consent Decree Bureau which is the federal supervision unit
★
★ TEAMS II Development Bureau
★
★ Risk Management Group
★
★ Civil Rights Integrity Division also known as the department of political correction
★
★ Audit Division
★ Counter Terrorism & Criminal Intelligence Bureau
★
★ Assistant Commanding Officer
★
★ Major Crimes Division
★
★ Emergency Services Division
★ Incident Management & Training Bureau
★
★ Training Group
★
★
★ Training Division
★
★
★ Continuing Education Division
★
★ Police Training & Education
★ Director, Office of Support Services
★
★ Executive Officer
★
★
★ Planning & Research Division
★
★ Ombuds Office
★
★ Transit Liaison Unit
★
★ Information & Communications Services Bureau
★
★
★ Assistant Commanding Officer
★
★
★ Communications Division
★
★
★ Emergency Command Control Communications System Division
★
★
★ Information Technology Division
★
★
★ Records & Identification Division
★
★ Administrative & Technical Services Bureau
★
★
★ Assistant Commanding Officer
★
★
★
★ Property Division
★
★
★
★ Motor Transport Division
★
★
★
★ Scientific Investigation Division (Overseen by both Assistant C/Os)
★
★
★ Assistant Commanding Officer
★
★
★
★ Facilities Management Division
★
★
★
★ Fiscal Operations Division
★
★
★ Personnel Group
★
★
★ Behavioral Science Services Group
★ Director, Office of Operations
★
★ Assistant to the Director, Office of Operations
★
★
★ Jail Division
★
★
★ Special Assistant
★
★
★
★ Evaluation & Administration Section
★
★ Chief Duty Officer
★
★ CompStat Unit
★
★ Special Operations Bureau
★
★
★ Assistant Commanding Officer, Special Operations Bureau
★
★
★ Metropolitan Division
★
★
★ Air Support Division
★
★
★ Emergency Operations Division
★
★
★ Real-Time Analysis & Critical Response Division
★
★ Detective Bureau
★
★
★ Detective Services Group
★
★
★
★ Robbery-Homicide Division
★
★
★
★ Commercial Crimes Division
★
★
★
★ Juvenile Division
★
★
★
★ Detective Support & Vice Division
★
★
★ Specialized Services Group
★
★
★
★ Narcotics Division
★
★
★
★ Gang & Operations Support Division
★
★
★ Investigative Analysis Section
★
★ Operations-Central Bureau
★
★
★ Central Area
★
★
★ Hollenbeck Area
★
★
★ Newton Area
★
★
★ Northeast Area
★
★
★ Rampart Area
★
★
★ Central Traffic Division
★
★ Operations-South Bureau
★
★
★ Criminal Gang Homicide Group
★
★
★ 77th Street Area
★
★
★ Harbor Area
★
★
★ Southeast Area
★
★
★ Southwest Area
★
★
★ South Traffic Division
★
★ Operations-Valley Bureau
★
★
★ Devonshire Area
★
★
★ Foothill Area
★
★
★ Mission Area
★
★
★ North Hollywood Area
★
★
★ Van Nuys Area
★
★
★ West Valley Area
★
★
★ Valley Traffic Division
★
★ Operations-West Bureau
★
★
★ Hollywood Area
★
★
★ Pacific Area
★
★
★
★ LAX Field Services Division
★
★
★ West Los Angeles Area
★
★
★ Wilshire Area
★
★
★ West Traffic Division
Organizational Notes
★ The Mission Area (#19) began operations in May 2005; the first new division to be deployed in more than a quarter of a century. The division covers the eastern half of the old Devonshire and the western half of the Foothill Divisions in the San Fernando Valley which is mostly composed of illegal aliens.
★ The Real-Time Analysis & Critical Response Division began operations in March 2006; It is composed of the Department Operations Section, which includes the Department Operations Center Unit, Department Operations Support Unit and the Incident Command Post Unit; Detective Support Section and the Crime Analysis Section.
★ The Mid-City Area (#20) and Northwest Area (#21) are currently under construction and are due to be complete by July and April 2008, respectively. [4]
Demographics
★ Male: 82%
★ Females: 18%
★ White: 46%
★ Hispanic: 33%
★ African-American: 14%
★ Asian: 7%
[5]
LAPD chiefs of police
The LAPD in popular media
The LAPD is represented in the popular media. Several prominent representations include ''Dragnet'', ''Crash'', and the ''The Shield'' series.
The independently iconic television series ''Dragnet'', with LAPD Detective Joe Friday as the primary character, was the first major media representation of the department. Real LAPD operations inspired Jack Webb to create the series and close cooperation with department officers let him make it as realistic as possible, including authentic police equipment and sound recording on-site at the police station.
Due to ''Dragnet's popularity, LAPD chief Parker "became, after J. Edgar Hoover, the most well known and respected law enforcement official in the nation." In the 1960s, when the LAPD under Chief Thomas Reddin expanded its community relations division and began efforts to reach out to the black community, ''Dragnet'' followed suit with more emphasis on internal affairs and community policing than solving crimes, the show's previous mainstay.[6]
It has also been the subject of several novels, probably the most famous of which is ''L.A. Confidential'', a novel by James Ellroy that was made into a film of the same name. Both chronicled mass-murder and corruption inside and outside the force. Critic Roger Ebert indicates that the film's characters (from the 1950s) "represent the choices ahead for the LAPD": assisting Hollywood limelight, aggressive policing with relaxed ethics, and a "straight arrow" approach.[7]
''L.A. Confidential'' is part of a modern trend of more negative portrayals of the department that started with the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots. The television series ''The Shield'' is but one example.
'The Closer' is another contemporary depiction of the work of the detectives of LAPD.
See also
★ Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
★ Los Angeles General Services Police
★ Police brutality
★ Rodney King
★ 1992 Los Angeles riots
★ Police patch collecting
★ CRASH
★ Christopher Commission
★ COINTELPRO
★ ''
Footnotes
1. Newton, Jim. "ACLU Says 83% of Police Live Outside L.A." ''Los Angeles Times'' 29 March 1994: B1.
2. [3]
3. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-media3may03,0,6704192.story?coll=la-home-headlines
4. http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/prop_q_update.pdf
5. Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers
6.
★ Michael J. Hayde, ''My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb'', Cumberland House, 2001, ISBN 1-581-82190-5, quote at p. 192.
7. Roger Ebert, L.A. Confidential (review), ''Chicago Sun-Times'', September 19, 1997.
References
★ Board of Police Commissioners
★ Office of the Chief of Police
★ LAPD Organizational Chart
★ LAPD Citywide-Bureau Map
★ Current Command Staff
★ Citywide CompStat Statistics
★ Corwin, Miles (1997). The Killing Season . New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80235-X.
★ Corwin, Miles (2003). Homicide Special: A Year With the LAPD's Elite Detective Unit. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 0-8050-6798-1.
★ Domanick, Joe (1994). To Protect and to Serve: The LAPD's Century of War in the City of Dreams. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-9727625-5-8.
★ Gates, Daryl F. (1992). Chief: My Life in the LAPD. New York: Bantam. ISBN 0-553-56205-3.
★ Sjoquist, Art R. (1984). History of the Los Angeles Police Department. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club.
★ Starr, Kevin (2004). Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990-2003. New York: Knopf.
★ Stoker, Charles (1951). Thicker'n Thieves. Sutter.
★ Wambaugh, Joseph (1973). The Onion Field. Delacorte.
★ Webb, Jack (1958). The Badge: The Inside Story of One of America's Worst Police Departments. New York: Prentice-Hall.
See also
★ Police corruption
★ Police brutality
★ 1992 Los Angeles riots
External links
★ On the Front Line in the War on Terrorism, ''City Journal,'' Summer 2007
★ Official web site
★ Official LAPD blog
★ LAPD History of the LAPD
★ LAPD list of movies and TV programs
★ LAPD Recruitment
★ LAPD Jobs
★ LAPD Radio History
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