LASD vs LAPD?

[Jonathan Doe]

LASD depuies working in jail have wish list for the patrol stations. The faster stations with fast turn over rate will take deputies sooner than slower stations. There are some deputies hit the streets in 6 months the last time I have spoken to a few of them. Some of them out for about 1 -2 years already becoming training officers.

[bRiT636]

What makes a fast station? More crime impacted area ?

[CaliTheKid]

Yes.

[retired]

Century and Lennox are probably two of the fastest ones to get to. Calabasas, Lomita (or Slomita as it is fondly called), Industry, Walnut and San Dimas take longer to get to. I believe Antelope Valley is also.

As was said, the time waiting also depends on the economy. I spent 4yrs. at MCJ from 76 to 80 and that was to get to Lakewood. It was 3 to Firestone and that was the fastest (high crime area).

In 1980, when I worked Recruitment, it would take 9 months for Firestone and 15 to Altadena, which used to be 5yrs. Hiring was on a daily basis and they had an active out of state hiring program.

When I got there as a sgt. in 1997, I had a deputy who had been there for 7yrs. When he came there, it was a 2yr. wait. When 2yrs. came (1993) a hiring freeze occured and he was there for 7yrs. He resigned to return to school to become a college history teacher. He told me he was a deputy, he was merely someone who pushed a button on a panel to let inmates in and out. The dept. lost a lost of people for similar reasons.

[Jonathan Doe]

One of the faster turn around stations were Palmdale and Lancaster stations.

[Sarge744]

What makes a fast station? More crime impacted area ?

You may get lots of differing opinions. IMHO a "fast" station is a very active/high crime station, not necessarily one that has a high volume of calls. But of course, this depends on the type of calls received.

Century, Compton, and Lennox (to name a few) are very busy and fast paced stations. They will tend to have an higher number of violent crimes, shootings, pursuits, etc.

This may have nothing to do with how long it takes to get there. A custody deputy may refer to a fast station as someplace they can get to quickly because of a shot turn-a-round. A slow station to them may have a long waiting list.

To the average patrol individual fast means very busy, high crime, better be able to think on your feet and work hard and fast. A slow station is just the opposite. We have lots of both.

[Danielp59]

Imo working in Jails is great experience. You get to learn all the prison politics and see how the inmates try to minipulate you. You'll learn when a person is lying to you and you'll learn a lot about gangs and so on. I worked in the state prisons as a Correctional officer and it helped me a lot when I switched departments and went to the streets. LAPD and LASO are both great departments. Being a LEO is the best job in the world, at least to me it is.
Either department that you choose you'll be happy and if your not its really easy to switch.

[Trigger Finger]

It sounds like there are allot of people biased toward LASO!
There is more square miles to patrol in LA City than in the unincorporated areas of LA County! And LASO doesn't know the meaning of the term "fast Division" till you have worked 77th or S/E divisions, and the southern part of Newton where the SLA Shootout occurred. And what about the North Hollywood shootout, that's what caused many, many departments across the nation to begin using assault rifles LAPD included, before LASO.
I retired as a detective supervisor from LAPD and enjoyed investigating, solving and prosecuting. On LASO there is no rank of detective. Some call them selves detectives and some actually investigate crimes but they are all deputies and sergeants, thus there is no civil service protection for the rank. Upset the wrong person and you are transferred back to the jail!!
LAPD was the first department in the nation to have a SWAT team. We transitioned first to 9mm, before LASO and then 11 years later to the 45 and now to Glocks. LASO seems to be just following LAPD around, we try it and perfect it then LASO starts using it, jumps on the bandwagon and takes credit for it!

Also if you stand up straight and your knuckles DON'T touch the ground you don't qualify to be a LASO deputy!! j/k

I think you will find more different kinds of jobs on LAPD and it helps to be the largest law enforcement agency on the entire west coast.
And with a new chief things are looking better.

Both are fantastic departments with a difficult job!

[Sarge744]

It sounds like there are allot of people biased toward LASO!
There is more square miles to patrol in LA City than in the unincorporated areas of LA County! And LASO doesn't know the meaning of the term "fast Division" till you have worked 77th or S/E divisions, and the southern part of Newton where the SLA Shootout occurred. And what about the North Hollywood shootout, that's what caused many, many departments across the nation to begin using assault rifles LAPD included, before LASO.
I retired as a detective supervisor from LAPD and enjoyed investigating, solving and prosecuting. On LASO there is no rank of detective. Some call them selves detectives and some actually investigate crimes but they are all deputies and sergeants, thus there is no civil service protection for the rank. Upset the wrong person and you are transferred back to the jail!!
LAPD was the first department in the nation to have a SWAT team. We transitioned first to 9mm, before LASO and then 11 years later to the 45 and now to Glocks. LASO seems to be just following LAPD around, we try it and perfect it then LASO starts using it, jumps on the bandwagon and takes credit for it!

Also if you stand up straight and your knuckles DON'T touch the ground you don't qualify to be a LASO deputy!! j/k

I think you will find more different kinds of jobs on LAPD and it helps to be the largest law enforcement agency on the entire west coast.
And with a new chief things are looking better.

Both are fantastic departments with a difficult job!

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.... j/k

[SoCalDep]

It sounds like there are allot of people biased toward LASO!
There is more square miles to patrol in LA City than in the unincorporated areas of LA County! And LASO doesn't know the meaning of the term "fast Division" till you have worked 77th or S/E divisions, and the southern part of Newton where the SLA Shootout occurred. And what about the North Hollywood shootout, that's what caused many, many departments across the nation to begin using assault rifles LAPD included, before LASO.
I retired as a detective supervisor from LAPD and enjoyed investigating, solving and prosecuting. On LASO there is no rank of detective. Some call them selves detectives and some actually investigate crimes but they are all deputies and sergeants, thus there is no civil service protection for the rank. Upset the wrong person and you are transferred back to the jail!!
LAPD was the first department in the nation to have a SWAT team. We transitioned first to 9mm, before LASO and then 11 years later to the 45 and now to Glocks. LASO seems to be just following LAPD around, we try it and perfect it then LASO starts using it, jumps on the bandwagon and takes credit for it!

Also if you stand up straight and your knuckles DON'T touch the ground you don't qualify to be a LASO deputy!! j/k

I think you will find more different kinds of jobs on LAPD and it helps to be the largest law enforcement agency on the entire west coast.
And with a new chief things are looking better.

Both are fantastic departments with a difficult job!

First, our Sgt's had AR's in their cars pre N-Hollywood...At least our brass didn't take away our slugs. We do indeed have "actual" detectives such as the ones who worked the night-stalker case etc., etc, etc. LASD has been known as one of the world leaders in less-lethal technology and is not only the largest Sheriff's Dept. in the country (NYPD has LAPD beat for city depts, so no #1 there...) but operates the largest jail system in the free world, the same jail system that handles all LAPD's arrests...Oh yea, the courts too, and MTA, Metrolink, etc. I bet LAPD sees more than a few Sheriff's units operating in their jurisdiction within "LAPD's jurisdiction" but the opposite is far from true. Speaking of which, lets talk about jurisdiction...My station alone patrols areas that include urban, suburban, desert, foothills, and mountains, including a popular ski resort. We have stations that patrol beaches, inner city areas, industrial areas, upper class, middle class, lakes, etc. We have urban and rural search and rescue, dive teams, and we have AIR-5! I like my SL-20X...It's not in a shadow box, it's in my sap pocket, and speaking of which, we can still use those along with the carotid in the assaultive category. Our personal purchase handgun program was diverse well before Bratton came along and gave LAPD Glocks, and LASD's options continue to grow with the S&W M&P line and Sig pistols.

LAPD admittedly has us beat with personal purchase ARs and shotguns but we've had our share of AW armed bad guys....We handled 'em and that was that.

They are both good departments. I have my preference.

[retired]

Come on guys, let's not let this degenerate into a them vs us thread or it will be locked.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about a particular dept., but let's not put down each other's.

[Jonathan Doe]

During the 1992 riot, my LT authorized me to carry the Dept AR-15 because I was one of the few at my station who was qualified with AR-15, way before the North Hollywood shooting. Actually, the LAPD guys saw us carry AR-15 during the riot, and they were envious.

And, believe it or not, my Lt carried his M-1 Garand during the riot. I told him it was out of policy, and he just said shut up.

[9mmepiphany]

I think you will find more different kinds of jobs on LAPD and it helps to be the largest law enforcement agency on the entire west coast.

i think CDC is a bit larger

[Trigger Finger]

Keeping it friendly Boss!
"We do indeed have "actual" detectives such as the ones who worked the night-stalker case etc., etc, etc."
I retired in 2005 and LASO did not have detectives!! Like I said you had deputies and sergeants working as detectives in the many cases they handled, and they did a very good job but you did not have the civil service rank of detective that comes with its protections and benefits. I know this because for the last 7 years on my department I worked with LASO closely. I was into gang suppression and with Wes McBride (LASO) combined out gang systems into the CalGang system that went statewide.

"NYPD has LAPD beat for city depts, so no #1 there..."
I said the largest on the west coast!

"areas that include urban, suburban, desert, foothills, and mountains, We have stations that patrol beaches, inner city areas, industrial areas, upper class, middle class"
So does LAPD, we don't have a ski resort but we have a major shipping harbor and a international airport. We also have either the largest or second largest motorcycle unit in the state and our own air force. LAPD has over 20 helicopters!
I did not know LASO sergeants had assault rifles prior to 1997, I never heard of them being used by patrol.

I also have my preference and the fact that we are having such a detailed friendly dispute shows that both agencies have a huge amount to offer.

[Jonathan Doe]

Keeping it friendly Boss!
"We do indeed have "actual" detectives such as the ones who worked the night-stalker case etc., etc, etc."
I retired in 2005 and LASO did not have detectives!! Like I said you had deputies and sergeants working as detectives in the many cases they handled, and they did a very good job but you did not have the civil service rank of detective that comes with its protections and benefits. I know this because for the last 7 years on my department I worked with LASO closely. I was into gang suppression and with Wes McBride (LASO) combined out gang systems into the CalGang system that went statewide.

"NYPD has LAPD beat for city depts, so no #1 there..."
I said the largest on the west coast!

"areas that include urban, suburban, desert, foothills, and mountains, We have stations that patrol beaches, inner city areas, industrial areas, upper class, middle class"
So does LAPD, we don't have a ski resort but we have a major shipping harbor and a international airport. We also have either the largest or second largest motorcycle unit in the state and our own air force. LAPD has over 20 helicopters!
I did not know LASO sergeants had assault rifles prior to 1997, I never heard of them being used by patrol.

I also have my preference and the fact that we are having such a detailed friendly dispute shows that both agencies have a huge amount to offer.

Good for you who worked for the Big department. Obviously we work/worked at different departments with different operating systems. Detective in LAPD is a rank where LASD is an assignment with bonus pay. LASD in fact has Detective Bureau and station detectives.

Yes, LASD had AR-15's for a LONG time. Some of them are very old in fact. All of them are retro fitted with RRA receiver with EOTech sights, so they can be used with iron sights and EOTech sight. Deputies are trained to use both. And, as a matter of fact, LAPD still doesn't have their own 50 yard range to sight in their AR's as far as I know. They used to come to my LASD range to sight in their rifles.

When I attended the LAPD shotgun instructor school, we had to move the class to the Sheriff's Wayside range, because they didn't have enough range and ammo for the class at the LAPD academy range.

The difference is there, but both are still good agencies.