"Just The Facts" ... About The LAPD Quiz

Answer: To Protect and to Serve

The motto originated in February of 1955, when an internal publication for the department, "Beat" magazine conducted a contest to come up with a motto for the police academy. The conditions of the contest stated that, "the motto should be one that express some or all of the ideals to which the Los Angeles police service is dedicated. It is possible that the winning motto might be adopted as the official motto of the department".

The winning entry was submitted by Officer Joseph S. Dorobek. "To Protect and the Serve" served as the LAPD academy motto until by city council action, it became the motto for the entire Los Angeles Police Department in 1963. The motto appears on LAPD patrol vehicles as a symbol of commitment to service. "To Protect and to Serve" has become one of the most recognizable phrases in law enforcement. It has come to embody the spirit, commitment, and professionalism of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Answer: Board of Police Commissioners

The LAPD is headed by a five member civilian Board of Police Commissioners, who serve as would a corporate board of directors, setting policies for the department and overseeing its operations. The board works in conjunction with the chief of police, who acts as chief operating officer and reports to the board.

Answer: Los Angeles Rangers

The Los Angeles Rangers were a voluntary force that assisted the existing county police force. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers were replaced with the Los Angeles City Guards, another volunteer group of citizens. Unfortunately, neither force was considered to be effective in their task, and the City of Los Angeles became known for gambling, violence, and vice activities.

Answer: 9,500

The LAPD was staffed with just over 9,300 sworn officers, and was supported by a civilian staff of 3,000 employees.

The LAPD has traditionally maintained one of the the smallest police departments for American cities with a population over one million (1,000,000). The LAPD ratio of one sworn officers to every 10,000 citizens remained one of the lowest in the nation.

The LAPD is responsible for providing police protection and services for an area of 473 square miles, with a population of over 3.5 million people.

Answer: use of air support units

The use of ASTRO (Air Support to Regular Operation) affords a smaller police department to to successfully complete assigned and assumed duties in a more effective manner. With the use of air support, fewer ground-based units are required at crime scenes and to secure an area. The presence of air support over crime scene significantly increases the "sense of security", for both citizens and responding officers. Ground units in contact with air support units can establish and maintain a tactical advantage in questionable or dangerous situations. Vehicle pursuits managed by air support units is positive, direct, and reduces associated police liabilities. Response time of air units to crime scenes can often lead to quick apprehension of suspects, and provide responding ground units with an "Aeriel observation platform" of the crime scene location.

The LAPD maintains one of the largest civilian air forces in the world. The LAPD's Air Support Division (ASD) resources includes 21 helicopters (four Bell 206 Jet Rangers, 16 Eurocopters AS350-B4 Ecureuils, and one Bell UH-1 Huey) one Beechcraft Kingair A200 airplane, and one unspecified unmanned air drone.

Answer: False

The first SWAT team was developed and deployed by the police department in Delano, California. Delano is a farming community north of Los Angeles in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County. The small police department in Delano organized a special squad of officers equipped with special weapons to address a volatile labor dispute involving the labor group, United Farm Workers, and the property owners and growers.

The labor dispute gained national attention and extensive media coverage. LAPD personnel watching the coverage on television, contacted the Delano Police Department to inquire about their special squad. One LAPD officer was granted permission to go to Delano and observe the training and preparation of the special squad. Upon returning to Los Angeles with the newly acquired information, plans were made to expand and refine the program for use by the LAPD. LAPD Officer John Nelson worked on the refinements of the basic concept, and formed a special weapons and tactics unit for the LAPD.

The basic idea was to have a specially trained and equipped team of officers to respond to and manage critical situations, including shootings and hostage scenarios while minimizing police causalities. With the approval of LAPD Inspector Daryl F. Gates (who would later become LAPD's chief), the first LAPD SWAT team was formed. When at full strength, the LAPD SWAT unit, also known as Platoon "D" of the Metro Division, is staffed by 67 highly skilled sworn officers. This includes a commanding lieutenant, and six squads of 11 men each. Each squad is lead by a supervising sergeant, and each squad is divided into two five man units, known as elements.

Answer: True

In 1909, social worker Alice Stubbins Wells petitioned Los Angeles Mayor George Alexander and the city council requesting that an ordinance provision for a Los Angeles policewoman be evaluated.

On September 12,1910, Wells was appointed as the nation's first female police officer with arrest powers. On the first day of her appointment, Wells was furnished with a Gamewell (telephone call box) key, a book of rules, a first aid book, and a policeman's badge.

As was the custom at the time, a police officer could ride the trolley cars free while going to and from work, but when Wells displayed her badge to the conductor, she was accused of misusing her husband's identity. The problem was later remedied when the city presented her with policewoman badge number 1.

Answer: uniformed police patrol

Following successful completion of eight months of police academy training, police officers are assigned to one of the geographic police divisions to serve as patrol officers.

Probationary officers are assigned to a training officer during their one year field training. The next two to three years are spent in patrol assignments.

Special assignments such as Air Support, Motorcycle Units, or Metro Division require extensive experience prior to application. Police officers are eligible to compete in the police sergeant or police detective exams after four years of service. Qualified officers are eligible to compete for over 250 jobs assignments within the department.

Answer: citywide enforcement unit

Created in 1933 as a high impact mobile crime fighting unit, the Metropolitan Division unit, referred to as "Metro", has city wide assignment jurisdiction and focuses on the suppression of criminal activity. Metro provides support to the community-based police operations by deploying additional crime suppression resources throughout the city including additional uniform patrols as well as responding to high risk barricade or hostage situations, stake-outs, security details, warrant service, and assisting investigators in solving major crimes.

Entry to Metro Division required officers to have attained high proficiency ratings within the department, and four years of experience. Candidates for Metro Division must be in top physical condition, and pass a stringent physical fitness test and oral interview.

The Metro Division is comprised of 350 sworn officers and 16 civilian employees. The Metro Division is divided into five field platoons (B, C, D, and E and K-9) and one administrative support platoon. Platoons B and C provides crime suppression and performs special enforcement missions. They target repeat offenders and criminal predators. In addition to some of the same duties performed by platoons B and C, platoon D is also the base for the department's SWAT teams. Platoon E is the department's Mounted Service Unit. The unit is comprised of 29 horses (and officers to ride them) and is used primarily for special events, crowd control duties, and for some crime suppression efforts.

K-9 platoon is comprised of highly trained handlers, and their canine partners. Their duties includes suspect searches, apprehension of felony suspects, and search and rescue missions.

Answer: William H. Parker

Originally known as the Police Administration Building (PAB), the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters was renamed in honor of Chief William H. Parker, shortly after he suffered a fatal; heart attack on July 16, 1966.

Parker served with the LAPD for 39 years, including the longest reign (16 years) as chief of the department. He was credited with transforming the LAPD into a world renowned and respected law enforcement agency. Before Parker became chief of police, the LAPD had earned a reputation for brutality directed toward minority communities. Police corruption was a constant problem, and the image of the department had been badly tarnished. In addition to making appearances at community functions where he delivered police department positive speeches, Parker also advocated a smaller police force, believing that fewer officers would mean less corruption. Parker also reduced foot patrols in favor of police cars in the belief that isolating his officers from the street would reduce opportunities for corruption. To help boaster the public perception and image of the LAPD. Parker approved a request from television producer Jack Webb for access to LAPD files and technical advisers to be used for his planned fact-based, police-positive television series, "Dragnet". Parker went as far as the authorize the use of actual LAPD badges to be used on the show. The badges were brought to the television filming location each day by one of Parker's aides. A police sergeant on Parker's staff who wrote speeches for the chief, also assisted in writing ideas for episodes of the new "Dragnet" series. That speech writer, LAPD Sergeant Gene Roddenberry would later leave the LAPD to become a full time television writer. Ten years later, Roddenberry created and wrote the series "Star Trek". Known for his emotionless, analytical style of management, Chief William H. Parker is said to have been the model for Roddenberry's "Star Trek" character, Mr. Spock.

"Parker Center", sometimes referred to as the "glass house" due to its architecture style, remains as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department.