POLICING THE CITY OF ANGELS

A Look at the Los Angeles Police Museum

- Steven Kuo

Los Angeles sprawls across roughly 500 square miles in Southern California, surrounded by mountains, valleys,and the magnificent Pacific coastline. As the second-largest city in the United States, behind New York city, it’s populated by around 4 million residents, enjoying its famously sunny, semi-arid, Mediterranean climate.

After the Mexican-American War in the mid-1800s, the United States took control of California, and Los Angeles was officially incorporated in 1850. In Spanish, Los Angeles means “the angels,” and the city has garnered the nickname the “City of Angels.”

But for a city with such an idyllic name, it’s had to deal with more than its fair share of criminal activity. In the 1850s, a volunteer police force struggled to deal with a burgeoning population and lawlessness in the dusty, western town. Finally in 1869,the city established its first paid police force, hiring six officers to work two shifts under the direction of City Marshal William Warren.

With the discovery of oil, expansion of industry, and meteoric entertainment business, Los Angeles has grown exponentially since then, as has the Los Angeles Police Department. As of 2020, the LAPD operates a $1.2 billion budget, with nearly 10,000 sworn officers amongst a total of 12,000 employees.

Despite controversies across its over 150 years of existence, the LAPD has been and continues to be on the forefront of law enforcement, public safety, and community engagement in Los Angeles. And with such a wide scope and large budget, the LAPD has also been on the cutting edge of tactics and equipment.

THE LOS ANGELES POLICE MUSEUM