Los Angeles Police Department

In 1869, the Los Angeles City Council organized the city's first paid police force. The unit had only six officers, and they did not receive traditional salaries. Today, there are approximately 9,000 uniformed officers and 3,000 civilian employees of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) charged with maintaining law and order in the city's 468 square miles. Los Angeles Police Department follows the force's evolution from a small band of crime fighters to one of America's most well-known, cutting-edge police departments.