A new Sheriff's Deputy is awarded her badge. Image from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Sheriff of Los Angeles County oversees the largest sheriff's department in the United States, providing police services to all unincorporated county areas, all county parks, public venues and facilities, 38 county courthouses. It also has police service contracts with 42 of 88 Los Angeles County municipalities and the 10 campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District. The department is the second largest police agency in the nation. Sheriff's patrol deputies respond annually to about one millions calls from among almost 3 million residents. Its patrol area spans 3,159 square miles. Sheriff's investigators conduct an estimated 77,000 criminal investigations each year.
The Sheriff also manages the nation's largest jail system, supervising more than 17,000 jail inmates at any given time and transporting more than half a million inmates per year between jails and the county's 38 courthouses. The county's newest jail facility, Twin Towers, is the largest jail facility in the world.
The Sheriff also provides courtroom bailiffs and serves process for L.A. County's enormous court system.
The Sheriff also provides police services for all Metrolink train routes and the entire bus and light rail system of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Although the Sheriff's Department has often been portrayed in television shows and motion pictures as has the LAPD, it never achieved the same level of international acclaim and recognition.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department handles an estimated 1,200,000 calls for patrol service each year and conducts an estimated 77,000 criminal investigations.
Hall of Justice, 211 West Temple St, Los Angeles 90012; (213) 229-1700
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Custody Operations
Patrol Operations
Countywide Operations
Last report found was for 2020
| Sex & Race | 2020 | 2015 | 2008 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 82% | 82% | 84% | 85% |
| Female | 18% | 18% | 16% | 15% |
| White | 31% | 41% | 47% | 57% |
| Hispanic | 53% | 43% | 37% | 28% |
| Black | 8% | 9% | 10% | 10% |
| Asian | 6% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| Filipino | ---* | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Native American | ---* | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
* No breakdown data was provided for this racial category in 2020, other than 3% of sworn members were classified as a race other than Asian, Black, Hispanic or White.
Source: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (through its Court Services Division) operates a fleet of prisoner transportation coach-style buses (82 at last count), driven by deputies who drive more than 3.2 million miles in one year.
2020 (Budgeted Positions):