Los Angeles

Los Angeles (ⁱ/lɒs ˈændʒəlᵻs/ loss AN-jə-ləs or loss AN-jə-liss) (Spanish for "The Angels"), officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States after New York City, the most populous city in the state of California, and the county seat of Los Angeles County.

Situated in Southern California, Los Angeles is known for its mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, sprawling metropolis, and as a major center of the American entertainment industry. Los Angeles lies in a large coastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains reaching up to and over 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was officially founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood. The city experienced rapid growth with the discovery of oil.

Sheriff

In principle, a sheriff is a legal official with responsibility for a "shire", i.e. county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country.

Sheriffs in the United States

In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive in law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. While the position of a County Sheriff is typically an elected one within the United States, many states (such as California) have state laws requiring that a person possess certain law enforcement qualifications before being able to run for the office. The political election of a person to serve as a police leader is an almost uniquely American tradition. However, examples exist, such as the Honorary Police of Jersey, a British Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands, have been elected since at least the 16th century.

Overview

The law enforcement agency headed by a sheriff is commonly referred to as a "sheriff's office" or "sheriff's department". According to the National Sheriffs' Association, an American sheriff's advocacy group, there were 3,085 sheriff's offices and departments as of the end of 2008. These range in size from very small (one- or two-member) forces in sparsely populated rural areas to large, full-service law enforcement agencies, such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which is the largest sheriff's office and the seventh largest law enforcement agency in the United States, with 16,400 members and 400 reserve deputies. The average sheriff's office in the United States employs 24.5 sworn officers.

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, with a population of more than nine million people, is the most populous county in the United States. It has 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas and at 4,083 square miles (10,570 km²) it is larger than the combined areas of the states of Rhode Island and Delaware. The county contains more than one quarter of all California residents and is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the country.

History

Los Angeles County is one of the original counties of California, created at the time of statehood in 1850. The county originally included parts of what are now Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties. As the population increased, sections were split off to organize San Bernardino County in 1853, Kern County in 1866, and Orange County in 1889.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 4,751 square miles (12,310 km²), of which 4,058 square miles (10,510 km²) is land and 693 square miles (1,790 km²) (15%) is water. Los Angeles County borders 70 miles (110 km) of coast on the Pacific Ocean and encompasses mountain ranges, valleys, forests, islands, lakes, rivers, and desert. The Los Angeles River, Rio Hondo, the San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River flow in Los Angeles County, while the primary mountain ranges are the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains. The western extent of the Mojave Desert begins in the Antelope Valley, in the northeastern part of the county. Most of the population of Los Angeles County is located in the south and southwest, with major population centers in the Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley. Other population centers are found in the Santa Clarita Valley, Pomona Valley, Crescenta Valley and Antelope Valley.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), sometimes referred to as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office (LASO), is an American law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first, followed by Los Angeles Police Department and then Chicago Police Department.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is the largest sheriff's department in the United States, and provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, serving as the equivalent of the county police for unincorporated areas of the county, as well as incorporated cities within the county who have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "contract cities"). Forty-two of the county's 88 municipalities contract with the Sheriff's Department to provide local police protection. These cities range in population from 800 to 177,000, and in size from 1 to 100 square miles.