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public safety

Image of a deputy wearing a tan Sheriff's Uniform riding a 4 wheel motorcycle. he is riding on a beach with the ocean and skyline behind him.
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Beach Patrol Mission

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Announces the Beach Patrol Mission

On Saturday, May 28th, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) will officially kick off the LASD Beach Patrol Mission, which will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The beach patrol will consist of members from the Sheriff’s Response Team and the Mounted Enforcement Detail.

The team will perform high visibility patrol to assist LASD beach partners with extra patrol from Playa del Rey to Malibu. The LASD Homeless Outreach and Mental Evaluation Teams will be available and part of the deployment throughout the summer.

“Summer is upon us and the last couple of years have been challenging for everyone. I want to remind the community that we’re doing our best, we’re stretching our resources so that people feel safe wherever they are, including the beach areas of Los Angeles County. This summer, the LASD Beach Patrol Mission will be visible throughout our beaches so that visitors and the community have a great time at the beach,” stated Sheriff Villanueva.  

The Sheriff’s Department wants all residents and visitors to our LA County beaches to have a safe, and enjoyable summer. Please visit our social media pages for additional information. 

Sheriff Villanueva is standing at a podium infront of a TV that reads. "Dramatic Rise in crimes. Quality of life issues involving homlessnes on the Metro.
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LASD Operation Safe Travel

Sheriff Alex Villanueva announces LASD Operation Safe Travel

Within the last six months, there have been several crimes in the Metro system including people pushed on train tracks, unprovoked attacks on passengers by homeless individuals. Sexual assaults on female passengers, and a patron intentionally set on fire while riding the train have also been reported. Several of these crimes resulted in fatalities. 

According to Metro, approximately 5700 homeless people live on the train system and on the Metro platforms. This has created an enormous problem for those whose only transportation option is the train system.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference to announce a new initiative to keep the public safe while they ride the Metro system. 

“The biggest problem we have right now on the entire transit system, is we have a homeless population that are living on the train system and on the platforms. And the intersection of that, and the people that are actually using the trains for their intended purpose, for travel, is colliding and it’s colliding with deadly results,” said Sheriff Villanueva.     

To halt the grave problem and to ensure the safety of Metro passengers, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) is launching Operation Safe Travel. This will be a multi-layered approach to conduct targeted operations along the train system. The goal of the operation will be the safety of commuters by having high law enforcement visibility and the removal of homeless individuals from trains and platforms through homeless outreach and early intervention. Right now, security officers request assistance from deputies when a situation is out of their control and sometimes that intervention comes late. With early intervention, deputies can interact with an individual showing distress so that the situation does not escalate.  

Resources for the operation will include members of various units and bureaus from the LASD including the Sheriff’s Response Team, Community Oriented Policing Services, Homeless Outreach Services Team, Transportation Services Bureau Special Assignment Team, Mounted Enforcement Detail, Narcotics Bureau, Operation Safe Streets, Human Trafficking Detail and other units and bureaus from the Sheriff’s Department.  

Operation Safe Travel will begin on June 1st, 2022, and the first step of the multi-layer approach will be to remove individuals living on the transit system. LASD wants train commuters to see the difference and feel safe while using the Metro.

Train commuters and riders are encouraged to call this number to report any Metro non-emergency concerns: (213) 229-2298

Press Conference Video

Press Conference Material

Power Point – PDF

Image of a taped off street. Yellow tape reads: Sheriff's line do not cross. end of a police car is in the front and in the distance a congregation of sheriff's Deputies.
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Arrests made in a series of armed robberies

Six cities in the County of Los Angeles have been impacted by a series of armed robberies in recent days. Hard working deputies from several of our patrol stations along with detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau – Major Detail finally made a breakthrough and arrested three juvenile suspects in connection with those robberies. On December 14, 2021, Metro Detail investigators responded to armed robberies occurring in the city of Norwalk and in the city of Industry.

During their investigation, detectives discovered that they were looking for one to two suspects described as male Blacks and armed with a handgun. Additionally, detectives were also able to identify the suspects’ vehicle and a license plate. The license plate was entered as a “Felony Vehicle – Armed and Dangerous,” which alerted all LASD patrol stations in the County of Los Angeles. Shortly after, the suspects committed another armed robbery in the city of Bellflower.

A Lakewood Sheriff’s Station patrol deputy, patrolling his area, spotted the suspect vehicle and conducted a high-risk traffic stop. During the traffic stop deputies recovered over $1000 USD, and evidence linking the juvenile suspects to multiple robberies. The handgun used in these multiple incidents, is still outstanding. Several victims and witnesses positively identified the juvenile suspects as the ones who committed these armed robberies at the various locations.

Major Crimes Bureau – Metro Detail arrested three juvenile suspects responsible for a series of armed robberies that occurred between December 12 to December 14, 2021 at multiple gas stations, and convenience stores in the cities of Bellflower, Industry, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Whittier, and Downey. The juvenile suspects are currently detained, and the criminal case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.

Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau – Major Detail at 562-946-7150. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org

image of a person in an orange jumpsuit in hand cuffs, being lead down a dark hall, Text reads, "Make the Right call, dont drink and drive.
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Drugged and Drunk Driving Prevention Month

National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month

Millions of us will be traveling to visit friends and family over the holidays. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department encourages everyone to have a holiday game plan that includes a designated sober driver.

During the pre-Christmas and New Year’s holiday season Nov. 30 till well past the New Year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will have additional deputies on patrol looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Tragically, there is an uptick in impaired drivers during the holidays. During the 2019 Christmas (Dec. 24-Dec. 26) and New Year’s Day (Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 2, 2019) holiday periods, there were more drunk-driving related deaths (210) throughout the country than during any other holiday period in 2019.

“We want everyone to enjoy the holidays and be safe,” Sergeant Robert Hill said. “The more people who plan ahead and find a safe, sober ride home from holiday parties and get togethers, the merrier.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that a “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana can also impair, especially in combination with alcohol and other drugs. Driving under the influence (DUI) can have serious consequences. Call a friend, call a cab, or use a ride share app but make the right call. Don’t Drink & Drive!

Sheriff Villanueva speaking at a podium surrounded by Consulates from the Asian and Pacific Island nations of LA County
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Archive – Zero Tolerance For Hate Crimes In Los Angeles County

Press Conference: Sheriff Villanueva, Along With Local Asian Community Groups, Call For Zero Tolerance For Any Hate Crimes And Incidents In Los Angeles County

On Thursday, March 25, 2021, Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference in front of the Hall of Justice to announce his support for the Asian community.  He was joined by; Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles, Akira Muto; Honorary Consul General of Cambodia in Los Angeles, Mr. Kim Chha Hout; Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, Kyung Jae Park; Mayor of Monterey Park, Yvonne Yin; Mayor of San Gabriel, Chin Ho Liao, the support of Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles, Zhang Ping, the Sheriff’s Community Advisory Counciland other highly respected community leaders.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in hate crimes against the Asian-American community. The fatal shooting of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, is the latest attack against Asian-Americans, and it shook the nation. Unfortunately, it was not an isolated incident. On Sunday, March 21, 2021, a man disrupted a ‘Stop Asian Hate’ protest in Diamond Bar by driving through a group of protesters while hurling insults against China.

Sheriff Villanueva called for zero tolerance for hate crimes in Los Angeles County, especially towards Asian Americans. He urged people to report crime by calling 911 if it is an emergency, contacting a local law enforcement agency, or remaining anonymous by calling LA Crime Stoppers at 800-222 or by visiting lacrimestoppers.org.

Undersheriff Tim Murakami talked about his experience as a 4th generation Asian-American. He explained that historically, the Asian community has been very quiet. For the most part, they accept things, overlook them and move on. He urged the community to stand up as a group and realize “they’re Americans, they have the right to be here, they have the right to be respected and the right to be protected.”

Sheriff Villanueva reminded everyone that everyone is looking for the same things in life, security and a sense of belonging at the end of the day. “If you’re a recent arrival or you’ve been here for generations, all of you are welcome in Los Angeles County. We welcome you in this great nation of us,” he concluded.