LAPD - West Los Angeles Station

If you, a loved one or a family member has been arrested by or is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), West Los Angeles Division, it can cause a lot of worries. Facing such a situation, one will need to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release. It is also common to ask what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime.

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is worthwhile to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement. It can be valuable to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crime the department investigates and just a bit about the area’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful. This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such insight.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The LAPD West Los Angeles Division is responsible for the areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Beverly Crest, Beverly Glen, Beverlywood, Brentwood, Century City, Cheviot Hills, Crestview, Glen Ridge, Pacific Palisades, Rancho Park, Roscomare Valley, Rustic Canyon, San Vicente, Sawtelle, West Los Angeles, Westwood, La Cienega Heights and Santa Monica Canyon.

The station has 243 sworn personnel and an undisclosed number of civilian support personnel.

The areas patrolled are generally upper middle class residential neighborhoods, although the areas of Century City, Sawtelle, West Los Angeles and Westwood have more businesses.

Cheviot Hills, a city of just 1.54 square miles, has served as the filming location of movies and television shows due to its convenient location between Sony Studios and Fox Studios. The neighborhood has also long been home to many actors, recording artists, and television and studio executives. As of 2010, the population was 78.8% non-Hispanic White, 9.1% Asian, , 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American and 2.5% from other groups. Japan (8.8%) and Mexico (7.7%) were the most common places of birth for the 20.8% of the residents who were born abroad—considered a low figure for Los Angeles.

Benedict Canyon is perhaps most well known for being the location of the August 1969 murders of Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s pregnant wife, and four others were killed by members of the Manson Family at the couple's 10050 Cielo Drive home. The place was later renamed 10066 Cielo Drive, and ultimately the house was razed, and another erected in its place.[9]

Author and LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary spent the last years of his life in a house in Benedict Canyon, where he died in 1996.

Century City is the home of many high-rise office buildings. Our office has represented perhaps more than 20 people cited for shoplifting at the Westfield Century City Mall. The district was developed on the former backlot of film studio 20th Century Studios and its first building was opened in 1963.

The Sawtelle neighborhood is noteworthy for its thriving Japanese American community, busy restaurants and arthouse movie theaters. It has strong roots in Japanese American history. In recognition of its historical heritage, the area was designated Sawtelle Japantown in 2015.

There is some gang activity within the area, but it has decreased considerably since the early 2000s. The Sotel 13 gang has claimed Stoner Park and its surrounding community as its territory since the 1950’s, and as of 2012 gang graffiti could still be found throughout the neighborhood.

The Sawtelle neighborhood is home to the massive Westwood Veteran’s Administration facility to the west of the I_405 (San Diego Freeway) and the Los Angeles National Cemetery, which is located east of Interstate 405, between Sepulveda Boulevard and Veteran Avenue. It contains the remains of some 85,000 veterans and family members from the Mexican War to the present.

Below is the Google Map to the LAPD West LA Station.