LAPD - Northeast 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), Northeast Division, it can cause a lot of worries.  Facing such a situation, it is normal to 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 prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise 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 perspective.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The LAPD Northeast Division is staffed with 268 sworn police officers and an unknown number of non-sworn staff personnel.

The Northeast Station serves the residents of Atwater, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Griffith Park, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Mt. Washington and Silverlake Northeast Area.  The Area covers 29 square miles  and has a population of about 250,000 people.

Atwater is more commonly called Atwater Village.  Much of the city lies in the fertile Los Angeles River flood plain.  Located in the northeast region of the city, Atwater Village borders Griffith Park and Silver Lake to the west, Glendale to the north and east and Glassell Park to the south.  The city’s eastern boundary is essentially the railroad tracks (originally, the Southern Pacific).  The area has three elementary schools—two public and one private. Almost half the residents were born abroad, a high percentage for the city of Los Angeles.

Initial residents included the newly created middle-class workers employed at the nearby Department of Water and Power substation.  The location between the Los Angeles and Glendale city cores made it a highly sought after residential neighborhood beginning in the 1920’s. The majority of homes and structures in Atwater Village have never been demolished (although many have changed in use or have been renovated), resulting in the neighborhood having one of the highest number of structures built before 1939 in Los Angeles County.

In recent years, the neighborhood has seen an increase in gentrification, but it there is a less desirable segment of the population involved in criminal street gangs, often Hispanic or Latino in nature, going back decades.

Cypress Park is a densely populated neighborhood of approximately 10,000 residents in Northeast Los Angeles.  It is near the intersection of the I-110 Harbor Freeway and the I-5 Golden State Freeway in an area surrounded by steep hills on three sides, it sits in the valley created by the Los Angeles and Arroyo Seco. 

The 2010 census characterized the city as "not especially diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with the number of Latinos / Hispanics considered to be high compared to the city at large—82.1% of the population.  Following were Asians at 11.1%; whites at 4.9%; African Americans at 0.6%; and others, 1.3%.  Mexico (73.2%) and China (6.3%) were the most common places of birth for the 52.5% of the residents who were born abroad—which was a high percentage compared to Los Angeles as a whole.

Eagle Rock is so named for a large rock (visible from the 134 Freeway) with the natural image of an eagle visible facing west.

The other cities that the LAPD Northeast Division patrols include East Hollywood, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Mt. Washington and the Silverlake northeast area.  Each of these areas are considered predominantly Hispanic or Latino, although Los Feliz is more “White” of these areas. 

Glassell Park is perhaps the roughest of these areas.  The neighborhood is located in a relatively hilly region of the San Rafael Hills mountain range and includes the Forest Lawn Cemetery visible to the west of the I-5 Freeway north of Griffith Park.  Due to its hilly geography, many Glassell Park homes are built on hillsides with views of the surrounding area.

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles: