LAPD - Southwest 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), Southwest 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 normal 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 valuable to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be good 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 Southwest Division is responsible for a population close to 165,000 over an area of  approximately 13.11 square miles.  The area is bordered by the I-10 freeway on the North, I-110 Harbor Freeway on the east, Vernon Avenue on the south and La Cienega Boulevard on the west.  This includes the areas of Baldwin Village, Baldwin Vista, Crenshaw Community, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, Crenshaw District, West Adams Community and University Park.

The demographics of the area is best described simply as diverse.  While it is true that Hispanics / Latinos compose the majority of the people in the area, there is also a large African American population, as well as a large Asian population.  The population of Whites in the area is significantly less than to the south in Torrance and the Beach Cities.

The station has 352 sworn personnel and thirty-two civilian personnel.

The area is populated by many African American and Hispanic gangs, but such gangs are not known for being as violent as those to the east in the Watts and South Central areas.

The Southwest Division, experiences various forms of gang crime, including shootings, robberies, harassment (including vandalism and graffiti), drug sales, possession of stolen property and robberies.  LAPD officers in the Southwest Division’s gang enforcement unit execute search warrants, conduct crime suppression, and investigate crimes involving gang members.  It is quite common for such officers to find felons in possession of firearms and suspects in possession of firearms with serial numbers scratched out.

Our office has defended a gang member in an attempted murder case arising after an arrest by the LAPD’s Southwest Division.  The case was ultimately dismissed after almost a year when gunshot residue evaluation of evidence was inconclusive.

In 2013 and 2014, resurgent home prices in South Los Angeles spurred interest among many young professionals into moving into Leimert Park and among other areas within the region. Observers took note with mixed feelings: fears of gentrification (because it pushes rent upward and displaces the poorest renters to dangerous neighborhoods) and hope for increased business investment.  The trend continued with 2021 seeing a jump in house prices.

Within Leimert Park, African Americans made up 79.6% of the population, with Latinos at 11.4%, Asians at 4.9%, White at 1.5%, and other races at 3.2%.

The Crenshaw District, which many consider the heart of the African American community in Los Angeles,  suffered significant damage from both the 1992 “Rodney King” riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, but was able to rebound in the late 2000’s with the help of redevelopment and gentrification.

In 2006, the population of Crenshaw District was around 27,600. Currently, there is a huge demographic shift increase in which many middle and lower-class African Americans and Latinos are migrating to cities in the Inland Empire as well as cities in the Antelope Valley (Lancaster and Palmdale) as a result of gentrification.  The gentrification process continues into 2010's as the Crenshaw Mall has been approved for a major renovation plan that will include apartments, shops, and more restaurants.