Los Angeles Police Department Resources - Police Stations

Police Stations

The Department's deployment of officers has reflected the growth and changes of the City of Los Angeles since the late 19th century. The earliest police station (or "division" as the early ones were known - this term was originally meant to mean the Patrol Division but over time this term became commingled and substituted for what today we would refer to as the actual brick and mortar police building the divisions were housed within) was Central Division, located in what today would be known as downtown Los Angeles on the southeast corner of 1st and Hill Streets. This station opened in 1896 and as the Department's first dedicated police station (another had been located at 2nd/ Spring Streets, but was possibly a leased or rented storefront type of set-up). The Central Jail was located directly south of it. "Old Central" as it came to be known, housed not only Central Division but also many of the Department's headquarters units until its closure in about 1955 in favor of Parker Center. The following is a listing of other Los Angeles Police Stations through the years, along with their original division numbers:

• 01 Central Police Station.
• 02 Lincoln Heights Police Station. This station was closed by the 1940s and its number deactivated. The number was reactivated in 1966 for Rampart Police Station.
• 03 University Police Station. Name changed to Southwest Police Station.
• 04 Boyle Heights Police Station. Name changed to Hollenbeck Police Station.
• 05 San Pedro Police Station. Combined in 1962 with Wilmington Substation and renamed Harbor Division.
• 06 Hollywood Police Station.
• 07 Wilshire Police Station.
• 08 Sawtelle Police Station. Renamed West Los Angeles Police Station.
• 09 Valley Police Station. Renamed Van Nuys Police Station.
• 10 Wilmington Substation. This station was deactivated and its number later reassigned to West Valley Police Station.
• 11 Eagle Rock Division. This station's name was changed when moved to Highland Park (approximately 1920's) and then again to today's Northeast Police Station.
• 12 77th Street Police Station.
• 13 Newton Street Police Station.
• 14 Venice Police Station. Renamed Pacific Police Station.
• 15 Georgia Street Police Station. This station was deactivated and its number was later reassigned to North Hollywood Police Station.
• 16 Foothill Police Station.
• 17 Devonshire Police Station.
• 18 Southeast Police Station.
• 19 Mission Police Station.
• 20 Olympic Police Station
• 21 Topanga Police Station

The city's largest growth period was from approximately the late 19th century through the 1930s when the city grew at a geometric rate. Approximately 100 smaller portions were added to the original five square mile Pueblo. Of these, about 90 were formerly unincorporated county lands. The remaining ten portions had been their own incorporated cities. These included the cities of: Watts, Venice (originally Ocean Park), Hollywood, San Pedro, Wilmington, Barnes, Hyde Park, Eagle Rock, Sawtelle and Tujunga. Generally when the city consolidated another existing city, its police officers became LAPD officers with corresponding ranks and titles at the LAPD, per the city charter. LAPD would create a new Division, named after the city that had been consolidated and would continue using the prior city's police station, usually replacing these facilities with larger police stations within a few years.