Just the Facts, Ma'am

Year LAPD officers first wore badges: 1869

First and last time that an LAPD police chief was killed while in office: 1871

Year the first LAPD officer was killed in the line of duty: 1907

Year the first female LAPD officer (Tina Kerbrat) was killed in the line of duty: 1991

Year the first African-American LAPD officer (Charles P. Williams) was killed in the line of duty: 1923

Year the first two African-American police officers (Roy Green and Robert Stewart) joined LAPD: 1887

Year Hollenbeck Division (known then as Boyle Heights Substation) was created: 1889

Year the first policewoman joined LAPD: 1910

Year the Los Angeles Police Protective League was founded: 1919

Year the first Chinese-American was appointed as a special police official: 1913

Year the Venice Police Department was absorbed into LAPD: 1925

Year LAPD Academy was formed: 1936

Year last LAPD badge was adopted: 1940

Year LAPD’s police woman’s uniform made its debut: 1948

Year police headquarters was renamed Parker Center: 1966

Year LAPD created the first Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWAT): 1967

Year LAPD became the first agency in the nation to have its own staff psychologist: 1968

Year the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation was formed: 1972

Year the K-9 Unit was formed: 1980

Year DARE was formed: 1983

Year the Threat Management Unit of LAPD was set up to investigate high-level, serious stalking cases: 1990

Length of academy training in 1936: 3 weeks

Length of academy training today: 28 weeks

Number of trainees who joined the academy in 1936: 100

Approximate number of students enrolled at any one time at LAPD’s Police Academy: 50

Percentage of those who are women: 12

Average dropout rate at LAPD’s Police Academy: 1 in 10

Number of training hours it takes to become a police officer: 1,064

Number of failed attempts allowed before you are deselected from the Academy: 2

Amount of time you have to wait before you can reapply: 1 month

Number of months a new recruit is on probation once he signs up with LAPD: 18

Minimum age requirement to join LAPD: 21

Minimum age requirement to join LAPD in 1895: 25

Maximum age requirement to join LAPD: 40

Maximum age requirement to join LAPD in 1895: 35

Average age of an LAPD recruit: 27

Minimum percentage you must score in order to pass the oral LAPD interview, Test No. 2 in the selection process: 70

Hours it takes to go through LAPD psychological interview, Step 7 in the selection process: 2

Hours it takes to complete LAPD’s polygraph test for new recruits as part of the police-officer selection process: 3

Number of times a week LAPD offers its written test, Step 1 in the police-officer selection process: 5

Number of months you must wait in order to retake the written test if you fail the first time: 6

Number of months it takes to complete the police-officer eight-step selection process: 5

Physical requirements needed to join LAPD in 1869: broad chest

Percentage of body fat a male candidate must not exceed in order to join LAPD today: 22

Percentage of body fat a female candidate must not exceed in order to join LAPD today: 30

Weight requirements in 1895: 160 pounds or higher

Height requirement in 1895: 5’8"

Height requirement today: 5’0" and up

Vision requirements for police officers: not worse than 20/40 (unless you wear soft contact lenses)

Additional salary an officer will receive in longevity pay for staying in the class of police officer after 10 years of service: $144.42 per month

Number of vacation days an LAPD officer receives after one year of service: 15

Number of floating holidays an LAPD officer receives yearly: 13

Average annual salary of an entry-level police officer: $44,537 to $59,821

Annual salary of an LAPD sergeant I: $83,912

Annual salary of an LAPD detective I: $78,830

Annual salary of a lieutenant I: $98,496

Annual salary of a lieutenant II: $104,542

Annual salary of a captain: $106,633–$125,881

Annual salary of a commander: $139,116

Annual salary of a deputy chief i: $156,980

Annual salary of the chief of police: $247,338

Type of payment LAPD’s first officers received for their services: money collected from bounties, fees and fines

Monthly income of a police officer at the turn of the century: $80

Yearly salary of a patrolman in 1897: $1,000

Number of LAPD detectives in 1911: 3

Approximate weight of an LAPD Sam Browne belt, which includes holster, gun, pepper spray, handcuff case, handcuffs, keys, astro radio holder, magazine pouch, whistle and flashlight: 15 pounds

Weight of an LAPD badge: 3.3 ounces

Gun of choice for LAPD’s first police officers: 1874 Winchester rifle

Handgun of choice in 1936: .38 caliber Smith & Wesson and Colt Revolver

Type of gun the department issues its officers today: 9mm Beretta

Number of rounds a Beretta can shoot without reloading: 15

Number of rounds LAPD officers carry: 46 (three magazines plus one)

Amount of money the first city marshal was given to furnish his office: $50

Annual uniform allowance for an LAPD officer: $750 to $800

Year the first LAPD pilot was appointed: 1931

Number of helicopters in current LAPD fleet: 17

Number of hours a day LAPD helicopters are in the sky: 18

Age of oldest helicopter in LAPD’s fleet: 26

Number of hours a helicopter can remain in the sky at any one time: 2.5

Average shift of a helicopter pilot: 2.2 hours

Number of flight hours an officer must have before he is eligible to fly an LAPD helicopter: 100

Number of female helicopter pilots: 2

Number of years most pilots have spent on the job: 15

Farthest distance an LAPD helicopter can fly in one stretch: approx. 107 miles