About the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is the largest sheriff's department in the world.
In addition to specialized services, such as the Sheriff's Youth Foundation, International Liaison and Employee Support Services,
the Department is divided into ten divisions, each headed by a Division Chief.
There are three patrol divisions (Field Operations
Regions I, II and III), Custody Operations Division, Correctional Services Division, Detective Division, Court Services Division,
Technical Services Division, Office of Homeland Security, Administrative Services Division, and Leadership and Training Division.
The Sheriff's Department of Los Angeles County was formed in April, 1850. Elections for the
office of Sheriff were held annually until 1882, when the term was increased to two years; in 1894 the term was increased
to four years. The first Sheriff of Los Angeles County was George T. Burrill and his staff consisted of two Deputies.
Twenty-four men have served Los Angeles County as Sheriff since 1850: nineteen were elected
and six were appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve the unexpired term of their predecessors. Two were killed in the
line of duty. Of those appointed, four were re-elected to the office. The youngest man ever elected to the office of Sheriff
was William B. Rowland, who was sworn in when he was 25 years old (in 1871), and was re-elected three times. The record for
the longest consecutive service goes to Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz, who completed 51 years in the department, from deputy in
1907, to being appointed Sheriff in 1932 and then retiring in 1958. Our previous Los Angeles County Sheriff, Sherman Block,
entered the department as a Deputy Sheriff in 1956 and continued up through the ranks until he was appointed by the Board
of Supervisors to succeed Sheriff Pitchess in 1982. In June of 1982, Sheriff Block was elected to a full four year term as
Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
Source:
lasd.org/
lasdabout.html
lasd.org/
aboutlasd/history.html
