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LA Community Policing
 LAPD community / volunteer programs
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LA Community Policing

The Los Angeles Police Department needs and wants your help. There are numerous LAPD programs designed to created volunteer opportunities, promote partnerships with the community, or instruct the residents about the workings of LAPD.

Participating in these, Angelenos can make a real difference, increasing public safety and improving the quality of life.

Here is a list of some of them, each with a brief description. Whenever possible there's an indication of how much training or commitment is required from the community member.

Note: Not all programs are currently available in all parts of the City. You'll need to check with your Division's Community Relations Office to find out what's offered in your area:

.....ADULT:  
Volunteer Programs - volunteers serve as a bridge between officers and civilians as they represent their communities in all aspects of Department-related functions; included are Neighborhood Surveillance Teams, Video Surveillance, Ham Radio Watch, Graffiti Abatement, Station Assistance, Youth-At-Risk Programs, Youth Centers, Jeopardy Youth Programs, Crisis Response Teams, Detective Assistance, Community Service Centers, Neighborhood Watch
C-PABs - Community Police Advisory Boards; volunteers from each of the 18 Areas whose role is to advise the Area commanding officer regarding crime and quality of life issues, and to disseminate information back to the community
SLO Program - Senior Lead Officer program; provides the vital link that helps unite the LAPD and the communities it serves by ensuring that community problems are brought to the attention of the Department or other agencies
CRO Offices - Community Relations Offices; through them the police and the community share responsibility for identifying, reducing, eliminating and preventing problems that impact community safety and order
Neighborhood Watch - program that enlists the active participation of groups of local residents, in cooperation with law enforcement, to reduce crime in communities throughout the city, neighborhood by neighborhood
Block Captains - community members who have volunteered to represent their particular block or neighborhood and who pass along concerns and recommendations, often to the Senior Lead Officer, for handling
Business Watch - business owners, managers and employees who meet with Area officers and are taught valuable crime prevention techniques that help them reduce losses and criminal opportunity
Booster Associations - have a membership of private citizens and business members who assist with offsetting some of the financial cost of items and services required by the police station which are not covered by the Department's budget
Safe Parks - provides members of the community with a safe and secure family atmosphere at their neighborhood parks; coordinates government and community to address serious and nuisance criminal activity in parks
Safe House - community members join together to building the neighborhood "Safe House" program; a Safe House is a home or business where a child may go for safety or assistance when encountering a threat or other emergency
VST - Volunteer Surveillance Teams; community members who receive special training in surveillance, and help the police capture rapists, graffiti taggers, drug dealers, burglars, auto thieves, and juvenile delinquents
DART - Domestic Abuse Response Teams; trained community members respond to the scene of a domestic violence call to provide intervention through family counseling, referrals to shelters, and other assistance
Reserve Officers - comprised of community members who receive complete training as an officer at the Police Academy, and then volunteer their time to fulfill many of the roles handled by full-time sworn police officers
Community Police Academy (Adult) - a mult-week course, taught one night a week at the Police Academy; designed to develop a partnership between the police and the members of the community, the Academy provides students with an inside look at the LAPD and various facets of law enforcement
.....YOUTH:  
Youth Programs - a number of programs that encourage young people to avoid drugs and gangs, stay in school, and contribute positively to society; included are Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), Jeopardy Program, Explorer Program, Police Activity League (P.A.L.), Deputy Auxiliary Police (D.A.P.), Police Academy Magnet Schools, Community Police Academy for Youth
Explorers - provides special community and civic training training that, among other things, prepares young people, 14 to 21, for a career in law enforcement; a forum in which young people can provide non-hazardous community service
Magnet Schools - a rigorous high school curriculum developed for youth expressing an interest in a career in law enforcement, introducing students to the world of law enforcement through education, training, volunteering and mentoring
Internships - university students who are enrolled in the Criminal Justice Program may perform a one- or two-term internship, learning about administrative functions and basic detective techniques
Jeopardy Program - a gang prevention / intervention program for boys and girls ages 8 through 17 and their parents targeting "at-risk" youth and offering a variety of educational and physical projects, from tutoring to martial arts
D.A.R.E. - Drug Awareness and Resistance Education; gives children the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence, using techniques that include question and answer, group discussion, and role-play
Community Police Academy (Youth) - a collaborative program between the LAPD's Operations Central Bureau and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that provides youngsters with an inside look at the LAPD and various facets of law enforcement; helps youth understand and appreciate the Department