Los Angeles Police Department

No police force in history has gained as much fame and notoriety as the Los Angeles Police Department. The acronym LAPD is practically synonymous with the idea of professional law enforcement. The men in blue who patrol Hollywood and the sprawling metropolis of L.A. have been investigated by screenwriters more times than vice versa. With more than 9,300 sworn officers today, the LAPD endures seemingly endless controversies and media circuses. But then there's the other side of L.A.'s protective shield--the story of the force's evolution alongside the spectacular growth of its unique melting-pot city. This book's rare and often never-before-published photographs focus on that side: the excitement, danger, tragedy, and comedy of everyday beat cops and workaday detectives--with concessions to their limelight representations, including Jack Webb's Dragnet and Adam-12.

Los Angeles Police Historical Society board members Thomas G. Hays and Arthur W. Sjoquist, both former LAPD captains, have combed through the files with the same devotion as their past investigations. They searched the historical society's voluminous records for compelling photographs never before seen by the public--images that reveal the heart and soul of the LAPD.