Our Story
Communications Division (CD) serves as a support entity for the entire Los Angeles Police Department. CD's Metropolitan and Valley Dispatch Centers are the Primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Los Angeles and the Emergency Communications Center for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). CD has the responsibility to answer all incoming 9-1-1 phone calls and text messages, as well as non-emergency police-related phone calls 24/7/365. When a 9-1-1 call or text message for the Los Angeles Fire Department is received, the caller is connected with the Fire Department, which serves as the City’s Secondary PSAP.
CD also provides dispatching service for all 21 Area Police Stations, 4 Traffic Divisions, Metropolitan Division, Security Services Division, Transit Services Division, and a variety of specialized units/divisions throughout the Department. We provide Tactical Dispatch support to field operations for pre-planned and spontaneous events . CD also operates the LAPD Department Operations Center.
CD is the largest command within the Los Angeles Police Department, deploying nearly 650 civilian and sworn personnel. We work in concert with the LAFD, as well as the Los Angeles Airport Police, Los Angeles Port Police, Los Angeles Park Rangers and Department of Transportation to provide public safety communications services for a population of over 4 million residents.