GTA Wiki
Register
Advertisement
GTA Wiki
19,722
pages

Obey and Survive.
— Motto of the LSPD.

The Los Santos Police Department (LSPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the City of Los Santos, San Andreas, appearing in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. The LSPD is based on the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Description[]

The Los Santos Police Department is famous for tackling crime in the most aggressive and unhinged way possible. This is through community outreach like stop and frisk, spectacular police chases and liberal use of stun guns and service revolvers.
— Rockstargames.com description

According to the badges on officers, the LSPD was established in 1889, nearly a hundred years after Los Santos was founded. Being a large police force, the LSPD appears to be well-funded and equipped, although unlike previous games, LSPD officers and cars very rarely appear on the streets of Los Santos.

For male officers, there are three character models: black, white, and Hispanic, but their facial features differ. While the black and white character model have dedicated voices (each having six voices), the Hispanic character model will have a random NPC voice (sometimes using a female NPC voice). Grand Theft Auto V is the first game in the series to also feature female officers; however, they are very rare. For them, there are only two character models: black and white, and each of them has their own voices.

The LSPD has jurisdiction over the entirety of Los Santos, as well as Del Perro, Davis, and Rockford Hills, despite those being different cities. They also have jurisdiction over Los Santos International Airport and the Port of Los Santos, despite their real-life counterparts having their own police departments (Los Angeles International Airport having the Los Angeles Airport Police and the Port of Los Angeles having the Los Angeles Port Police).

The only sure ways to find LSPD officers are at the LSIA, directly outside police stations, during pursuits of Street Criminals, or by dialing 911 in the in-game phone for the Police. Arrow stations also usually have an officer or two, particularly the underground ones. In Downtown Los Santos, foot patrols of two officers can be found within a two-block radius of the Mission Row Police Station, often interacting with the homeless that frequent the area. In other areas of Los Santos however, it is rare to find an occupied patrol car unless it is in pursuit of an NPC driver.

Behavior[]

LSPD officers are shown to be very aggressive and violent, with police brutality being very common, such as an officer shown pressing his baton against a suspect's neck in the lobby of the Mission Row Police Station during the mission Eye in the Sky. It is implied that the LSPD is heavily corrupt and systematically racist, and that they also hire and have sex with prostitutes, although this cannot be seen in-game. However, despite these, it is implied by the LSPD pilot in Eye in the Sky that there are actually good, non-corrupt officers in the LSPD.

LSPD officers are often too aggressive for their own good, letting their aggression take charge instead of common sense. This results in the LSPD appearing to be extremely incompetent and dim-witted. Their actions include, but are not limited to, severely damaging their own cars during pursuits, driving recklessly at full speed, standing still in the open while being shot at, shooting at armored and/or heavily armed vehicles with their mostly-inferior weapons, not calling for backup when overwhelmed by groups of suspects, driving over clearly visible spike strips and blowing out their own tires, taking cover behind or standing near a vehicle which is on fire and about to explode, shooting at oncoming vehicles, setting up roadblocks on the wrong side of the highway, rushing into areas that are obviously being watched and guarded by armed suspects, hitting other officers with their cars and sometimes killing them as a result, blindly charging a heavily armed suspect with no regard for their own life, completely ignoring orders to stay in formation or retreat, and firing their guns in a dark area which causes the muzzle flash to give away their position. They are, however, shown to follow at least one realistic procedure: if their lights and sirens are on, and they approach an intersection, they will slow down (unless close to suspect's vehicle) and switch their siren to the "phaser" tone at the intersection. Once they pass the intersection, they will switch the sirens back to the usual "wail" tone.

Against NPCs [Grand Theft Auto V][]

Occasionally, an ambient chase will occur randomly throughout San Andreas. One police vehicle can be encountered chasing NPCs (ranging from 2–4 NPCs) until they come to a complete stop. NOOSE in a Police Maverick can also spawn in these events. If this ambient event occurs near a police station, other officers in a vehicle and on-foot will find a way to join the pursuit (unless the event goes out of range). On the other hand, officers in their vehicles will sometimes activate their sirens and respond to a call. If the player follows the police, the officers will eventually find a random NPC in a vehicle and initiate a chase, similar to the ambient chase.

Unless it is a scripted random event, the player is not permitted to use force to attempt to assist in the capture of a pursued NPC suspect, as a wanted level will be attained and police attention will immediately switch to the player.

LSPD officers, as well as LSSD deputies and NOOSE operators, will fire on NPCs who harm them, including unarmed passing motorists who may accidentally hit officers with their vehicles.

Like the LCPD in GTA IV, the police can assist the player if they see NPCs attacking them or someone else. Although unlike the LCPD, they will open fire on sight instead of arresting them.

Against the Player[]


Structure[]

Site-logo
The accuracy of some information on this page has been disputed.
You can help by finding sources to prove the integrity of the information or by discussing any changes that could be made on the article's talk page.

The LSPD follow a rank and hierarchy system similar to the real world counterpart of the LAPD. Some of the LSPD officers have patches on their uniform sleeves which show their rank. To determine whether an officer is Police Officer I or II, officers with a tie and no rank on their shoulder will most likely represent Officer I because most rookies out of the academy wear a tie on the job. Officers that don't wear a tie and have no rank on their shoulder are most likely Officer II.

Senior Management[]

  • Chief of Police
  • Assistant Chief
  • Deputy Chief
  • Commander
  • Spokesman
    • Lee Whitless

Ranks[]

Divisions[]

On top of the regular patrol officers, the LSPD has separate divisions for certain tasks.

Traffic division[]

The LSPD has a traffic division responsible for ticketing vehicles illegally parked or instructing the driver to move. They wear white undershirts, blue button down overshirts, blue pants, black belts, green high-visual vests, and white hats. They only appear in the mission The Jewel Store Job and on TV in Mr. Philips. Albert Stalley is a member of the traffic division.

Water division[]

The LSPD has a water division, known as the Los Santos Harbor Patrol. Despite being part of the LSPD specifically, they will respond to players with a wanted level in the water anywhere on the map. They drive Predators and often patrol the waters around Fort Zancudo and the Los Santos International Airport.

Airport division[]

The LSPD have a division specifically for the Los Santos International Airport. On top of the regular LSPD uniform and hat, airport police wear bullet-proof vests. They are often seen patrolling the arrivals and departures zones in pairs, holding pump shotguns. If the player is close by with a wanted level, they will attempt to arrest the player if the wanted level is only one star, or shoot at the player if the wanted level is two stars or above.

Aviation division[]

The LSPD have an aviation division, who are trained to pilot air vehicles, such as providing air support in Police Mavericks to LSPD officers on the ground, and transporting informants in planes. The pilot's uniform consists of a green flight suit, brown shoes, and occasionally a white pilot helmet. They only appear in the missions Eye in the Sky and Extradition.

Stations[]

Main article: Police Stations

The Los Santos Police Department is large and organized, occupying a number of Police Stations throughout the city of Los Santos.

Dedicated LSPD Stations[]

Shared Stations[]

Equipment[]

Vehicles[]

Image Vehicle Description
PoliceCruiser-GTAV-front

The Police Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Cruiser Police variant of the second generation Stanier with black and white livery. Typically found patrolling around Mission Row and parked at various police stations, but not used as a regular pursuit vehicle.
PoliceCruiser2-GTAV-front

The Police Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Cruiser (Buffalo) Police variant of the Buffalo with black and white livery. Typically found patrolling around Mission Row, but not used as a regular pursuit vehicle.
PoliceCruiser3-GTAV-front

The Police Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Cruiser (interceptor) Vapid pursuit car with black and white livery. Department's main pursuit vehicle.
UnmarkedCruiser-GTAVe-front

The Unmarked Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto V.
Unmarked Cruiser Unmarked variant of the Police Cruiser with bullbar and window lights. Makes an occasional appearance at the Strawberry LST Station but is otherwise used exclusively during missions.
PoliceTransporter-GTAV-front

The Police Transporter in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Transporter Police variant of the second generation Burrito with black and white livery and window shields. Used as a roadblock vehicle at 3-5 star Wanted Levels, typically alongside spike strips.
PoliceRiot-GTAV-front

The Police Riot in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Riot Armored truck with NOOSE livery. Operated by the LSPD in normal gameplay, but is seen used by NOOSE during missions. Used as a roadblock vehicle at 4-5 star Wanted Levels.
PolicePredator-GTAV-front

The Police Predator in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Predator Coastguard boat with black and white livery. Found patrolled by the National Coast Guard in normal gameplay, but operated by the LSPD at 2-5 star Wanted Levels.
Utilized by the LSPD only during missions
SheriffSUV-GTAV-front

The Sheriff SUV in Grand Theft Auto V.
Sheriff SUV Police variant of the Granger with black and white sheriff livery. Operated by NOOSE in normal gameplay. Used by LSPD during some missions, such as The Fleeca Job and Special Cargo Steal Missions - Crash Site.
SheriffCruiser-GTAV-front

The Sheriff Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto V.
Sheriff Cruiser Variant of the Police Cruiser with white sheriff livery. Operated by Los Santos County Sheriff in normal gameplay. Used by LSPD during Paleto Score Setup.
StanierLECruiser-GTAOe-front

The Stanier LE Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto Online.
Stanier LE Cruiser Variant of the Police Cruiser, added to Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Chop Shop update. Features LSPD livery customization options.
GauntletInterceptor-GTAOe-front

The Gauntlet Interceptor in Grand Theft Auto Online.
Gauntlet Interceptor Police variant of the Gauntlet Hellfire, added to Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Chop Shop update. Features LSPD livery customization options, and utilized by the LSPD according to Vincent Effenburger during Scene of the Crime.
FIB2-GTAV-front

The FIB in Grand Theft Auto V.
FIB (Granger) Unmarked variant of the Granger with window lights. Operated by the NOOSE during normal gameplay, but used by the LSPD during some missions, including Chopper Tail and Crime Scenester.
PoliceBike-GTAV-front

The Police Bike in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Bike Police variant of the Sovereign with white LSPD livery. Found patrolled by the San Andreas Highway Patrol in normal gameplay, but used by LSPD during some missions, including Crooked Cop, Chopper Tail and GTA Today.
PoliceMaverick-GTAV-front

The Police Maverick in Grand Theft Auto V.
Police Maverick Police helicopter with black and white LSPD livery. Parked on top of police stations around San Andreas, but is operated by NOOSE in normal gameplay. Used by LSPD during some missions, including The Big Score Subtle Approach, The Paleto Score and Chopper Tail.
P996LAZER-GTAV-front

The P-996 LAZER in Grand Theft Auto V.
P-996 LAZER Military fighter jet. Operated by military in normal gameplay. Used by LSPD during some missions, including Extradition. HUD icon for the fighter jet is internally named "police plane".[1]
Titan-GTAV-front

The Titan in Grand Theft Auto V.
Titan Military cargo plane. Operated by military in normal gameplay. Used by LSPD during Extradition.

Weapons[]

Uniform[]

LSPD officers wear navy blue uniforms similar to that of their real life counterparts. They either wear short-sleeve or closed long-sleeve shirts with a black tie, with their badges being displayed on the left side. Chevrons are worn on the sleeves to identify the ranks of the officers. Around their waist is a duty belt, containing a dual-magazine pouch, a radio with a cord attaching to a shoulder mic, handcuff pouches and a holster containing a Glock 38. While officers can spawn with many accessories, such as shades, watches, and an arm cuff, those wearing duty hats will only be seen around police stations on foot.

Officers can also utilize police vests that function as body armor (providing more health). The vest replaces the utility belt and are worn by officers when the player has a 3-star wanted level and higher. Officers patrolling LSIA wear this body armor, often wearing duty hats and/or shades. Female officers, however, do not use body armor.

The badges are silver and gold in color with an oval shape, differing from the rounded teardrop shape of actual LAPD badges, with two points framing the top of the badge while also having a badge number. Furthermore, it features a design of two officers in riot gear dragging a civilian instead of the city seal.

The detectives from the Unmarked Cruisers do not wear uniforms, and primarily wear tuxedos instead, with no visible identification of being LSPD units.

LSPD Command Pilots wear pale green coveralls with matching gloves, grey boots, and sometimes wear a utility belt. Their coveralls have Police Command Pilot patches on both sleeves and an LSPD Wings patch on their right breast with a standard Police Officer badge on their left breast.

There is an unused LSPD uniform for Michael. At one point in Grand Theft Auto Online, an LSPD uniform could be worn by the GTA Online Protagonist after the Heists update, but was shortly patched in later updates.

Prominent Mission Appearances[]

Grand Theft Auto V[]

Grand Theft Auto Online[]

Heists

The Diamond Casino Heist

A Superyacht Life

The Cayo Perico Heist

Los Santos Tuners

The Contract

The Chop Shop

Image Gallery[]

Official Screenshots[]

In-Game[]

Trivia[]

Site-logo
This article needs to be cleaned up to meet the standards of the GTA Wiki.
Notes: Merge and prune

  • The LS Quik newspaper describes the LSPD as the "most violent police force in the world".
  • If the player obtains a wanted level during Three's Company, Dave Norton will state that their training lasts only two weeks, and that Michael should have no difficulties to lose them.
  • The LSPD's motto, "Obey & Survive", is an obvious parody of the LAPD's motto, "To Protect and to Serve", altered to reflect the accusations against the LAPD (and by extent against the LSPD) of excessive violence.
    • In addition, the police badge strongly resembles that of the LAPD, except it features what appears to be two officers dragging a civilian down the steps of City Hall, another reference to excessive LSPD violence. The design is lifted from the patch of the LCPD.
  • While the LSPD is not shown to enforce traffic laws in-game, it is implied they do, an example being a Weazel News radio report about police stopping a car with a dead person in it on the Del Perro Freeway.
  • An in-game news article that says a man was arrested for using his camera phone to film LSPD officers who promptly shot his dog for "good measure" is likely based on a real-life incident from 2013, where a man in Hawthorne, California was arrested for using his phone to film Hawthorne police officers at a crime scene, and an officer shot the man's dog after it barked and leaped at them.[2][3]
  • The LSPD pilot in Eye in the Sky mentions "minority quotas" the LSPD implemented in order to help boost their reputation. This may be based on the real-life practices of the LAPD, who began implementing policies of hiring more black, Hispanic, and Asian police officers after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
  • In incidents where there may be multiple wounded civilians or officers on the ground, there is a chance that police officers will try and pull nearby wounded civilians or officers into cover. If a civilian is taken into cover, they will still be on the ground in pain (paramedics will dispatched, who will heal them), while an officer will stay at their side and protect them. However, if an officer is taken into cover, it will take around 15 to 20 seconds (less if paramedics are healing them) for them to get back up, pull out a pistol, and resume to shoot at the player. Paramedics will rarely succeed, however, as they will flee if any shots are fired, and the police will continuously shoot at the player.
  • The design on the peaked caps worn by LSPD officers is the star symbol seen on Los Santos County Sheriff vehicles, despite the fact that they are different agencies. A similar situation applies to the LSPD patch, which also features the star. This is most likely a developer oversight.
  • If the player has a wanted level, and officers don't have a police vehicle near them, they will get into parked civilian vehicles or commandeer them from traffic. The player's vehicle may be subject to this: if a player parks their vehicle near a police station, and a pursuit occurs that does not involve the player, a police officer may take their vehicle.
  • If the player or an NPC is being chased by police while in sight of other officers on foot, the officers on foot will get into nearby police vehicles to assist their fellow officers.
  • Some LSPD officers may announce themselves as Globalpol.
  • The LSPD officers at Bolingbroke Penitentiary use Assault Shotguns instead of Pump Action Shotguns. This makes exploring Bolingbroke Penitentiary dangerous, as their weapons provide deadly close range firepower.
  • In some Switch Scenes, LSPD officers may be given differing weaponry.
    • In the Switch Scene where Trevor tries to explain his crimes while being chased by the LSPD, the initial pursuing officers will be unarmed and will only use their fists.
    • In the Switch Scene where Franklin stops Lamar from taunting two LSPD officers, the officers will only be armed with stun guns.
  • Officers will copy how the player's vehicle maneuvers through the road almost directly, which may have been done to minimize crashes during pursuits. However, if they do crash, it is possible that they will give up and stop giving chase to the player.
  • For some unknown reason, if all officers have despawned or have been killed, but there is still a police vehicle remaining nearby, an NPC may walk up quickly, steal it, and drive off erratically.
  • It is more likely for a police chase with an NPC to start if the player enters their safehouse.
  • Officers do not use the pistols that are strapped in their belt, using a different pistol instead.
  • Officers will rarely become angry at the player for greeting NPCs in the Mission Row Police Station. Also, when Trevor taunts them, they will become angry and threatening after two taunts, and will then attack Trevor if he insults them a third time or insults another nearby officer.
  • When the player equips a Minigun or a Rocket Launcher during combat with the police, some officers will warn the others about the weapon that was pulled.
  • The LSPD possesses drones, which can only be seen during the Heist Prep: Nano Drones mission in GTA Online.
  • During Heist Prep: Riot Control Van, Gruppe Sechs guards are seen operating the RCV that the players must steal, implying that in 2017, the LSPD likely contracted Gruppe Sechs to handle any riot situations.

References[]

Navigation[]

[ ve ]Law enforcement agencies in the HD Universe
Liberty City IVLCPD-GTA4-logo Liberty City Police Department | Liberty-City-Port-Authority-Logo-1 Liberty City Port Authority
Alderney IVState police logo Alderney State Police | ASDOC Logo TLAD Alderney State Department of Corrections
San Andreas V
SAHP San Andreas Highway Patrol | SAPR-GTAV-RangerDetail San Andreas State Park Rangers | SASPA GTA V San Andreas State Prison Authority
Los SantosLSPD logo GTA V Los Santos Police Department | PortAuthorityofLosSantos-GTAV-Logo The Port Authority of Los Santos
Blaine CountyLSSD Los Santos County Sheriff
North Yankton VNorthYanktonStatePatrol-Logo-GTAV North Yankton State Patrol
Leonida VI
Leonida Department of Corrections | POACH Protection of Animals & Controlled Hunting
Vice-Dale CountyVice-Dale Police Department | Vice City Police Department
Leonard CountyLeonard County Sheriff
National/unknown IVNOOSE-GTA4-logo National Office of Security Enforcement | FIB logo Federal Investigation Bureau | IAA International Affairs Agency | Internal Affairs Division CW | Military CW | DOA logo GTA V Drug Observation Agency | NationalCoastGuard-GTAV-Logo National Coast Guard V | Motor Officers V | Bureau of Narcotics * | Central Intelligence Agency * | Globalpol V * | DrugEnforcementAdministration-3DUniverse Drug Enforcement Administration O * | The Marshal V *
* denotes enforcement mentioned only

IV denotes introduced in Grand Theft Auto IV
CW denotes introduced in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
V denotes introduced in Grand Theft Auto V
O denotes introduced in Grand Theft Auto Online
VI denotes introduced in Grand Theft Auto VI


Category:Law enforcement agencies | Category:Police departments
Advertisement