The Sheriffs Department is responsible by charter, to provide municipal police services to the one million residents in the unincorporated communities throughout Los Angeles County. In addition, forty of the county's eighty-eight cities contract with the Sheriffs Department to provide local police protection. These cities, ranging in population from 700 to 150,000, and in size from 1 to 100 square miles, represent very diverse communities with equally diverse needs. The Sheriffs Department works closely with each of these communities to provide a level of service that reflects those individual needs. Services can be provided on a regional basis with other communities, with the benefits of cost sharing, or on a fully dedicated basis.

Local identity is an important element to our policing efforts. In many cities, this is partly accomplished through the development of community based policing facilities. And, along with the resources provided on a daily basis, our cities can call upon the entire range of services or equipment provided by the largest Sheriff s Department in the world.