Editing Los Santos Police Department (section)

== History ==
The Los Santos Police Department was founded in 1853 during the San Andreas Gold Rush as a voluntary militia. Due to the city’s early lawlessness, the militia, known as the '''San Andreas Rangers''', merged with the Los Santos City Guards in 1869 to form the first paid police force. The next twenty years were turbulent, with fifteen Police Chiefs serving until Chief William C. Rockford implemented reforms, transforming the department into a cohesive law enforcement agency.

During the 20th century, the department expanded, with the first female officer sworn in 1911. Both World Wars reduced manpower as officers served in the military. Post-war corruption led to decades of anti-corruption efforts, highlighted by the '''Bloody Easter''' scandal in 1952, which brought issues of police brutality into public discourse.

[[File:Placeholder_RifleTeam.jpg|thumb|LSPD Rifle Team, 1890]]

=== Downtown Vinewood Shootout (1997) ===
On February 28, 1997, the LSPD responded to a bank robbery at the Pacific Standard Public Deposit Bank on Vinewood Boulevard. Suspects Garry Phelps Jr. and Emilio Materasu engaged officers with high-caliber automatic weapons, forcing a tactical response. SWAT intervention was required after multiple officers were wounded. Both suspects were neutralized, and the incident led to the introduction of the '''Urban Patrol Rifle''' (AR-15) and .45 caliber semi-automatic pistols for regular officers.

=== C.R.A.S.H. and the Mission Row Scandal ===
Originally formed in the 1970s as TRASH (Total Resources Against Street Hoodlums) and later renamed CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums), this specialized anti-gang unit was disbanded in 2000 following corruption investigations. Officer Luca Morales’ testimony exposed systemic misconduct, including falsified reports, planted evidence, and use-of-force violations, resulting in the creation of the '''Gangs & Narcotics Division''' with stricter entry requirements.