Special Operations Division - Air Operations Section

LA Impact

In late 1990's public opinion polls showed that Southern Californians believed narcotics to be the most serious criminal problem faced by law enforcement.  Because of the crackdown of drugs entering through Miami, drug smugglers had shifted their activities to the west, and many law enforcement agencies considered Los Angeles County to be the new drug distribution hub for the entire nation. To combat these and other related issues, the Los Angeles County Police Chief's Association along with the heads of the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department agreed that the time had come to join forces and devise a regional solution.  As a result, LA IMPACT - the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan police Apprehension Crime Task Force - was born.

At that time, the Pasadena Police Department was a member of the San Gabriel Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (SGVNET) providing a dedicated helicopter and crew (pilot/observer) to the team.  With the inception of LA IMPACT, SGVNET along with WESTNET, SEANET and members of state and federal agencies were consolidated and became members of LA IMPACT, a multi jurisdictional task force. 

Since its birth on July 1, 1991 to December 31, 2001, LA IMPACT has produced the following results:

• Investigations - 3000+

• Search Warrants - 1,4959

• Arrests - 4,609 (78% of all arrests resulted in formal felony charges - virtually all resulted in conviction)

Weapons Seized:

• Handguns - 1077

• Rifles - 195

• Assault Rifles - 434

• Shotguns - 140

Narcotics Seized:

• Cocaine - 123,589 pounds

• Marijuana - 68,528 pounds

• Hashish - 16,600

• Methamphetamine - 12,307 pounds ($73+ million wholesale value)

• Heroin - 245,612 grams ($26+million wholesale value)

Other Property Seized:

• Homes - 17

• Lear Jet - 1

• Vehicles -337

• Currency - $79,805,439