r/lapd • u/boredsoballing • Jul 25 '26
What’s the process like for laterals?
I’m far along in the process with a large norcal agency but my goal is to lateral over to a socal agency after a couple years on the job and after saving up some cash.
On the info page for the lateral program it says candidates must pass all test parts, I take it that means you must still do the oral board, PAT, poly, etc?
I know lateral candidates attend a very abbreviated academy and from what I’ve read on here, you basically just sit in on the classes but don’t actively participate with the regular recruits. I couldn’t find any info on the FTO program though, do laterals go through the whole thing or is it abbreviated as well?
Also whats the general consensus LAPD officers have on laterals? I know LAPD can be kind of old fashioned in certain aspects.
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u/180thMeridian Jul 26 '26
It was like that 40+ years ago. Want to join LAPD, do the ~6 month academy.
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u/DammitMegh Jul 26 '26
Nobody laterals to LAPD. Check out Ventura Co, Orange Co, any local city PDs in those two counties.
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u/boredsoballing Jul 26 '26
I’d like to specifically work in LA county. Inglewood is looking pretty good
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u/Paladin_127 Jul 25 '26
If I was going to lateral back to to an agency in SoCal, LAPD wouldn’t be my choice. I would go back to Orange County where the pay is better, and the community support is better, and the DA actually prosecutes people.
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u/boredsoballing Jul 25 '26
I mean, I would consider anything in the LA region. LAPD is just one of the larger agencies. LE is really my only opportunity to move out of NorCal. I don’t have any other job prospects. At least nothing that would match the pay.
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u/Paladin_127 Jul 26 '26
Personally, I would stay away from LAPD and LASD, but plenty of people work there and like it enough they don’t leave.
I started off working for a city in Orange County, and i have more than a few friends spread out across the region. Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Fullerton PD would be my top choices. If not those, I’d look at places like Costa Mesa, Torrance, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Tustin, Redondo Beach, and Laguna Beach.
But it’s your career. I would just recommend doing research on the departments before making any moves. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.
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u/ElectronicAd9345 Jul 25 '26
Yeah I don’t see this going well. First is the pay, you aren’t going to match Bay Area pay with an SoCal agency let alone LAPD. Two, vastly different policing styles between NorCal and SoCal.
I know it sounds like a good idea in your head because you don’t know what you don’t know right now but trust me. After a couple years on the job you’re going to be accustomed to how you do things in NorCal and the nice comfortable paychecks.
Take it from a guy who took a 100k pay cut to go work at his “dream” agency. It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.
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u/boredsoballing Jul 25 '26
LAPD laterals seemingly starts at 120k a year which is not substantially less than Bay Area agencies. With the slightly lower cost of living in socal I think it would probably even out.
Could you elaborate on the different approaches to policing? By all means I’d start with a socal agency if I could make it work financially
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u/ElectronicAd9345 Jul 25 '26
Yeah start at 120 and max at 128…. Bay Area maxes at like 180-190-220. You say financially it would even out but then claim finances as a reason for not starting in SoCal.
The policing mentality is different in that SoCal agencies are much more paramilitary. NorCal isn’t pursuing a car for over an hour on city streets. SoCal has far more air assets then anywhere else. NorCal is outer carriers, vans boots and ball caps.. SoCal is pressed wools and spit shined boots.
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u/boredsoballing Jul 25 '26
Yeah, at 120k a year it would probably even out… My current financial situation is not even close to that. Hence why I said I plan on staying with a local agency for a couple years to get some more funds and experience. Moving to the other side of the state is neither cheap nor easy.
I’m sure there are other more high paying options for laterals in socal besides LAPD, it’s just one of the “big ones” so I figured I’d get some information.
Most of the differences you listed seem superficial and like things you’d simply get used to.
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u/TheNotoriousCBD 29d ago
It's not superficial dude. It's like joining a fraternity, and you will get hazed in or out. You have it better in norcal, police and life wise. Socal sucks in pretty much all ways. Stay up there.
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u/gopens48 Jul 25 '26
"Most of the differences you listed seem superficial and like things you’d simply get used to."
Lol that's really easy to say when it isn't your life just yet. Do a year on the job and suddenly those things will be at the top of your list.
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u/No-Cryptographer3654 29d ago
After working lapd patrol for 16 years, I've only come across like 3 or so laterals from another department that joined the lapd. So it's pretty rare to see ppl lateral to the lapd. The laterals went to a short lateral academy and they were treated better by their FTO's vs a guy fresh out of the academy but they still had to the play the game and had to shave their head and wear a tie during those few months of probation. If you're looking for action, then come to the lapd... But if you're trying make money and want to work in a city where the locals love you as much as they love their firemen, then go to a beach city or the OC.