1930s Los Angeles Police Department Motor Officer on 1928 Indian Scout 101 Motorcycle.
Credit: Facebook group “Cars & Motorbikes Stars of the Golden era”
The Palisades American Legion Post 283 was founded in 1928 by 19 residents and town leaders that included Clifford Clearwater and Telford Work, who launched the town’s first newspaper, The Palisadian.
There was no police presence in the town, but a motorcycle officer was assigned to make nightly visits to the Palisades. According to The Palisadian, “Riding a saddle-seat made out of horse hide [the officer] sputters here over Beverly Boulevard [now Sunset] about 11:30 each evening. . .Remember then the hour of Paul Revere’s ride! He comes and goes at 11:30 p.m. Schedule your misfortune, tragedy, hard luck, or whatever it may be accordingly.”
Legionaires convinced the City of Los Angeles to rent a space for law enforcement in the Business Block building for $10 a month.
Whatever happened to the substation that existed at one time?
The American Legion found two historic letters in its files with explanations and are being given to the Historical Society.
J.S. McKnight, Councilman 3rd District wrote on February 15, 1932
My dear comrades:
I am in receipt of your letter of the 22nd, relative to the removal of the police station at the Pacific Palisades, for which I thank you.
Owing to the necessity of saving funds wherever possible, the Police commission was compelled to close the station there. However, I have been informed that radio car #84 has been consigned to patrol your district, and I believe you will get better protection from the radio car than the station. If you have any complaints to make on the radio car services, please notify Inspector Francis Hawtrey in the City Hall and he will be glad to take care of any deficiencies in the service in your district.
Sorry I cannot be of more help to you in this instance, but believing it will work out to everyone’s satisfaction int the long run, I am Fraternally yours, J.S. McKnight
A second letter from the Board of Police Commissioners to American Legion Post 283 was dated March 11, 1932
Your communication protesting against the abandonment of the Pacific Palisades Substation was presented to this Board at a regular meeting Tuesday, March 8, 1932, and I was instructed to notify you that the City Council had already taken action canceling the lease; consequently, this Commission had no authority to take further action in the matter.
However, I was instructed to notify you that a radio car would cover the Palisades District and that arrangements had been made with the telephone company for residents of this district to dial 28018 which is a direct line to West Los Angeles Police Station without a long distance call being necessary.
Incidentally, statistics coving the Communication division prove conclusively that the radio car can and does answer calls with greater celerity than a patrolman on foot could possibly cover his beat. Yours very truly, Arthur G. Baraw, Secretary.
(Editor’s note: After almost 100 years, this community continued to beg for police presence. In response, Palisades received the LAPD Beach Detail, which patrols for homeless encampments in the hillsides to help prevent fires, but are pulled whenever another area needs extra police. Additionally, this area now has a Senior Lead Officer, and if there are no emergencies elsewhere, a car occasionally drives through the area.)
I wouldn’t mind so much IF they would at the very least put cameras up on Sunset which then in turn cite speeding drivers with hefty fines. I would also like to see cameras at stop signs which residents have complained about drivers going right thru them because they don’t know how to read STOP. And lastly cameras are needed at PCH and Chautauqua for all drivers who use the left lane to enter PCH instead of using the right lane. It would be an easy way to get the funds for an official police car at least once a week and pay for the cameras. It’s a win win.