The department's last
police chief was Gary S. Newton.
The department was established as a security force in 1979. A peace officer component was created in the late 1980s and reorganized in 2003 when
Los Angeles City Council members
Wendy Greuel and
Jack Weiss proposed to create the Office of Public Safety by merging the many city security services (General Services Police, Library Security, City Park Rangers, Convention Center Security, and Los Angeles Zoo Security) into one centralized division of the Department of General Services. In July 2012 through January 2013, the department and its duties were absorbed into the
Los Angeles Police Department.
As of 2007, GSPD was authorized 112 police officers and over 350 security officers and support staff with an annual budget of over 30 million dollars excluding employee benefits. The department patrolled over 470 parks, 72 libraries and 900 municipal buildings. It was the 10th largest law enforcement agency in L.A. County. The department was also responsible for citywide contract security services as well as physical and technology based access and surveillance throughout the city (excluding proprietary departments).
The department was dissolved by the Los Angeles City Council. The City Council voted to close the department to save the city money and as a result, police and security personnel were transferred into the new Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Security Services Division, Division #36.
