The internal structure of the two departments is not that different, while the areas covered and the number of officers in each department varies greatly. The LAPD covers more territory and does so with a smaller force, also relying more on the patrol car than the officer on a beat than is true in London (or in many other American cities, for that matter). The LAPD has also been characterized as a more paramilitary organization than many police departments, and this would mean more than the Metropolitan Police as well. Of course, another major difference generally known is that the police in London do not carry guns as a rule (except under special circumstances), while the Los Angeles police do carry guns. Indeed using those guns often leads to problems for the police as shootings are questioned at various levels. Specific issues such as the Rodney King Beating in the 1990s and the subsequent riot produced a number of reports and recommendations, notably those from the Christopher Commission and those from the RAND Corporation, with the latter recommending that the department "adopt a concept of police professionalism that incorporates...
Each department has been held out as a model for others to emulate.
References
Making the LAPD a Model for Training Police Officers in the 21st Century (2003). RAND Research Brief, retrieved November 19, 2006 at http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6015/index1.html.
Structure of Policing in London (2006). Metropolitan Police, retrieved November 19, 2006 at http://www.met.police.uk/about/organisation.htm.
Sworn Police Officer Class Titles and Job Descriptions (2006). The Los Angeles Police Department, retrieved November 19, 2006 at http://www.lapdonline.org/join_the_team/content_basic_view/9127.
