The birth of the "Bulldogs"



The Bulldog logo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau, has become one of the most recognized law enforcement insignias in the nation. Homicide investigations often require travel throughout the United States and sometimes abroad. When law enforcement professionals exchange memorabilia representing their agencies, the LASD "Bulldog" has become prized as a symbol of excellence.



The Homicide Bulldog was born more than 35 years ago when, on December 18,1977, the "Los Angeles Times" featured a story comparing homicide cases investigated by the Sheriff's Department with those investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department. In that article, a veteran prosecutor was quoted as saying, "You want to know why the Sheriff's conviction rate is so much higher in homicide, not just last year, but for several years? It is because the guys from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau are a bunch of bulldogs. From the time they are called to the murder scene, until we prosecutors get the case through the courts, they never let go and I mean on every murder case, not just the high publicity cases. They are routinely tenacious, and the investigator assigned to the case sticks with it until the end. There is no shuttling cases to somebody else like at LAPD. With the Sheriff's people, if you need follow-up done, they are marvelous; they are super. They even give you their home phone number in volunteering to help out".



In the same article a defense attorney with more than 10 years of trial experience was quoted, "I can tell you that almost every defense attorney I've ever talked to would rather try a murder case against LAPD than against the Sheriff's people. The Sheriffs are just tougher".



In the two decades since that story appeared, every detective in the Homicide Bureau places great importance on maintaining the investigative standards established so long ago. The highest compliment that one detective can award another is to say, "If someone in my family were murdered; I'd want you standing in my living room."