The 1984 Summer Olympic Games were awarded to Los Angeles in 1978. Preparations for the Summer Games began in 1979 with the assignment of a commander and a lieutenant to initiate planning. Eventually, an Olympic Planning Group grew to 50 personnel, eager to show the world that the Los Angeles Police Department was up to the task.
The 23rd Olympiad opened in Los Angeles on July 28th and closed on August 12, 1984, and became known in the Department as "The Sixteen Days of Summer."
The Department was mobilized for 33 days and coordinated Olympic assignments with regular patrol and traffic assignments. The Department had the daunting task of supplying, equipping, and feeding personnel for the biggest and longest unusual occurrence (UO) in Department history – and doing it all on a limited budget. Virtually every member of the Department had a role in making the Olympic Games a tremendous success.
The LAPD proved what a well-staffed and adequately equipped police agency can accomplish. The high caliber of professional and courteous service continues to elicit compliments from around the world.
inside the lapd 
