2710 West Temple
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-352-4700
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Underwater Dive Unit (UDU) has been in operation since 1957. It was originally assigned to the Criminal Conspiracy section, but in 1990 it was reassigned to Air Support Division. Again in 2000, it was reassigned to the Uniformed Support Division. In 2006, the UDU was moved to Metropolitan Division to increase the unit’s logistical support. Department divers have participated in hundreds of recovery operations in its history and are responsible for the investigation of numerous underwater crime scenes, as well as homeland security sweeps and searches. Divers have recovered significant amounts of stolen property, weapons used in crimes, aircraft, and bodies from various underwater locations throughout the city of Los Angeles.
All UDU members have assigned duties in various other commands within the LAPD and perform the UDU missions as a collateral or ancillary duty. Two of the members, the Assistant Officer-in-Charge and the logistics officer, have a full-time assignment as UDU personnel assigned to Metropolitan Division.
UDU personnel come from a diverse cross section of the diving community, with previous experience from military, commercial and recreational diving. The UDU has four officers trained as emergency medical technicians, eleven certified instructors and most team members are certified rescue divers.
The UDU team personnel breakdown
Underwater Dive Unit Mission
Dive team members routinely dive in the Los Angeles Harbor, the Los Angeles River, City lakes, canals, streams, reservoirs and coastal surf. Their mission is to perform all investigations and other needed police work which must be performed underwater. In addition, the Underwater Dive Unit (UDU) has land searching capabilities via metal detectors for evidence that may be buried or hidden in heavy brush/dense growth areas. Requests for Department dive resources are made telephonically through the Department Command Post or Metropolitan Division. The UDU is also a leading member of the Port Dive Operations Group (PDOG).
The Underwater Dive Unit provides monthly instruction at the Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center (MLETC) and is a leading member of the Center that trains all Police/Public Safety organizations in Law Enforcement on the water.
Duties and responsibilities
Equipment
In addition to SCUBA equipment, the UDU has the following support equipment:
**Equipment was donated by the Los Angeles Police Foundation**