Live in Los Angeles for long enough and you will get to know the sound and sight of helicopters chasing suspects or hovering over crime scenes. LA does not have the ideal number of street cops for the size of its population, so the police have taken to the skies to get a better view. This does not mean that there are no patrol cars driving the streets. Each municipality has its own force, and then there is the California Highway Patrol, made famous in the 1970s television series CHiPs, and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the largest in the world. You can tell the difference between them by noting that the police wear dark blue, while CHP officers and sheriff’s deputies have khaki-coloured uniforms. While CHP officers stay on the road, police officers and sheriff’s deputies can be called upon in an emergency, to help settle a minor dispute, or give directions. Members of all three departments can and do give out speeding tickets.