Vice detectives, with their unwavering dedication, tirelessly investigate crimes that occur in a particular community. They conduct sting operations, go undercover, and use informants, all in the pursuit of catching those who commit specific crimes. Their efforts are particularly crucial in communities plagued by prostitution activities, providing a sense of security to the residents.

The vice unit of that particular community would search out who is involved with these prostitution activities – whether prostitution, pimps, or anybody involved. They would then try to infiltrate that activity and arrest the busy people.

Sometimes, they'll put female officers out on the street posing as prostitutes, with many other officers surrounding them. Sometimes they'll put people posing as pimps. They do all sorts of things.

The vice officers in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley are tasked with protecting the community. There is a significant drug problem in a particular neighborhood or area. The vice officers will arrive and begin conducting surveillance to determine how they will arrest individuals.

Another thing I've observed over the last twenty-five years of practicing criminal defense is that vice officers often target high-level criminals. They'll use informants, surveillance, and undercover work to figure out how to get the extensive criminal. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys will cover this topic in more detail below.

Investigation of Drug-Related Activity

Let's say someone is dealing a bunch of drugs in Los Angeles. The vice officers, with their strategic and meticulous approach, will identify the person and then target them, watching, following, and videotaping their activities. They'll send their officers in. They'll also send informants in to try to talk to that person and get them to commit a crime – catch them on the wire, see them on videotape.

So, if the vice patrol catches you, you'll be prosecuted in the courthouse that has control or jurisdiction over the area where you were arrested. You should hire a defense lawyer who is familiar with the community and has experience handling cases involving vice.

There are also vice narcotics detectives. They also do a lot of work. So, really, if I had to pinpoint it, vice detectives deal with the specific criminal activity that affects particular communities in the Valley.

They'll determine what's going on—whether it's drugs, prostitution, or any type of theft-related offense. Then, they'll determine how to solve this problem and identify the resources and personnel that can be utilized to address this particular issue.

Use of Informants in the Community

Often, they use informants in the community who are even paid to help them identify who is involved in the crime and how they can eradicate it from that community. This collaborative effort, whether it's narcotics, prostitution, or any other type of crime, ensures that the vice officers of that community are going to come in, put resources out, do surveillance, get video, get informant statements, and then start making arrests.

I've seen them crash stash houses and arrest ten people at a time if they think all ten people are conspiring to commit a specific crime. So, the key to defending yourself when these vice officers arrest you is to get an attorney who has experience dealing with these officers and the prosecutors who prosecute the crimes that vice officers investigate.

Often, particular prosecutors work directly with vice officers who, in turn, collaborate with the community to address problems. To defend yourself and not get trapped in that and not be made a statistic, you're going to want to get an attorney who can fight back for you, get your version of events across, and get you the best possible resolution that protects your rights, your freedom, your record, and your reputation.