Lakewood Sheriff outlines virtual deputy service and FAST pilot to speed reporting and free patrol time in Hawaiian Gardens

Lakewood Station Captain Daniel Hogan told the Hawaiian Gardens City Council on Oct. 8, 2025, that the sheriff's station has launched a virtual deputy service and a Field Arrest Support and Transport (FAST) pilot intended to speed nonemergency reporting and reduce patrol downtime.

The virtual deputy program supplements the sheriff's online reporting and tracking system (SORTS) by allowing residents to schedule a Microsoft Teams appointment with a deputy to file certain reports and submit photos or video evidence. Captain Hogan said the service is appointment-based, recorded for documentation, and intended to reduce wait times and free deputies for priority calls.

The program is limited to incidents that meet screening criteria on the station's webpage; Hogan listed common examples handled by the virtual deputy as identity theft, thefts from vehicles, burglaries and vandalism. He said SORTS covers limited property reports (stolen or lost property valued at $950 or less, vandalism under $400) and that virtual deputy appointments are available up to 30 days in advance. Hogan also said the station uses deputies on light-duty status to staff virtual appointments and tracks submissions and outcomes for cost-savings calculations.

Hogan cited Palmdale Station as an early adopter, saying Palmdale had processed more than 400 submissions, including 163 criminal reports and 60 detailed law clearances, and estimated travel-related savings of about $12,584 (not including reductions in liability or collision risk). "We will not allow fear or confusion to drive a wedge between us," Hogan said in comments addressing immigrant residents, and he added, "The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department is not involved in federal immigration enforcement." He told the council the department does not ask about immigration status when responding to calls and will not assist ICE in enforcing federal immigration laws.

The FAST pilot, Hogan said, assigns a dedicated deputy to transport and complete booking procedures for arrested persons so the arresting deputy can remain on patrol. The pilot has operated about five weeks at the time of the Oct. 8 meeting and is scheduled for 90 days, after which the station will reassess. Hogan described FAST as a measure to improve patrol availability and reduce downtime that otherwise occurs during transport, searches and booking.

Council members and staff welcomed the programs and asked about multilingual access and outreach; Hogan said Spanish‑speaking deputies are scheduled for some appointment slots and the station is working to provide Spanish navigation of the booking link. He also offered QR codes for SORTS and the virtual deputy page and said the long-term vision is to expand centralized dispatch staffing to make virtual responses more real time.

The sheriff's presentation and council exchange focused on expanding access for nonemergency reporting and on limiting patrol interruptions during arrest processing. The virtual deputy program and the FAST pilot will be monitored during the pilot period and reassessed for broader or long-term use.