Los Santos Police Department
Media Relations Division
Immediate Release
April 1, 2026
NR016-26sasp
Formation of the San Andreas State Police
LOS SANTOS, SA —
The Los Santos Police Department and the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department today jointly announce a historic restructuring of law enforcement operations across the State of San Andreas.
Effective immediately, both agencies will merge to form the San Andreas State Police (SASP), a unified, state-level law enforcement body designed to enhance public safety, operational efficiency, and inter-agency coordination.
This transition represents one of the most significant developments in modern policing within San Andreas, consolidating city and county resources under a single command structure to better serve all communities across the state.
The creation of SASP establishes a centralized agency with statewide jurisdiction, enabling enhanced response capabilities, streamlined investigations, and improved deployment of specialized resources.
Through this merger, SASP will:
As part of the initial implementation of the San Andreas State Police, Police Commissioner Elena Flores will temporarily step away from her role as Warden of the San Andreas Department of Corrections (SADOC) in order to serve as Interim Commissioner of the SASP.
During this interim period, former Chief of Police Phillipe Sanchez and former Sheriff Ian Walter will serve as Deputy Commissioners.
All members currently holding Command or Staff/Executive positions will temporarily retain their rank pending further review.
Elena Flores, Interim Commissioner
San Andreas State Police
Effective immediately, both agencies will merge to form the San Andreas State Police (SASP), a unified, state-level law enforcement body designed to enhance public safety, operational efficiency, and inter-agency coordination.
This transition represents one of the most significant developments in modern policing within San Andreas, consolidating city and county resources under a single command structure to better serve all communities across the state.
A Unified Vision for Public Safety
Through this merger, SASP will:
- Deliver consistent law enforcement services across all jurisdictions
- Strengthen major crime investigations and intelligence sharing
- Expand specialized units, including Air Support, Metropolitan Division (SWAT), and Detectives
- Improve training standards and officer development across the state
Leadership Statements
"
The merger between the Los Santos Police Department and the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department has been a long time coming. For some time, overlapping jurisdictions and differing policies have presented occasional challenges, particularly when it came to clarity of responsibility and consistency in approach. While both departments have worked hard to serve their communities, it is fair to say that operating from separate playbooks has not always produced the most seamless outcomes, despite everyone’s best efforts.
This change introduces a more unified structure, something that in hindsight may prove quite useful. With a single chain of command, aligned policies, and consistent training standards, officers will now be better positioned to respond with clarity and coordination regardless of where they are deployed. The hope is that this removes some of the ambiguity that has, at times, added an extra layer of complexity to otherwise straightforward situations.
For the County, this means a more dedicated and reliable law enforcement presence. Communities such as Sandy Shores and Paleto Bay will finally see personnel assigned with a clear focus on their areas, allowing for stronger relationships and a more consistent understanding of local needs. It is a straightforward and logical approach.
In the city, the benefits are expected to be similarly practical. With all personnel now working under the same framework, communication should improve, resources can be managed more effectively, and efforts will not need to overlap quite as much as they once did. No more confusion of external parties impeding in pursuits, or mass hostilities not being communicated for example.
I look forward to working with our friends in the north, embracing them as we collectively dedicate our lives to state-wide operations. "
This change introduces a more unified structure, something that in hindsight may prove quite useful. With a single chain of command, aligned policies, and consistent training standards, officers will now be better positioned to respond with clarity and coordination regardless of where they are deployed. The hope is that this removes some of the ambiguity that has, at times, added an extra layer of complexity to otherwise straightforward situations.
For the County, this means a more dedicated and reliable law enforcement presence. Communities such as Sandy Shores and Paleto Bay will finally see personnel assigned with a clear focus on their areas, allowing for stronger relationships and a more consistent understanding of local needs. It is a straightforward and logical approach.
In the city, the benefits are expected to be similarly practical. With all personnel now working under the same framework, communication should improve, resources can be managed more effectively, and efforts will not need to overlap quite as much as they once did. No more confusion of external parties impeding in pursuits, or mass hostilities not being communicated for example.
I look forward to working with our friends in the north, embracing them as we collectively dedicate our lives to state-wide operations. "
— Chief Phillipe Sanchez
"
Greetings fellow San Andreasians (is that a word?)!
As you know, today marks an important announcement for both the Los Santos County Sheriffs Department and the Los Santos Police Department as we mark the end of an era for both departments, and the creation of a new era, the establishment of the San Andreas State Police.
Over the last few months of my tenure as your Sheriff, I have made it a commitment to identify the things going well, and the things which could stand for improvement. If you've read any of my messages in the Sheriff's Department newsletter, you've probably heard me mention service levels many times. This is because ensuring a safe place for you all to live is my number one priority.
Within weeks of my appointment, I began meeting with our sister department, The Los Santos Police Department. One of the first conversations I had with Chief of Police Phillipe Sanchez was the idea of revisiting the jurisdictional lines that have been essentially arbitrarily drawn in the sand, with Deputies and Officers alike forming their entire days and patrols around avoiding the line and following a complex process of steps when/if they were to cross the line. It's really an ineffective process, and one which in my opinion just creates a barrier in the level of service we are able to provide to the community we serve.
As a result of this, conversations began towards the end of the year with Chief Sanchez about different strategies, and the plan we are announcing today was born, the merging of our departments into one big department, "The San Andreas State Police".
It will take some time for our buildings and vehicles to be rebranded and remarked, so you may still see some old references, but we are trusting the San Andreas State Government will begin the bidding process for these changes to be made, and will contract out this work ASAP. But we are excited to join hands, and work towards our common mission. We are now combining our mission statement of "A Tradition of Excellence" and the police department's mission statement of "To Protect and Serve" to form a new mission statement, "Rooted in Tradition. Committed to Protect and Serve.”"
As you know, today marks an important announcement for both the Los Santos County Sheriffs Department and the Los Santos Police Department as we mark the end of an era for both departments, and the creation of a new era, the establishment of the San Andreas State Police.
Over the last few months of my tenure as your Sheriff, I have made it a commitment to identify the things going well, and the things which could stand for improvement. If you've read any of my messages in the Sheriff's Department newsletter, you've probably heard me mention service levels many times. This is because ensuring a safe place for you all to live is my number one priority.
Within weeks of my appointment, I began meeting with our sister department, The Los Santos Police Department. One of the first conversations I had with Chief of Police Phillipe Sanchez was the idea of revisiting the jurisdictional lines that have been essentially arbitrarily drawn in the sand, with Deputies and Officers alike forming their entire days and patrols around avoiding the line and following a complex process of steps when/if they were to cross the line. It's really an ineffective process, and one which in my opinion just creates a barrier in the level of service we are able to provide to the community we serve.
As a result of this, conversations began towards the end of the year with Chief Sanchez about different strategies, and the plan we are announcing today was born, the merging of our departments into one big department, "The San Andreas State Police".
It will take some time for our buildings and vehicles to be rebranded and remarked, so you may still see some old references, but we are trusting the San Andreas State Government will begin the bidding process for these changes to be made, and will contract out this work ASAP. But we are excited to join hands, and work towards our common mission. We are now combining our mission statement of "A Tradition of Excellence" and the police department's mission statement of "To Protect and Serve" to form a new mission statement, "Rooted in Tradition. Committed to Protect and Serve.”"
— Sheriff Ian Walter
Leadership Transition
During this interim period, former Chief of Police Phillipe Sanchez and former Sheriff Ian Walter will serve as Deputy Commissioners.
All members currently holding Command or Staff/Executive positions will temporarily retain their rank pending further review.
Elena Flores, Interim Commissioner
San Andreas State Police
Phillipe Sanchez, Deputy Commissioner
San Andreas State Police
San Andreas State Police
Ian Walter, Deputy Commissioner
San Andreas State Police
San Andreas State Police
# # #
69 Sinner Street • Los Santos • San Andreas • 90013
Emergency Hotline: 911 • Public Inquiries • Email: [email protected]
"to protect and to serve"
Emergency Hotline: 911 • Public Inquiries • Email: [email protected]
"to protect and to serve"