Money. They get a good paycheck.

Most Democrats hate cops, but not most people.

Why would anyone want to be a cop period.! They don't make a whole lot,its obviously a high risk job, most people hate cops and I'm sure it's hard on their families. And currently it's pretty much open season on law enforcement at the moment.

I understand your question, and I ask that myself many times. I never worked for LAPD, but know a lot of their finest. Don't judge everything by the movies. I won't deny there are some bad cops, but the vast majority are there for the same reason. A reason we can't explain in words you will understand. I'm retired now, but I can tell you this, it was never about money. Ever. A good wage is nice, but it had nothing to do with showing up for the job, and doing that job no one else had the stomach to do. I am former military, and perhaps that speaks to my character and, perhaps again, the reason I did what I did. I don't know you, but I would spend my last breath ensuring your rights as a US citizen are preserved, even to this day. I have been called a sheepdog, and I suppose that description fits as good as any. The wolf doesn't win, as long as I have a say in it. This isn't unique to Los Angeles. It is in every community across the nation. Some places are worse than others, but the fight is the same, in every place.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.

cause at least you'd get a gun and a bull.et proof vest.
srsly, why live in LA to begin with???
Oh God. Fortune
vomits
on my eiderdown once more.

Maybe you wouldn't want to, but there are thousands who want to help keep order. Yeah there are some who want power and the ability to carry and use a gun, but the majority of cops everywhere are law abiding citizens willing to risk their lives for their community.

Its the dream job for lazy a$$hole idiot psychopaths.
I will never understand the public's obsessive admiration with the current corrupt and less than useless police force.
This ain't
Colors
or
Training Day
like back in the 80s and early 90s where there was LAPD police corruption, brutality and planting of evidence like at Rampart. It's 2016 and it's A LOT harder with everybody with a smartphone which has video camera in it being able to document a Police Officers treatment of a suspect and/or victim during and after a crime! They have never been so closely scrutinised before in history!
Yes there is probably Officers still on the take, police brutality and racism but very few than like in the old days. Sounds to me like you're a former felon or have been arrested before! If you think that Police are "corrupt and less than useless" then you should under NO CIRCUMSTANCES call 911 otherwise you're a total hypocrite! Defend and look after you and family by yourself!
If you are not willing to give up everything, you have already lost

Too need to quit watching the news and getting brainwashed. You are saying there's no good cops anywhere with that statement. Tell that to families who the police help save in 9/11, on the freeway after their child had a car wreck, a person who was having a heart attack and the police helped save them.
And another thing. Surely when the day comes and you need help you don't even think about calling 911. Fact is though you will call and beg for their help.

Why not?
Unless you have morals and ethics.
Its the dream job for lazy a$$hole idiot psychopaths.
I will never understand the public's obsessive admiration with the current corrupt and less than useless police force.

That's beep pay in California. 60 G's doesn't go too far. Plus all the beep they have to put up with now with the President of the USA. My question isn't "why would anyone want to be a cop in L.A." But why would anyone want to be a cop ANYWHERE in the USA?

I don't know the pay scales, but I think that a senior officer can eventually pull down $250K when you consider overtime. And they get pensions too and can retire with something like 80% pay. That's one of the main ways they justify the low starting salaries.

And well it should double! And a lot sooner than 5-10 years! $60K doesn't go very far in LA (as another poster noted)!!
It's not that "sweet" if that's how long it takes to get to $120K which, to live in only relatively decent housing in LA, is a minimum salary necessary.
I'm not defending (and would never defend) actions of bad LA cops in the past, present, or future, in saying that I think a police officer with integrity toward all who seeks to contribute to keeping some semblance of peace and helping the community - often at great risk to his or her physical well being to say nothing of psychological strain and stress of such a job - should be starting out closer to $85-90K and move into six figures pretty quickly and continue to climb.

It might start at $60k but it probably doubles in 5-10 years. Adding in overtime and generous pensions, essentially doubles it again. From a financial standpoint it's a pretty sweet deal.

Money dont they get like $60,000 a year in LA

There are several reasons why people want to be LAPD; check
out personality types and the jobs that they do. I went to college
with a gal who is LAPD, and dated a LAPD cop, and was a neighbor.
A lot of them are ex military and want to carry on the authority thing, or at
least be in a structured environment.
"You're watching too much Sopranos, when you give your kids their allowance in envelopes"