The West Valley Area was created in 1969 with the purpose of assuming the traffic responsibilities for the region’s freeways and highways from the Los Angeles Police Department. At its founding, the original office was located in Van Nuys and was moved to its current location in Woodland Hills in 1973. The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) West Valley Area office has a patrol area of approximately 400 square miles, providing services to residents within the City of Los Angeles, Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Malibu, Lake Manor, Twin Lakes, San Fernando, and Topanga Canyon, reaching approximately 2.1 million community members and those traveling through the area. Our region covers from densely populated communities to sparsely populated rural unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Whether out on multi-lane freeways or two-lane county roads, our patrol officers strive to ensure the safe travel of all our community members and visitors, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The West Valley Area serves three school districts (LA Unified, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Las Virgenes School Districts), two universities (Cal State University Northridge and Pepperdine University) and numerous private & public schools. We have educational and outreach programs in all three school districts along with the 53 high schools within our boundaries. These programs include: Every 15 minutes, Sober Grad, Impact Teen Drivers, Right Turn, Start Smart, Red Ribbon Week as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety programs. We have an active Explorer Post for community members (ages 15 -21) aimed at exploring a career in law enforcement and providing community service throughout the area. Additionally, West Valley runs a Senior Volunteer Program for retirees looking to continue giving back to their community.
CHP West Valley has a very active presence on social media. We can be found and reached on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. As leaders in traffic management and safety in the San Fernando Valley, our community members can always count on current, up-to-date information regarding traffic conditions during significant events such as fires, inclement weather, or major collisions. We believe in the sharing of important safety information through community engagement and can be found interacting regularly with the public via these social media platforms, or at one of our many community events throughout the year.
In an effort to curb child injuries in collisions, the West Valley Area conducts weekly child safety seat inspection appointments, free of charge, to the public. These inspections educate parents and caregivers on the proper techniques associated with the safe and proper installation of a child safety seat.
We accomplish our public safety mission with the assistance of our public safety partners: Los Angeles Police Department Valley Bureau, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lost Hills Station, the Los Angeles Unified School District's School Police, and the San Fernando Police Department.