Officer Spotlight – Captain Elaine Morales

Captain II Elaine Morales is a 31-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Commanding Officer at West Traffic Division.

She began her law enforcement career as patrol officer in the Van Nuys Division and has since worked in every bureau. In 1990, she was promoted to the rank of Field Training Officer at Pacific Division and was then selected to work assignments at 77th Division Vice and 77th Division as a Senior Lead Officer. In 1997, she was promoted to Sergeant and worked patrol assignments in Rampart Division, Southeast Division, Transit Rail Division, Hollenbeck Division, Personnel Division (Recruitment Hiring Section) and Internal Affairs-South Section.

In 2016, she was promoted to Captain and served as Patrol Commanding Officer at both Foothill and North Hollywood Patrol Divisions. During the same year, the National Latino Police Officers Association awarded Captain Morales the “Latina of the Year Award,” in recognition for her leadership in law enforcement and continuous support to the community.

Captain Morales received her bachelor’s degree from California State Los Angeles University and is also a graduate of the SCI Executive Leadership Program, the FBI National Academy, the West Point Leadership Development Program, and the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.

Captain Morales is a member of the FBI National Academy, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Latin American Law Enforcement Association and the Los Angeles Women’s Police Officer Associates. She volunteers with the Loyola High School Placement Test Program, and as a cancer survivor, she has been a guest speaker on overcoming the challenges of the illness.

Thank you Captain Morales for your service!