Patch Ride-Along: On Patrol with a West Hollywood Sheriff's Sergeant

West Hollywood's nightlife is legendary. We've got the famed bars on Sunset, lounges on Santa Monica, clubs off Robertson, and all the partygoers in between. With the music pumping and the alcohol flowing, there is bound to be some trouble. 

That's where West Hollywood Sheriff's deputies come in. The has a team dedicated to patrolling the city at night, particularly Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m. until well after the bars close. 

With just around the corner, West Hollywood Patch decided to take a ride. The willing sergeant was a 23-year veteran who had originally trained in South-Central during the LA riots, but found solace supervising a team in West Hollywood over the past few years. It was Thursday, June 9.

8:15 p.m. — We hop into a fully equipped SUV and head straight up to Sunset. The Strip is quiet. It is still fairly light outside.

8:37 p.m. — There is not much coming through on the radio. A woman directly in front of us runs a red light. Sgt. turns on the sirens, pulls the driver over and writes her a ticket. He isn't too happy about it. "I usually don't do this, but if something happens right in front of my face, I have to," he says.

8:44 p.m. — We drive along Santa Monica Boulevard, up San Vicente Boulevard, through an alley behind the , and out on Larrabee Street. Boystown is all lit up, but the sidewalks are empty. "It's gonna be a zoo here later," Sgt. says.

9:11 p.m. — Sgt. takes Sunset to the far east border of West Hollywood, La Brea, then back onto Santa Monica, which he calls "SR2" or State Route 2. 

9:15 p.m. — A muttered message comes through on the radio. Sgt. immediately flips on the sirens, makes a U-turn on Santa Monica, and weaves in and out of traffic, heading up Sweetzer to Sunset. Once we turn onto the Strip, I spot flashing lights and a guy in his mid-20s lying on the sidewalk in front of surrounded by sheriff's deputies.

9:20 p.m. — Sgt. signals me to get out of the car. I stand back with two Sunset Strip Business Association security ambassadors. They tell me a fight broke out in front of . When security approached, the suspect ran across the street, against a red light, face-planting on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.

9:25 p.m. — Several deputies' cars are parked, blocking traffic along the south side of Sunset at Sweetzer. I ask Sgt. why so many deputies are needed. "Whenever someone asks for backup, everyone goes, because you never know," he says. Meanwhile, British actor Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) strolls through the crime scene on the way to the hotel.

9:38 p.m. — Six deputies manage to seat belt the suspect inside a vehicle and Sgt. continues his patrol of Sunset, but only after telling his men to "be safe." 

9:45 p.m. — We drive by the where a bouncer named Brick House (with very large hands) tells Sgt. he predicts a low-key evening. The band playing is what he calls "hipster rock." Sgt. recognizes the band. He says he usually scours the Internet, checking out each venue's lineup for the week to gauge what the crowd's response may be. He also knows every bouncer and security guard along the Strip on a first-name basis.

10:55 p.m. — Sgt. helps a deputy detain two men driving a Honda. The car registration expired two years ago. The deputy searches the vehicle in front of on Santa Monica. Sgt. waits while he calls for a tow truck.

11:20 p.m. — While driving along San Vicente, a message comes through the radio about several people stuck in an elevator at the . Sgt. follows a Fire Station 7 truck over to the garage. We learn four people are stuck on the first floor.

11:30 p.m. — One firefighter tells me that they have responded three or four times since the elevator was installed. They can break into the elevator, but choose to spare the cost and wait for a city technician. 

12 a.m. — I begin to "fade," as Sgt. puts it, probably because I can't stop yawning. But Sgt. will continue to patrol the city's 1.9 square miles until 4 a.m. He and his deputies will pay close attention to  nightclub on Santa Monica, which holds an 18-and-over night on Thursdays. He is expecting fights. "It's the bread and butter of the job," he tells me.