Lake Forest

Lake Forest Logo
For Emergency Service call 9-1-1
For all non-emergency call:
North County: 714-647-7000
South County: 949-770-6011
Lieutenant Doug Doyle
Chief of Police Services
949-461-3541
Lake Forest, formerly known as the unincorporated area of El Toro, is located in South Orange County between the cities of Irvine and Mission Viejo. The community was settled in the late 1800s and incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. The communities of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills became part of Lake Forest in 2000. With 78,000 residents that encompass almost 17 square miles, Lake Forest offers beautifully planned communities set against the Saddleback Mountains, dedicated parks for recreation or just to relax, and planned commercial areas for shopping and business. With over 3,200 acres of dedicated open space, Lake Forest has seventeen parks, including the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.  Lake Forest also has a high school, an intermediate school and nine elementary schools within the city.

The City of Lake Forest joins nine neighboring cities in South Orange County and two cities in North Orange County that contract with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement. Lieutenant Don Barnes, an twenty year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, serves as the Chief of Police Services. Lieutenant Barnes manages a staff of five Sergeants, three Investigators, 38 Deputies, an Investigative Assistant, five Community Services Officers, and a Crime Prevention Specialist. Services provided through the City include direct and preventative patrol, a Special Enforcement Team, Traffic Enforcement (motorcycle and commercial), a deputy assigned to the regional Directed Enforcement Team, School Resource Officers, Bike Patrol, Neighborhood and Business Watch programs, as well as emergency preparedness classes for the community. In addition to these services offered directly from Lake Forest Police Services, the sheriff’s department also provides street and regional narcotics suppression programs, a Gang Enforcement Team, Mounted Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), Hostage Negotiations, the Drug Use is Life Abuse drug prevention program, and a complement of patrol-trained Reserve Deputy Sheriffs, many of whom volunteer their time for city events such as the Annual 4th of July Parade.

Lake Forest enjoys a low crime rate, and was recognized by a national firm as the 10th safest city in the United States (of cities with populations between 75,000 and 100,000) for 2008. Overall, Lake Forest was ranked as 12th safest of all cities. This is a result of the working relationship between the residents of the city, its Council, and the Sheriff’s Department.

Message from the Chief of Police Services

It is both a pleasure and a privilege to serve as your Chief of Police Services. Lake Forest is a close, supportive community, and we have enjoyed an excellent relationship that has produced great results year after year. I look forward to working with the many residents and businesses in this community. It is my goal to keep crime rates low, our community safe, and to offer a range of law enforcement services that engage our residents and help them to be prepared in the case of an emergency.

Lieutenant Doug Doyle
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
Chief of Police Services