As keeping our community safe is our top priority, we want to share the following sidewalk vending safety tips:
- Conduct business in well-lit areas.
- Be ALERT and aware of your surroundings, and do not allow distractions from electronic devices, such as cell phones or tablets, that are not part of the sales activity.
- Avoid pulling large amounts of money from pockets to receive payment or provide change to customers.
- Consider using digital payments (i.e. Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle).
📞As always, “See Something, Say Something” – Report suspicious activity to Police Dispatch at 562.435.6711. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies.
To learn more safety tips⤵️
https://t.co/qRyLi9blU5
A message from the #LBPD regarding vacancies and response times:
Like law enforcement agencies across the nation, the Long Beach Police Department is experiencing historic challenges in recruiting and retaining police officers. The circumstances creating these staffing/recruitment issues include a large number of retirement-eligible police officers (nearly 20% of force) and a diminished interest in law enforcement as a profession.
To navigate these challenges, we convened a Recruitment and Retention Task Force in late 2022, which includes representatives from across our department as well as from City Human Resources and Civil Service, to identify and implement innovative strategies. Out of this work, the Department identified opportunities to create and expand existing incentives, which the City Council approved in summer 2023. These incentives went into effect in October 2023 and were unprecedented in the region. The incentive package includes hiring incentives up to $54,000 for new police officers and up to $78,000 for police laterals. This incentive package also included a retention incentive in which retirement-eligible employees would receive a financial incentive towards healthcare costs if they committed to stay 1-2 additional years with the Police Department. Since October, these incentives have increased our ability to recruit for Class 98 (who recently graduated the police academy) and our upcoming Class 99, has increased interest from prospective lateral employees, and has resulted in 23 retirement-eligible employees signing on to stay an additional 1-2 years. For a full list of our incentives, please view page 16 of our Year in Review and Accountability Report. (https://t.co/Jyi2xnD6KR)
However, our work is not yet complete. We continue to maintain a sworn vacancy rate between 17 - 22%, depending on a variety of factors such as continued hiring, prospective employees in backgrounds, etc. Further, while these incentives have enhanced our hiring efforts, due to the significant amount of academy and field training required to be a police officer, it takes 18 – 24 months for a new employee to be a deployable resource. Thus, we anticipate seeing the true outcome of these incentives in FY25 and FY26. We're extremely excited that Academy Class 99 will begin in September, with Academy Class 100 beginning in summer 2025. We are also continuing to focus our efforts to remain competitive with regional law enforcement agencies and recruit lateral police officers to supplement our current staffing.
In order to continue to provide the highest level of police service to our community and fill our existing patrol vacancies, our police officers have been working mandatory overtime shifts each month in patrol. Their hard work and commitment to our community has allowed us to maintain our Priority 1 emergency calls for service response times, currently averaging 5.7 minutes. While our Priority 2 and Priority 3 response times have increased, we have also onboarded additional options for our community to obtain police reports through our Community Services Assistants program and our online reporting portal. Additionally, our FY25 Budget Proposal includes a request for a new jail transportation unit consisting of two additional Special Services Officers. The utilization of the jail transportation unit will assist in minimizing the amount of time patrol officers spend conducting transports to out-of-city jail facilities and allow for more time responding to calls within their assigned areas.
An officer-involved shooting has occurred in the area of the 6800 block of Cerritos Avenue. Due to the ongoing investigation and road closures, please avoid the area. A PIO is on scene. More to follow.
We are aware of the security incident in Pennsylvania and are in constant contact with our law enforcement partners in the region. We will have an increased police presence.
As always, please remember to "See Something, Say Something". Report suspicious activity by calling Police Dispatch at 562.435.6711. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies.
Our next "Etch & Catch" event is taking place on July 27th! Register now as we expect spaces to fill fast!
📆Saturday 7/27/24
⏰8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
📍LBPD North Patrol Division - 4891 Atlantic Ave.
To register, click here: https://t.co/Y5LplcjODd
We we will be hosting our next "Etch & Catch" event on July 27th! Register now as we expect spaces to fill fast!
📆Saturday 7/27/24
⏰8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
📍LBPD North Patrol Division - 4891 Atlantic Ave.
To register, click here: https://t.co/Y5LplckmsL
(1/6) WOW, amazing work officers! Last night, officers responded to a stolen vehicle report where the calling party said she had found her car but she could see four occupants inside the vehicle. As officers were responding, the car fled the area.
Did you know you can report crime online? Through our Online Crime Reporting system, you can submit a police report for lost property, hit and run, vandalism, theft/attempt theft and annoying/harassing phone calls. (1/2) 🧵⬇️
May is National Bike Safety Month, and we want to remind you to share the road! Thanks to @OTS_CA, we will be conducting a traffic safety operation throughout the month focusing on driver behaviors that put bicyclists and pedestrians at risk.
Please follow the safety tips below -
Drivers :
⚠️ Slow down and follow the speed limit. Be careful traveling through intersections.
👀 Look carefully for bicyclists and pedestrians before making a turn or opening a car door near streets or bike paths.
🚴 Be patient when traveling behind a bicyclist and give them space when passing. California law requires drivers to change a lane, when possible, to pass bicyclists and always pass with at least 3 feet of space.
📵 Never drive distracted or impaired.
Bicyclists:
💡 Use lights at night.
⛑️ Although not required for riders 18 and older, always wear a properly secured helmet. Helmets significantly reduce the chance of a head injury in the event of a crash.
🚴 Bicyclists must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
🏃 Yield to pedestrians, just as a driver would. Pedestrians have the right-of-way within marked or unmarked crosswalks at intersections.
#LBPD #LongBeach #GoSafelyCA
Read more⤵️
https://t.co/c5EH76kVqJ