Public Safety Town Hall: Manhattan Beach Residents Urged to Remain Vigilant
Jun 09, 2021 08:59AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Crime may have gone down in Manhattan Beach during the pandemic,
but as post-pandemic activities increase, residents are being urged to
stay vigilant and report suspicious activity.
That
was the message at a public safety town hall meeting convened by
Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley on Tuesday night. The forum
featured speakers from the police department as well as community
activists.
Manhattan Beach Police Chief
Derrick Abell confirmed that crime was indeed down overall during 2020,
but preliminary 2021 data show that criminal activity is beginning to
tick upward. (See attached images for statistics shared at the forum.)
"I
don’t want you to think that just because those numbers were down means
we haven’t gone back up," said Abell at the forum. "As the summer goes
on and we’re opening back up, this is where we really need to pay
attention to our surroundings."
A comparison of
burglaries, for example, showed that while there were 2 residential
burglaries reported in April 2020, there were 12 reported in April 2021.
Similarly while there were 4 residential burglaries reported in May
2020, there were 20 reported in May 2021.
Abell
continued: "I don’t want people to be overly alarmed, but what it’s
telling us is that the more people that are coming out, bad things can
happen out there. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right.
People say, 'I don’t want to call the police; I feel bad calling' - No.
We're happy to [answer that call]. That is what we’re here for."
One
crime that did increase during the pandemic was vehicle thefts. There
were a total of 84 vehicle thefts reported in 2020, compared to only 42
in 2019 - an increase of 100 percent. (Numbers have not yet been
reported for 2021.)
Manhattan Beach Police Lieutenant Andy Herrod also reported that the department is seeing an upward trend in catalytic converter thefts, surfer burglaries, and ATM skimmers.
Abell
urged residents to "harden the target" - or make it more difficult for
criminals to enter or steal property by staying aware and keeping doors
locked and valuables protected. He emphasized that residents and police
have to work together, which includes residents serving as the "eyes and
ears" of the community.
As a reminder, for emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency calls to the Manhattan Beach Police, call (310) 545-4566.
Homelessness Outreach a Community Effort
Many
Manhattan Beach residents have expressed concern about the homelessness
epidemic , which appears to have worsened with the pandemic.
George
Gabriel, a senior management analyst for Manhattan Beach and also the
city's homelessness liaison, noted at the forum that the city's efforts to reach out
to the homeless are part of a
three-city collaboration among the beach cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, and
Redondo Beach). The cities receive
funding for those efforts through Measure H, a ¼ percent increase to the
L.A. County sales tax approved by county voters in March 2017.
In
April 2019, the three beach cities received
$330,665 from Measure H grant funding for homeless coordination,
training and housing
navigation services. Through the grant funding, the beach cities awarded
a contract to Harbor Interfaith
Services to provide three full-time equivalent positions to assist
homeless individuals and families in those cities. The cities' goal is
to fund a comprehensive regional approach to homelessness, including
services, rental subsidies and housing.
Manhattan Beach, however, is unique in that it also has an active nonprofit, MB SAFE (Manhattan Beach - Safe Alternatives for Everyone), which works collaboratively with local and county officials to connect homeless people to resources.
Gabriel said that some of the ongoing challenges in assisting the homeless
include legal issues, a shortage of temporary and permanent housing, and
in some cases, individuals' refusal of help.
Anyone who spots a homeless person needing assistance is urged to call the police non-emergency number at 310-545-4566.
Public Safety Forum: Manhattan Beach Crime Statistics [4 Images]
Click Any Image To Expand
