There has been a lot of emphasis on tourists’ impact on Laguna Beach this summer. There is another dimension that I believe has been overlooked. All kinds of visitors come to our town, and there is always an element that draws people to resort areas and crowds. Our Laguna Beach Police Department is where the responsibility for our security comes to bear. It is time to recognize the exceptional level of policing and enforcement we are so fortunate to have. Chief Jeff Calvert should be recognized for orchestrating his very effective response to a huge increase in demand with his team of officers.
Has anyone taken notice of the police reports in the Independent lately? As the summer has passed, the length of the reported police activity has significantly increased. The report in the Aug. 23 issue is a case in point. This last report had over thirty-two reported serious incidents. I looked a little closer at the numbers and found that 34% were for DUI or drunk driving, and 28% were for bench warrants. These are court-ordered arrest orders for people who failed to show up in court for previous offenses or failed to comply with a court order. One hundred percent of these arrests are for breaking the law. A total of sixty-two percent were for drunk driving and people who had committed previous offenses and were waiting for the justice system to process. This element represents a threat to the safety of our residents. I recognize that not all these statistics apply to visitors, but they indicate our increased liability during the busy tourist season.
Our Laguna Beach Police are on the job 24/7 so that the rest of us can be safer in our town. We thank Chief Calvert and his staff for meeting and exceeding their commitment to protect and serve the citizens of Laguna Beach.
Eric Jensen, Laguna Beach
You may be correct, Eric but note: It appears that LBPD is underfunded. My understanding is that Mayor Kemp has said, “We can only afford four uniformed officers on duty” every day and that parking is only enforced along PCH and downtown again because “We can only afford to enforce it there…”
AND the former City Mgr refused to report the locations or neighborhoods of the arrests made every week despite repeated requests by the previous editor of this newspaper because it is “too much work.”
I think residents deserve to know where burglaries are happening, where DUI arrests are occurring, whether brawls, drug deals and shoplifting are happening downtown or on Main Beach so we can look after our own safety and the safety of our neighborhood.
I emailed our new CM asking for the information to be shared with the Indy and never heard back.
Now for the past 2 weeks we see in the Indy’s police log “Street Beat,” multiple arrests for “meeting with a minor for sexual purposes”! Multiple arrests. No locations listed.
Where is our city budget going? I think we need better communication on this from the city.