Lengthy Seaside Police appears to be like to bolster ranks forward of huge occasions – NBC Los Angeles

Because the Los Angeles area prepares for a number of large-scale sporting occasions, together with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Video games, the Lengthy Seaside Police Division (LBPD) is working to bolster its police drive by recruiting a whole bunch of latest officers.

In an interview with NBC 4, LBPD Police Chief Wally Hebeish acknowledged that his division isn’t absolutely staffed and is working at a roughly 17% emptiness fee, however that they’re attempting to shut that hole.

In mid-January, the Metropolis of Lengthy Seaside unveiled its renovated police academy, which welcomed LBPD’s one hundredth police academy class, starting with 98 officers.

“This class began with the purpose of 100 officers, which represents a historic second in our division’s historical past,” mentioned Hebeish.

Inspired by excessive curiosity within the division, with recruitment for the subsequent academy class already underway, Hebeish sees the present class as a launching pad to organize for the main occasions coming to town and the encircling area. He mentioned the division’s development represents an funding sooner or later.

The Lengthy Seaside Area will likely be residence to Olympic handball. Mekahlo Medina reviews for the NBC4 Information at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.

“It’s a pivotal second within the development of our division and within the area and actually type of persevering with to function a benchmark company in legislation enforcement, a benchmark police division,” Hebeish mentioned.

Whereas dealing with the officer scarcity, the division can also be adjusting the way it responds to sure calls in an effort to scale back workload calls for on current workers.

“There are different methods to deal with a few of the workload that are not the normal strategies of deploying or sending out a police officer to deal with a name. Now we have group companies help that assists us with the workload. They exit and deal with non-emergency calls, some non-emergency requires us,” Hebeish defined.

Wanting forward, Hebeish acknowledged there are challenges to deal with as town prepares for the World Cup and Olympics over the subsequent two years.

The division and the cops’ union are working to deal with these considerations, together with enhancements to officer advantages.

“It’s a must to know that the group you’re employed for values you,” Hebeish mentioned. “The cops on this division for the previous three years have achieved every part they’ll to be sure that we will hold that base staffing degree… exhibiting our public that we’re right here for the group.”

Like different close by cities, Lengthy Seaside noticed crime charges pattern downward final yr. Hebeish credited the discount not solely to the “boots on the bottom,” but additionally to belief throughout the group.

“Enforcement is an enormous a part of crime discount. Statistics type of present what’s taking place by way of crime, however they don’t seem to be the one story. You possibly can’t lead with statistics if you do not have the belief of your group,” Hebeish famous.

However whereas total crime is trending downward, visitors fatalities are shifting in the other way.

“When it comes to visitors and visitors fatalities, we take a look at information to deploy our assets, however we additionally think about what we’re listening to from the residents and companies by way of dashing and violations of auto code,” mentioned Hebeish.

“We’re seeing an uptick in individuals violating automobile code legal guidelines and that is an issue, however all of us have a duty to be sure that we’re decreasing visitors fatalities,” Hebeish pleaded, noting that visitors enforcement will likely be one of many division’s priorities in 2026, however increasing enforcement efforts finally is dependent upon staffing ranges.

Hebeish mentioned that investments within the academy and huge recruit courses are “investments within the metropolis of Lengthy Seaside and people are investments in the way forward for public security in our area,” including that “ancillary capabilities throughout the division,” together with a bigger visitors and motorbike patrol unit, would develop as extra officers be part of by means of the academy and huge recruit class.