PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - As part of the City of Long Beach’s All Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT), the Long Beach Police Department has been working in close coordination with the Long Beach Health Department and Long Beach Fire Department to help manage the City’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Given the magnitude of this crisis facing our community, the Police Department has implemented changes in its operations to maintain essential police functions and services. In an effort to safeguard employees and members of the community, LBPD has taken the following actions to minimize the spread of COVID-19. An overview of these changes is provided below:

Face-to-Face Interactions

• Officers have been issued personal protective equipment and are practicing social distancing while conducting briefings.
• Some public-facing business desks have been modified to appointments only.
• These include the Evidence/Property Counter and Criminal Registration Desk.
• Field responses by Senior Police Partners have been suspended.
• Booking and Jail Division protocols have been revised:
      -  Jail visitation has been limited to attorneys and clergy.
      -  Field officers have the discretion to issue low level misdemeanor citations of                             individuals exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
      -  If an arrestee displays flu-like symptoms, they shall remain isolated until medically                 evaluated.     
      -  All Police Department facilities, including the Jail, are receiving daily                                       cleanings, and high-contact surfaces are being cleaned multiple times per day.

Patrol Response
Patrol officers have modified response protocols for non-emergency calls for service. Officers are able to respond via phone, rather than in person, to non-emergency and non-violent calls for service. Response protocols for emergency calls for service where there is an immediate threat to public safety will continue. Anyone in immediate danger or in an emergency situation should always call 9-1-1.

Examples of calls that will temporarily be responded to via phone include, but are not limited to:

• Lost or found property
• Theft or attempted theft (loss is under $5,000)
• Forgery and identity theft reports
• Misdemeanor vandalism (damage is under $900)
• Non-injury traffic collisions not involving impairment or creating a traffic hazard

Community members can expect to speak directly with an officer over the phone when reporting non-violent crimes. All crime reports taken over the phone will be documented as normal and sent to the proper investigative detail for follow up. If an officer determines a face-to-face response is necessary for a report call, residents will be encouraged to meet the officer in front of the location.

Online Reporting
Additionally, the Police Department continues to evaluate ways to implement technology to maintain public safety. We encourage community members to utilize COPLOGIC, the online reporting system, which allows users to file crime reports 24-hours a day, seven days a week. For more information and to file a report online, visit http://www.longbeach.gov/police.

Proactive Measures
To maximize available resources, portions of the department are being temporarily reorganized to support the citywide response to the COVID-19 situation. In addition, the Police Department is continuing to evaluate and implement changes that will help protect the Long Beach community during this public health crisis.

Officers from throughout the department have been reassigned to field duties and are specifically monitoring key resource locations, such as grocery stores and hospitals.
Officers have moved from ancillary assignments into support roles to assist the City’s emergency management teams.

Detectives are prioritizing investigative cases and are available to work patrol if necessary.
All training and non-essential travel has been canceled or postponed.
In collaboration with the Emergency Communications Center, additional screening measures have been implemented for calls for service and public contact.

As we navigate this continuously evolving public health crisis, the Police Department is fully committed to the ongoing City efforts to ensure the safety and health of our community members and city employees.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit www.longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or call (562) 570-INFO (4636).