Belmont Shore residents demand safety — but a leaked memo raises new questions

A leaked “Operational Safety Procedures” document outlines clothing and music rules that appear to reflect bias among some Belmont Shore business owners.

On Tuesday, Long Beach Council member Kristina Duggan presented a public safety plan that would require bars to close at midnight, in hopes of addressing growing concerns about late-night violence, noise and disorder in Belmont Shore.

In June, city officials hosted a community meeting at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, where residents voiced frustration after a string of shootings — including one in which a man was shot in the stomach after asking a couple to pick up their beer bottles.

At that meeting, Long Beach police pledged to increase patrols in the area. Police Chief Wally Hebeish said that commitment led to a swift response to the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jeremy Spears, who was killed on the 100 block of La Verne Avenue just before 2 a.m. on October 25.

“The police officers we have in our department for nearly two years have been working mandatory overtime in patrol to maintain the level of service that is expected by our community,” Hebeish said during the November 11city council meeting.

Despite the increased patrols, residents told city leaders that more needs to be done. During public comment, a Belmont Shore business owner named Jeff said the rise in late-night violence has an obvious cause. 

“These bars have been open for decades, but in the last several years we’ve had issues,” he said. “It’s pretty obvious what’s changed. It’s the lack of police presence.”

A Belmont Shore resident identified as Valley echoed that sentiment, and reminded council members that the violence in the area has been happening for decades. “Will you help us?” she asked.

“We have worked with three mayors' offices. Three city councils, and we are still dealing with the same issues.”

While crime is an issue across Long Beach, Hebeish notes that the city has seen a significant reduction in crime across the board, including in the East Division which encompasses Belmont Shore. 

“Our murders are down nearly 30% citywide. Our shootings are down 35% citywide. That includes [the] East Division as well,” he said. 

Hebeish also notes that stats are not the only benchmark. Hearing from the community and city council members is vital in meeting the needs of the community. 

Not all comments during the council discussion focused on data. One resident identified as Cash attributed the violence to a specific group of people. “One incident after another shows me a social breakdown in our community,” he said.

“I’ll make it very clear,” he continued. “Never in history has a Black person done anything right. There are many unusable, unstable individuals in Long Beach that destroy our community.”

While his comments were not representative of the broader discussion that night, a document obtained by JackieRaeTV that has purportedly been circulating amongst bar owners in the area also appears to isolate a particular demographic.

The operations and procedures document outlines a series of restrictions, including no ribbed cotton tank tops, wallet chains, jewelry thicker than ¼ inch, sunglasses at night or jerseys unless the team is playing that day. A VIP line reserved for Belmont Shore locals and CSULB students is also proposed in the document.

It also includes a “music format” directive encouraging bar owners to play music that “caters to the crowd we want,” listing pop, rock, country, and house electronic music, while advising against explicit or violent lyrics.

After a lengthy discussion, the city council voted unanimously to direct City Manager Tom Modica to return within 45 days with recommendations to expand DUI patrols, increase police presence during high-traffic hours and strengthen enforcement against public drinking and unpermitted street vendors.

Modica will also report back within 90 days on how the city can better regulate alcohol-serving establishments and smoke shops across Long Beach.