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Long Beach Police Department (New York)

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Coordinates: 40°35′21.95″N 73°39′57.76″W / 40.5894306°N 73.6660444°W / 40.5894306; -73.6660444
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40°35′21.95″N 73°39′57.76″W / 40.5894306°N 73.6660444°W / 40.5894306; -73.6660444

Long Beach Police Department
Seal of the Long Beach Police Department
Seal of the Long Beach Police Department
Common nameLong Beach Police
AbbreviationLBPD
Agency overview
Formed1911
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionLong Beach, New York, USA
Map of Long Beach Police Department's jurisdiction
Size3.9 square miles
Population35,029 (2020)
Legal jurisdictionLong Beach, New York
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters1 West Chester Street, Long Beach, New York 11561
Police Officers76 (2024)
Unsworn members25 (2024)
Agency executive
Website
www.lbpd.com

The Long Beach Police Department (also known as the Long Beach Police and abbreviated as LBPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Long Beach, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It exclusively serves the City of Long Beach.[1]

History

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The Long Beach Police Department was established in 1911.[2] The police department originally started with 36 police officers. By the early 1930s, the number of Long Beach officers rose to 58.[3]

The LBPD opened a second precinct, serving the West End neighborhood of the city, in 1923 – one year after the Village of Long Beach re-incorporated as the City of Long Beach.[2] This short-lived precinct was established in light of continued growth in the city. The Second Precinct lasted until the Great Depression, when it was shut down.[2]

In 1931, during the Prohibition era, the Long Beach Police Department was investigated for rum-running operations – smuggling alcohol while such sales were prohibited in the United States.[3][4][5][6] The Chief of the police department, Morris Grossman, was indicted by Federal agents in October of that year on conspiracy charges for having smuggling $10,000,000 (1931 USD) in alcohol over between 1929 and 1931; Grossman was one of nine individuals indicted – seven of the others being subordinates of his in the Long Beach Police Department.[5][7]

On May 22, 1944, the Long Beach Police Department hired the first two permanent female cops in Nassau County.[8]

In 1975, the Long Beach Police Department considered merging into the Nassau County Police Department.[9] This proposal was backed by the Long Beach PBA, which argued that by merging its police force into Nassau County's, the City of Long Beach could have potentially saved up to $650,000 – and that the proposal could have led to enhanced policing services.[9][10] Such a merger was ultimately called off, with the Long Beach Police Department remaining operational.[10]

In 1977, the Long Beach Police Department was investigated over possible corruption and political influence.[11]

In the summer of 2007, the LBPD started using two Segway people movers on the boardwalk for patrol. Long Beach police were the first to use Segways on Long Island. The Segway initiative ended abruptly and was never reinstated.[12]

In 2020, LBPD member Alexandra Nielsen became the department's first female to be promoted to the ranks of Sergeant.[13]

In late 2023 and early 2024, the Long Beach Police Department began equipping its officers with police body cameras.[14] In the period between December 2023 and late January 2024, roughly half of the LBPD's officers received cameras.[14]

Operations

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Long Beach City Hall, the department's headquarters, in 2021

The Long Beach Police Department serves the City of Long Beach, with 35,029 residents within its 3.9-square-mile (10 km2) jurisdiction.[1][15][16] Commissioner Philip L. Ragona, a decades-long City of Long Beach Police supervisor, lead the Department until Inspector Richard DePalma became the Acting Police Commissioner in December 2020. In addition to the Uniformed Patrol Force, the department has the following specialized units: Detective Division, Narcotics Task Force, Traffic Division, Motorcycle Unit and Identification Division.

The Department employs Bicycle Patrols on the Boardwalk and for major events such as races or bike tours and Four Wheel Drive vehicle's patrol on the beach.[2]

Aside from officer's service weapons, the department also utilizes a wide variety of non-lethal weapons, such as expandable batons, TASERs.[17]

As of 2021, the Long Beach Police Department consisted of 76 sworn police officers and 25 unsworn officers.[2] The agency is headquartered at Long Beach City Hall.[18] During the busy summer months, an average of 25 Special Officers are recruited from criminal justice programs at local colleges to assist with crowd control and enforcement at the Ocean Beach Park and other areas.[2]

As of February 2024, the Acting Commissioner of Police is Richard DePalma, following the resignation of Commissioner Ronald Walsh in January 2024.[19][20]

Rank structure

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The Long Beach Police Department uses the following rank structure:[20]

Title Insignia
Commissioner
Inspector
Deputy Inspector
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Police Officer/Detective

Long Beach Auxiliary Police Department

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The Long Beach Police Department also has an Auxiliary Unit, known as the Long Beach Auxiliary Police Department (LBAPD). Members are certified in CPR/AED, and assist with parade crowd control, bike patrols, and beach and boardwalk patrols – in addition to school patrols. Members carry a baton, handcuffs, pepper spray, a flashlight, and a radio.[21]

During the busy summer months, an average of 25 Special Officers are recruited from criminal justice programs at local colleges to assist with crowd control and enforcement at the Ocean Beach Park and other areas.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Long Island Index: Interactive Map". www.longislandindexmaps.org. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Long Beach Police Department Police Reform Plan" (PDF). State of New York. 2021. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  3. ^ a b "LONG BEACH POLICE LINKED TO RUM PLOT; Town Supervisor Asks Inquiry and Prosecutor Invites Him to Go Before Grand Jury. OPEN SMUGGLING CHARGED Knob Also Attacks $200,000 Budget for Department of Only 58 Men-- Predicts a Big Scandal". The New York Times. 1931-02-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  4. ^ "LONG BEACH POLICEMEN WILL FACE GRAND JURY; Edwards Orders Six to Appear on Wednesday in Connection With Rum-Running Charges". The New York Times. 1931-02-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  5. ^ a b "LONG BEACH'S CHIEF INDICTED IN RUM PLOT; Head of Police and 7 Aides Are Accused in 3-Year Conspiracy --Nine Others Named. CARGOES PUT AT $10,000,000 Patrolmen Are Said to Have Cleared Way for Smugglers --Bribery Also Charged. GROSSMAN WON'T RESIGN Official, in Denial, Says, "Why, There Isn't a Bottle of Liquor in the Town." 12 Overt Acts Charged. Told to Mind His Own Business". The New York Times. 1931-10-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  6. ^ "5 LONG BEACH POLICE PICKED AS SUSPECTS; Pointed Out as Entire Force Passes Before Witnesses in Rum-Running Inquiry. TWO MORE ARRESTS MADE Eleven Still Unnamed of 18 Indicted by Nassau Grand Jury--"Missing" Shield "25" Accounted For. $50,000 Bribe Is Charged. Two Released on Ball. Federal Hearing Held". The New York Times. 1931-03-01. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  7. ^ "LONG BEACH SUSPENDS CHIEF AND SEVEN AIDES; MacGowan Named Police Head Pending Trial of Eight on 'Rum-Ring' Plot Charges". The New York Times. 1931-11-10. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  8. ^ Coppola, Joe (July 23, 1947). "2 Gal Cops Skilled With Guns". Newsday. p. 2 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ a b "Police Mergers: Better Service, Better Pay". Newsday. June 4, 1975. p. 54 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ a b O'Hearn, Bradford W.; Collins, T.J. (September 25, 1975). "L. Beach, County Police Merger Fails". Newsday. p. 19 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ Kessler, Robert E. (May 9, 1977). "Grand Jury Subpoenas Top Long Beach Cop". Newsday. p. 4 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ "Segways on the Boardwalk". Long Beach, NY Patch. 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  13. ^ Bernstein, James (2020-08-07). "Long Beach Police Department names first woman to rank of sergeant". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  14. ^ a b "Richard DePalma is Long Beach's acting police commissioner after Ronald Walsh steps down". Newsday. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Long Beach city, New York". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  16. ^ Long Beach Police Department. "Long Beach Police Department—Long Beach Patch—Patch.com". Longbeach.patch.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  17. ^ "In early January of 2010 the Long Beach Police Department expanded its ranks with the hiring of six new police recruits, all products of Long Beach" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  18. ^ "Long Beach Police Department – New York". Long Beach Police Department. Lbpd.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  19. ^ Carpenter, Brendan (2024-01-26). "Ron Walsh resigns as Long Beach's police commissioner". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  20. ^ a b "Administration – City of Long Beach New York Police Department". www.lbpd.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  21. ^ "Long Beach Auxiliary Police Department". www.lbapd.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
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