Long Beach Police Department (California)

Long Beach Police Department
Abbreviation LBPD
Patch of the Long Beach Police Department.
Agency overview
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* City of Long Beach in the state of California, United States
General nature
Operational structure
Officers 792
Agency executive Robert Luna, Chief
Facilities
Stations 4
Boats 3
Helicopters 2
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Long Beach Police Department provides law enforcement for the city of Long Beach, California, USA.

History

The Long Beach Police Department was founded January 30, 1888, on the day twenty-four-year-old Horatio Davies was elected as the city's first city marshal.

From January 1888 to January 1908, the city elected eight different men to serve as city marshal until the city council adopted Ordinance Number 3, New Series, doing away with the office of city marshal and allowing for the appointment of a chief of police. Thomas W. Williams was the first Long Beach chief of police.[1]

The current chief of police is Robert Luna. Chief Luna was sworn in as police chief of Long Beach on November 11, 2014, replacing Jim McDonnell, who was elected as Los Angeles County Sheriff.

Rank structure

Rank Insignia
Chief
Assistant Chief
Deputy Chief
Commander
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Corporal
Police Officer

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Long Beach Police Department, 28 officers have died in the line of duty.[2][3]

Officer Date of Death Details
Police Officer Thomas C. Borden[4] Sunday, March 17, 1912 Gunfire
Police Officer J. R. Wilkinson[5] Wednesday, January 17, 1923 Heart attack
Police Officer Orlando E. Bridgeman[6] Wednesday, March 21, 1923 Gunfire (Accidental)
Patrolman Robert H. Halstead[7] Saturday, March 6, 1926 Struck by train
Patrolman George A. Walls[8] Sunday, November 18, 1928 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Ralph A. Morgan[9] Monday, July 13, 1931 Gunfire
Patrolman William L. MacLean[10] Wednesday, December 12, 1934 Gunfire
Patrolman Delbert P. Buckman[11] Tuesday, February 13, 1940 Vehicular assault
Sergeant Engebrit Larson[12] Wednesday, February 25, 1942 Automobile accident
Patrolman Harold W. Irwin[13] Tuesday, March 20, 1945 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Cecil W. Singer[14] Sunday, November 18, 1945 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Marlin L. Evans[15] Sunday, July 17, 1949 Gunfire
Officer Jesse M. Ream[16] Tuesday, February 28, 1950 Motorcycle accident
Police Officer Robert H. Morgan[17] Thursday, November 2, 1950 Motorcycle accident
Police Officer Frederick W. Walsh Jr.[18] Sunday, January 20, 1957 Vehicle pursuit
Police Officer Vernon J. Owings[19] Friday, June 24, 1960 Gunfire
Police Officer Richard R. LeFebvre[20] Sunday, August 15, 1965 Gunfire (Accidental)
Patrolman Robert G. Smith[21] Sunday, December 12, 1965 Vehicle pursuit
Patrolman Donald V. Knott[22] Saturday, August 26, 1967 Gunfire
Patrolman William L. Isham[23] Saturday, August 26, 1967 Gunfire
Police Officer Robert R. Birdsall[24] Monday, September 15, 1975 Gunfire
Police Officer Franke Neal Lewis[25] Saturday, December 13, 1975 Gunfire
Police Officer Gary Orville Elkins[26] Thursday, January 1, 1976 Gunfire
Officer Lloyd Marland Lund[27] Friday, October 30, 1981 Motorcycle accident
Officer Philip J. Stabile[28] Friday, January 26, 1990 Assault
Police Officer Karl Duane Simons[29] Sunday, October 13, 1996 Automobile accident
Police Officer Daryle Wayne Black[30] Sunday, April 30, 2000 Gunfire
Corporal Edward Roy Davenport[31] Tuesday, April 4, 2003 Fall

Alleged misconduct

In November 1979, Thomas Lee Goldstein was convicted of murder after LBPD detectives pressured witnesses to provide false information. In August 2010, the Long Beach City Council agreed to pay Goldstein almost eight million dollars to settle the matter. He had served more than twenty years in prison.[32]

In January 2008, LAPD Officer William Ferguson and his younger brother LBPD Officer Joseph Ferguson were convicted of charges of raiding homes in the area under the cover of their authority as police officers to steal drugs and money. Joseph was convicted of three charges and William of eighteen. They seem to have conducted about 40 such crimes.[33]

In August, 2010, Officer Damian Ramos stole four firearms retained by the department. He later pleaded guilty.[34]

On 25 March 2011, Officer Eddie Sanchez pleaded guilty to DUI charges. He was found passed out at a traffic light with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream. He was sentenced to community service and three years “informal probation.”[35]

On 11 August 2011, Detective Erik Alvarez was sentenced to two years in state prison for sexual contact with a female relative that began when she was fifteen years old.[36]

In late October, 2012, Officer Brandon Preciado was sentenced to twelve years in custody for eighteen crimes relating to beating his wife.[37]

On 23 February 2013, Officer Noe Yanez was sentenced to six years in custody for a number of charges including one count each of forcible rape, meeting a minor for lewd purposes, using a minor for sex acts, possession of child pornography, and two counts of false imprisonment by fraud or deceit.[38]

In April 2013, Officers Jeffrey Shurtleff and Victor Ortiz were found liable in the 2010 killing of 35-year-old Douglas Zerby. Zerby was sitting on step playing with a hose nozzle. The two officers mistook the device for a gun and opened fire without warning. The jury awarded damages of six and half million dollars.[39]

In December 2013, Detective Yvonne Robinson, a thirteen-year veteran of the department was fired when she was arrested for providing sensitive information on a murder investigation to the Baby Insane Gang.[40]

In mid-January 2014, the department agreed to pay $380,000 to a man who was attacked by five policemen. As a result of the agreement, the man, Perry Grays dropped a lawsuit that claimed that the officers, responding to a noise complaint, beat Grays when he asked them to provide their badge numbers.[41]

References

  1. LBPD 2006 Annual, page 18
  2. "Long Beach Police Department, California, Fallen Officers". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  3. "Long Beach Community College District Police Department, California, Fallen Officers". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  4. "Police Officer Thomas C. Borden". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  5. "Police Officer J. R. Wilkinson". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  6. "Police Officer Orlando E. Bridgeman". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  7. "Patrolman Robert H. Halstead". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  8. "Patrolman George A. Walls". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  9. "Patrolman Ralph A. Morgan". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  10. "Patrolman William L. MacLean". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  11. "Patrolman Delbert P. Buckman". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  12. "Sergeant Engebrit Larson". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  13. "Patrolman Harold W. Irwin". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  14. "Patrolman Cecil W. Singer". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  15. "Patrolman Marlin L. Evans". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  16. "Officer Jesse M. Ream". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  17. "Police Officer Robert H. Morgan". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  18. "Police Officer Frederick W. Walsh, Jr.". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  19. "Police Officer Vernon J. Owings". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  20. "Police Officer Richard R. LeFebvre". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  21. "Patrolman Robert G. Smith". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  22. "Patrolman Donald V. Knott". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  23. "Patrolman William L. Isham". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  24. "Police Officer Robert R. Birdsall". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  25. "Police Officer Franke Neal Lewis". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  26. "Police Officer Gary Orville Elkins". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  27. "Officer Lloyd Marland Lund". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  28. "Officer Philip J. Stabile". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  29. "Police Officer Karl Duane Simons". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  30. "Police Officer Daryle Wayne Black". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  31. "Corporal Edward Roy Davenport". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  32. Long Beach settles murder conviction lawsuit for $7.95 million, by Paul Eakins, 10 August 2010, Press-Telegram
  33. Robbery Ring Disguised as Drug Raids Nets Convictions for Former LA Cops, 30 January 2008, Fox News.com, retrieved 23 January 2014
  34. Ex-Long Beach Officer Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement In Weapons Theft Case, by Ryan Zumallen, 10 February 2011, Long Beach Post
  35. Off-duty police officer pleads guilty to DUI. by Sean Emery , 21 March 2011, The Orange County Register
  36. Ex-officer sentenced for sex with underage relative, by Will Bigham, 15 August 2011, The Sun-News
  37. Ex-Long Beach officer gets 12 years for beating wife, 28 October 2012, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
  38. Long Beach police officer sentenced to 11 yrs for sex crimes w/ minors, 23 February 2013, KABC-TV
  39. Long Beach cops liable in 2010 shooting death of Douglas Zerby, by Greg Mellen, Staff Writer, April 3, 2013, Press-Telegram News
  40. Ex-Long Beach detective allegedly passed information to gang, by Ruben Vives and Kate Mather, 6 December 2013, Los Angeles Times
  41. Long Beach to pay $380,000 to man beaten and Tasered by police, By Christine Mai-Duc and Ruben Vives, 22 January 2014, Los Angeles Times,

External links