Long Beach Police Department

East Division Commander's Forum | Dec 28

LBPD East Division’s Commander Benson will be holding her final Commander’s Forum of the year on Saturday, Dec. 28th at the East Division Station. Following the forum, East Division will host an open house, offering a wonderful opportunity to tour the station and connect with LBPD’s amazing officers. Families are encouraged to bring their children to both the forum and the open house, where Explorers and Cadets will provide engaging activities, distribute stickers, and offer light refreshments. See the flyer for more info.

Long Beach Airport

Updated General Aviation Report

As you may know, on Oct. 31, 2023, Long Beach Airport (LGB) released a report outlining the data and details around local General Aviation (GA) activity and operations. The report, which was subsequently updated on Mar. 15, 2024, included a list of seven recommendations from LGB on ways to approach mitigating community concerns around noise impacts and the use of leaded fuel in GA aircraft.

LGB has again provided an update on the report, as of Dec. 20, 2024, in which they outline the actions that have been taken and the progress that has been made in relation to the seven recommendations made in the original report.

Some highlights of note include the confirmation of the city's ability to increase the fine structure for violators of the Noise Ordinance, as well as implementation of a more formal Fly Friendly Program run by our recently appointed Noise Officer, Justin Cook, who comes to us with nearly 25 years of experience in the field. I encourage you to look over the recent update in full to learn more about these and the other ways LGB continues to explore avenues for meaningful and lasting progress. More information, including a timeline of actions taken regarding GA noise and fuel concerns since 2022, can be found at LGB's Noise Abatement homepage.

While we know there is still much more to be done, I am grateful for the hard work and collaboration from airport staff and local partners as we begin to see this progress. LGB and this office will remain engaged with both federal and local partners as we continue to identify and work on additional efforts and solutions. We will continue to keep the community informed as any updates on further progress become available.

Public Works

Holiday Treecycling Dec. 26 - Jan. 10

The Public Works Dept. will once again offer Holiday Treecycling, providing an accessible and responsible way to recycle live trees for Long Beach residents. From Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, through Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, residents can drop off their used trees at 12 locations throughout Long Beach, at no charge.

Convenient options for CD5 residents include our own Wardlow Park, as well as nearby Sherer Park and El Dorado Park West.

Please note that residents are asked to remove decorations and tree stands, cut trees in half if they are over 12 feet tall, and leave trees unwrapped.

Residents are strongly encouraged to drop-off used trees at the citywide locations to reduce the strain on refuse collection services following the holiday season. However, there will be a special collection on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, for those unable to visit a drop-off location.

Visit longbeach.gov/lbrecycles or call (562) 570 2869 for more information.

Storm Season - Street Sweeping Reminders

Street sweeping is conducted weekly by the Department of Public Works to improve the cleanliness, health and safety of the city. Street sweepers remove debris from our streets and prevent it from entering our storm drains and ocean.

Here are a few friendly reminders to ensure street sweepers can do their job as effectively as possible:

• Avoid raking or blowing leaves into the street or gutter: Leaves and lawn clippings are too large for street sweepers to collect. Instead, sweep them up and place them in your refuse bin or consider composting them for a sustainable option.
• Keep gutters and streets clear: By preventing leaves and debris from entering the storm drain system, we can protect our waterways from pollution. Remember, placing leaves or debris in the street, alley or gutter is a violation of federal law.
• Dispose of litter properly: Litter in gutters and alleys contributes to blockages and pollution.
• Keep streets dry on street sweeping days: Wet streets reduce the effectiveness of street sweepers, so try to keep the area in front of your home dry.
• Never pour oil, antifreeze or any other hazardous materials in the street, gutter, alley or on the ground. Residents may call 562.570.2890 for information on proper disposal of these materials.

For more information visit lbcity.info/StreetSweeping.

Long Beach Transit

Upcoming Holiday Schedules

As you prepare for the upcoming holidays, keep in mind that Long Beach Transit will be operating on modified schedules with reduced service span on New Year’s Day (Wed. Jan 1); be sure to check the holiday routes and schedules!

LBT’s Call Center and Transit & Visitor Information Center will operate for reduced hours (from 8am – 5pm) on New Year’s Eve (Tues. Dec 31), and will be closed all day on New Year’s Day. 

To help you celebrate safely, on Tuesday, Dec. 31st, LBT will be offering complimentary service on all bus routes after 5pm. 

For more information on holiday hours and to view bus schedules, visit LBT’s routes and services page. 

Long Beach Recycles

Recycle Right this Holiday Season

Long Beach Recycles reminds us to be aware of our waste this holiday season! As you may know, many gift-wrapping materials, such as shiny gift bags, gift bows and ribbons, coated wrapping paper, tissue paper, and plastic and foam packaging, are not recyclable.

Decorations can be tricky too, but remember that you should never put holiday lights in your recycling or trash cart! Holiday lights are considered "tanglers" and can cause the equipment at the recycling facility to shut down. Consider reusing or donating unwanted lights before bringing them to an e-waste collection.

Not sure what other holiday items in your home can be recycled in your recycling cart? Check out LB Recycles’ recycling guidelines or email lbrecycles@longbeach.gov with any questions! 

Mayor's Office

2025 State of the City | Jan. 14

Save the date for the Mayor's 2025 State of the City address on January 14, 2025! Mayor Richardson has put out a call for youth performing artists to submit a demo for the chance to perform during the new year’s address—if you’re interested, there’s still time to throw your hat in the ring, as entries close on Sunday, Dec. 29th at 11:59pm. 

Long Beach Public Library

Youth Poet Laureate Applications Are Open

Are you a poet between the ages of 13-18? Are you a future leader who champions community advocacy and aspires to make a social impact that promotes the quality of life in Long Beach? If so, we want to hear your voice!

The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL), in collaboration with the Arts Council for Long Beach and supported by Urban Word NYC, is now accepting applications for the 2025 Youth Poet Laureate Program (YPL), an initiative offering young residents of Long Beach the chance to inspire positive change in their communities through the power of activism and poetry.

Applications are now open until Feb. 15; visit longbeach.gov/library/learn/youth-poet-laureate to learn more and apply!

Animal Care Services

Coexisting with Coyotes - Reminders & Tips

Seeing a coyote walking down a busy street is not as uncommon as most would think. Contrary to popular belief, coyotes do not require open space to survive, and have successfully adapted to living in close proximity to humans.

Coyotes can be seen anytime but are most active at dusk, nighttime, and dawn. Residents are reminded to follow safeguards to protect pets and property against coyotes.

An Animal Control Officer will respond to coyote calls if the coyote is sick or injured or if there is an attack or threatening behavior toward a person or pet.

Learn more at ACS’s Living with Coyotes page, where you will also find the city’s Coyote Management Plan, and report coyote sightings. If a coyote is posing an imminent threat to life, call 9-1-1.

CD5 Year in Review

2024 is coming to a close, and with it my second year in office. What a year it has been! As always, there were ups and downs, challenges and triumphs alike, but I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of this year’s highlights in CD5 and citywide. 

At the very beginning of the year, my team and I volunteered with the annual Homeless Point In Time (PIT) Count, in which we joined hundreds of volunteers citywide to get an on-the-ground count of persons experiencing homelessness in the city, hear their stories, and take the opportunity to share details and resources about available services here in Long Beach. The results of the 2024 PIT Count showed, for the first time since 2017, a decrease in homelessness in Long Beach. While there is still much more to be done, we celebrate this progress, this small step in the right direction, and look forward to learning if the trend continues with the 2025 PIT Count next month. 

This year, we officially broke ground on the construction of the new Fire Station 9! This project has been years in the making, since our Station 9 crews were displaced from the old building in 2020, a time that was already stretching our systems thin and pushing our first responders to their limits. I look forward to the future completion of the state-of-the-art station, to the reestablishment of a permanent home-base for our deserving Fire team, and to the improved infrastructure and support behind our public safety services that will come along with it.

In 2024, we also made some great headway in preparing for long-awaited progress in CD5’s Willow Springs Park! With the recent dedication of the large tract of land as park space in perpetuity, we can officially look forward to the larger continued rehabilitation and revitalization of one of our city’s most natural spaces. Additionally, this year we helped secure federal funds in support of Heartwell Park. One of Long Beach’s largest and most used parks, Heartwell serves as a local hub for sports and activities and is due to benefit from some much-needed upgrades. Thanks in large part to Congressman Robert Garcia, these funds have been earmarked to do just that! 

Over the summer, we spent lots of time together enjoying our parks as a community! From weekly concerts and movie nights in the parks, to our inaugural SummerFest & Drone Show at LBCC, to our 2nd Annual Discover LBCC concert, there was no shortage of opportunities to connect with one another and enjoy all CD5 has to offer. I’m already looking forward to continuing these traditions next summer and beyond! 

Though not quite a “highlight,” I do want to mention the water main break and boil water notice, as it was a significant event for many CD5 residents. While it was certainly a stressful experience, it revealed the resilience of our community. It also gave us an opportunity to learn from our weaknesses and work towards strengthening our emergency systems and processes.

Similarly, I am reminded of the challenges we faced with the storm season of early 2024. As the weather turns wet and windy once again, we can learn from the past, prepare for what may come, and continue to identify solutions and improvements. Throughout these challenges, city staff and volunteers alike came together to help and support one another, as a true Long Beach family!

These are just a few of the highlights of this past year. I want to thank each of you for continuing this journey with me, and for everything you do to make our city and CD5 such a special place to live, work, and represent. Both CD5 and Long Beach are large, diverse, and welcoming places, with tight-knit communities and a sense of local pride that lends it the closeness of a much smaller town. While we can never be sure what the future may bring, I am optimistic that together, we will stand firm in these values and continue to work towards making our city the best it can be for all who call Long Beach home. See you in 2025. - Megan