Date: April 23, 2025
To: Francine Kerridge, Director, Office of Police Oversight
From: Wally Hebeish, Chief of Police
For: Police Oversight Commission
Subject: Office of Police Oversight Annual Report Recommendations
On March 27, 2025, the Long Beach Police Department received the below listed recommendations from the Police Oversight Commission as part of the 2024 Office of Police Oversight Annual Report. In accordance with the agreed upon policy, the Chief of Police has reviewed and provided responses to the listed recommendations.
Recommendation #1 - The Long Beach Police Department should consider establishing a Family Liaison Officer position to act as a designated point of contact for families of individuals seriously injured or killed during police operations. The staff in this position should be capable of interfacing with families with the utmost compassion and sincerity.
The Family Liaison Officers will work closely with family members in an empathetic manner and offer resources and services to support them following the death or serious injury of a family member. The Family Liaison Officers will be an on -going point of co ntact between the LBPD and the subject’s family, to answer questions and advise on the progress of the investigation, and to follow-up on requests for assistance.
Response: The Police Department agrees with this recommendation.
Implementation Plan: The Police Department will evaluate available funding options, resource allocations, and best practices to assess the feasibility for full or partial implementation of a “Family Liaison Officer” position to support the continuity of interactions and serve as a community resource.
In addition, the Police Department will continue using assigned Community Liaison Officers as the first point of contact with families of individuals seriously injured or killed during police operations. Community Liaison Officers will offer counseling services outside of direct contact with the Police Department through our existing partnership with the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). The assigned point of contact for family members will transfer to the lead detective once they a rrive on scene and have assumed command of the investigation. The lead detective will serve as a liaison to the family throughout the remainder of the process.
Memorandum
Response to Office of Police Oversight Annual Report
April 23, 2025
Recommendation #2 - The City of Long Beach should create a partnership with local mental health professionals willing to provide free or low -cost mental health counseling and services to individuals who have witnessed a police critical incident, such as an officer involved shooting.
The Police Department recognizes the negative long-term emotional and psychological effects witnessing one of these incidents can have on an individual and therefore requires their officers to see a therapist prior to returning to work. Community w itnesses to said events could also benefit greatly from counseling services. Measures should also be taken to safeguard individuals that utilize this service and to ensure the confidentiality of the information that is shared during these sessions.
Response: The Police Department agrees with this recommendation; however, the police department defers to the City of Long Beach and the Department of Health and Human Service for responses to this recommendation. The Police Department will continue to use our internal Mental Evaluation Team response protocols to provide resources and services to our community. Should additional partnerships become available, the Police Department will evaluate programs for ongoing collaboration.
Implementation Plan: Refer to City through Office of Police Oversight.
Recommendation #3 - Within a few hours of a critical incident notification, the OPO staff responds to the location of occurrence. Despite some time having passed since the time of the incident, the OPO has noted in multiple cases that the involved officers are still present a t the scene. Not only is the presence of the shooting officer potentially inflammatory for family and witnesses at the location, but it is also traumatic for the involved officer(s). There is no valid justification for an involved officer to remain at the scene of a critical incident for several hours after its occurrence. The walkthrough of the involved officer can take place more immediately, allowing the officer to leave the area and report to the station. The officer could be removed from the scene following the conclusion of the incident and returned if or when the walkthrough is required.
Response: The Police Department agrees with some portions of this recommendation
Implementation: The current procedure mandates the prompt removal of officers involved in a critical incident from the immediate vicinity and public contact as soon as safely practicable. As we continue to evaluate and implement best practices related to this process, t he police department will direct Watch Commanders to ensure command post operations are tracking the involved officers’ removal from the immediate vicinity. Tracking this through command post operations will allow for a more detailed review and assessment of the process during the formal Critical Incident Debrief . In addition, necessary investigative steps are taken prior to a walkthrough with the officers involved, which occur without necessary delay . The Police Department will continue to work with labor repre sentatives and evaluate this process while considering any additional adjustments which should be made.
Response to Office of Police Oversight Annual Report
April 23, 2025
Recommendation #4 - During the complaint process, the LBPD uses broad general policy descriptions to describe the allegation of misconduct by officers. The department does not have a specific policy that holds typical allegations used in disciplinary investigations. This prac tice is not common, nor is it helpful for members of the public trying to understand when an officer may have violated policy. It is recommended the LBPD work with the OPO to review, analyze, and evaluate LBPD’s current complaint investigation processes to ensure they are consistent with national best practices.
Response: The Police Department agrees with is recommendation.
Implementation: The Police Department will coordinate a single purpose meeting with staff from the Office of Police Oversight for review, analysis, evaluation , and implementation of this recommendation.
Recommendation #5 - The OPO recommends the LBPD have contingency plans in place to ensure scenes where deceased individuals are present can be shielded from public view, when circumstances do not permit the use of the “body shield”.
Response: The Police Department agrees with the recommendation.
Implementation: The Police Department will conduct a formal review of best practices, as well as formal research into current and emerging equipment which could aid in crime scene preservation while also increasing shielding of deceased individuals from potential public view.
Recommendation #6 - Through review of complaint investigations, the OPO has noticed a pattern when there is a struggle to get someone into custody and the handcuff being applied too tightly. We have not witnessed the officers checking the arrestee’s cuffs prior to transport, as required by policy. Even after the arrestees make the officers aware of their pain associated with the handcuffs, officers do not adjust them for a more comfortable fit. The OPO recommends implementing a standardized practice of checking and documenting the condition of handcuffs whenever force is used. This ensures compliance with best practices, mitigates potential injury claims, and reinforces accountability. Officers should confirm proper fit, assess for signs of excessive tightness or injury, and record their observations in reports. These steps should be taken once the subject is calm and compliant and if possible, prior to transport.
Response: The Police Department agrees with the recommendation.
Implementation: The Police Department will distribute a department -wide memorandum to reinforce its training practices and documentation protocols related to handcuffing
Response to Office of Police Oversight Annual Report
April 23, 2025
If you have any questions, please contact me or my Chief of Staff, Norma Carrillo, at (562) 570- 7301.
ATTACHMENT
CC: Dawn McIntosh, City Attorney
Douglas P. Haubert, City Prosecutor
Laura L. Doud, City Auditor
April Walker, Assistant City Manager
Teresa Chandler, Deputy City Manager
Meredith Reynolds, Deputy City Manager
Grace Yoon, Deputy City Manager
Tyler Bonanno-Curley, Deputy City Manager
Kevin Lee, Chief Public Affairs Officer
Monique de la Garza, City Clerk
Department Heads