Press Release – June 5, 2022

Seasonal Increases in Boardwalk Public Safety Commence

Community residents know that with the warmer weather, crowds on the boardwalk inevitably increase. This is good for our local businesses and reinforces Long Beach as a wonderful place to live and visit.

But larger crowds can bring behaviors that require the intervention of our public safety professionals. Each year at this time, the Long Beach Police Department increases its presence on the boardwalk and immediate areas with both permanent officers and seasonal officers to address the kinds of behaviors that can occur when crowds build – especially groups of young people. 

For example, an incident of high school students fighting occurred this week in front of one restaurant, which prompted concerns. But Police Commissioner Ronald Walsh has assured the community that the department is highly focused on maintaining a strong presence and taking appropriate action, as expected by our community.

“This was an isolated incident of local kids – Long Beach kids – fighting with one another. It happens. And we deal with it promptly. Our presence always increases at this time of year, which is natural with the increase in visitors. If we had concerns about increases in crime, organized crime, or Long Beach as a target, we would make it public and we would significantly amplify our response. That is not the case here. We are entering the summer season, and that means bad behaviors increase and become more visible to everyone. And that’s why we react as we always have at this time of year, with expanded patrols and sensible community safety measures.”

Commissioner Walsh is happy to address the public safety concerns of any Long Beach resident or business owner, and encourages a call to his office at (516) 431-1800.