Hermosa Police Chief Addresses Homelessness In Community Letter

HERMOSA BEACH, CA – Editor's Note: The Hermosa Beach Acting Chief of Police, Milton McKinnon, wrote a letter to the community to address homelessness. The letter is below.

I write to you today as a result of recent incidents in our community involving homeless persons. We recognize and appreciate the concerns of the community regarding these matters, and we are dedicated to ensuring Hermosa Beach is a safe place for all who live, work and visit our city. The City also is working with homeless programs to find help, where we can, for the homeless in our community.

As you no doubt know, homelessness and mental illness are not crimes. When crimes are committed by anyone in the community, we will make an arrest(s) when appropriate. But we cannot hold someone indefinitely.

In most cases, except for the most egregious of crimes, once someone is arrested and booked, they have the right to post bail. In some instances, police departments will issue a citation without requiring bail for less significant crimes (e.g. petty theft, public drunkenness, minor drug possession). A person who receives a citation or bails out of jail is released from custody and free to rejoin society pending their court case.

There are occasions during or after an arrest when police staff determines that an individual is mentally ill (a danger to themselves or others under the Welfare and Institutions Code 5150). In these instances, officers will transport the individual for mental evaluation by a medical professional. Medical professionals make the determination to keep or release the individual. Police personnel have no authority over the final determination made by medical personnel.

We recognize and appreciate the concern members of the community may have when they see a recent arrestee (particularly one who was arrested for a significant issue) back in public. We want to assure the public that we are aware of these circumstances and are doing all that is within our power to ensure the public is protected.

Please continue to notify the Hermosa Beach Police Department when you see anything suspicious or which causes you concern. Please call 911 if it is an emergency or 310-524-2750 for non-emergency calls to dispatch.

Staff at the Hermosa Beach Police Department is proud to serve our Community, determined to maintain a safe and a friendly environment for everyone, believes in maintaining public peace and in promoting order through fair and impartial decisions and respectful enforcement of the law. We are committed to providing the Community with the highest caliber of professional service. We believe in proactively removing criminal offenders from our community and in protecting all from harm. We do this through prompt and efficient service with the core values of honesty, integrity, and compassion in the performance of our duties.

I encourage you to reach out to our management team if you have questions or concerns.

• Operations Division Commander: Lieutenant Dorothy Scheid - 310-318-0342; dscheid@hermosapolice.org
• Investigations and Administration Division Commander: Lieutenant Landon Phillips - 310-318-0336; lphillips@hermosapolice.org

Sincerely,
Milton McKinnon
Acting Chief of Police