Manhattan Beach: Signs Of Support For First Responders Vandalized

RELATED: Manhattan Beach Shows Support For Police, Fire Via Signs, Banners

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Signs created as a way to show gratitude for the efforts of Manhattan Beach's first responders are being vandalized and stolen. But the team of residents behind the signs isn't letting that stop their original intent to show the city's police and fire departments how much they're appreciated—so they offered replacements.

Still, the vandalism and theft is disconcerting, said Judy Peng, one of the Manhattan Beach residents who came up with the idea for the signs. "It doesn’t matter who committed the crime," she told Manhattan Beach Patch. "Penal Code 602 PC is the California statute that defines the crime of trespassing. A person trespasses by entering or remaining on someone else’s property without permission or a right to do so. The offense is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail and a fine of $1,000."

Residents involved in the whole sign idea and distribution—Peng, Lee Phillips, Lucia La Rosa Ames, Joe Franklin, Michael Michalski, and Maureen Denitz—say the signs have transcended the country's current political divide. "The yard signs have been conceived to have, and do have, a positive message of gratitude, which is totally apolitical and non partisan. In fact, I can say with confidence that it is a message shared by the vast majority of the people in Manhattan Beach, no matter which ideology or political view they have," said La Rosa Ames.

But, clearly, people out there are up to no good and one culprit has been captured on a resident's security video. The White girl is seen stealing two yard signs while walking a dog at night. Another photo from security footage shows what appears to be a White male taking a sign. Additionally, other signs have been defaced with "BLM" spray painted on them though there is no evidence Black Lives Matter supporters are behind the defacing.

One resident, who does not want to be identified, has had a sign in their Hill Section yard since early July. It had not been vandalized until late August. The resident said the family was upset by the vandalism and had the sign to "show support for MBPD and MBFD for keeping our community safe, without any politics involved."

Said Mayor Pro Tem Suzanne Hadley, “My husband and I live on a street-to-street lot; so are proudly displaying two ‘Thank you MBPD & MBFD’ signs. It has never been tougher than 2020 to work as a police officer and wear the badge. Our MBPD is top notch; we are fortunate they keep us safe while we live, work, play, and sleep.

"The actions of a few officers a thousand miles away do not reflect on the stellar performance of our own local department," she added. "These are men and women of honor. They perform their jobs faithfully every single day, and they deserve our gratitude. Chief Abell has my full confidence and support. I would be proud to have one of my own children report to the chief and be on his team.”

The group had printed 1,000 yard signs and 700 posters and distributed about 800 yard signs and 550 posters, said Peng, as of August 23, after raising $985.50 from friends and neighbors for the first printing of 100 signs and 100 posters. That first printing was picked up from the print shop on June 30th and the first sign went in Peng's garden. The group had raised a total of $9,457 and had $1,708 in the bank as of August 23.

To look at numbers, Manhattan Beach has 14,929 housing units, according to the Housing Element on the city website. That document is based on the 2010 Census data and will be updated in about a year, said the city's Senior Management Analyst George Gabriel.

For Peng, creating such a sign was an important statement. "I did it because I no longer wished to be silenced," she told Manhattan Beach Patch. "I knew the sign would help others to start taking a stand to show our support to our police and fire [departments]."

Early on after the signs were first created and ready for distribution, Mayor Richard Montgomery held his up during a city council meeting. He told Manhattan Beach Patch he gave his sign to a neighbor because it is "well known that I have supported MBPD and MBFD for over 30 years now."

His take on the stolen and vandalized signs? "To damage or mutilate these 'Thank you MBPD & MBFD' signs is disappointing and shows the lack of respect for our public safety officers here in Manhattan Beach," he said. "We do not know if the person or persons that damaged these signs is a resident or not, but these actions show that these criminals will do anything regardless of the consequences."

For the sign originators, who have worked to deliver signs and make them available at retail stores and on their front porches for people to pick up, they carried on until just a few days ago. Now, the original group of four—Peng, La Rosa Ames, Phillips and Denitz—have passed the baton to City Council candidate Franklin, whose campaign will handle the printing and distribution of the signs moving forward. Franklin made the announcement during Tuesday night's City Council meeting during Public Comment.

In a post last week on NextDoor, Peng said the group was ending their involvement with the "Thank you MBPD & MBFD" sign campaign. She noted that the group's 12-week effort via seed money and donations allowed them to print and distribute 1,000 yard signs and 700 posters, costing them $7,774 out of the $11,178 raised. The group has decided to split the remaining funds between the city's fire and police departments, according to the post.

"Apart from the merit of our initiative," said La Rosa Ames, "there is no space in a civil discourse for vandalism or thefts. Neither of these two things is an expression of freedom of speech, they are crimes. I am replacing the ones stolen," she said in late August, "but frankly I think we should let the ones vandalized stay as they are. These acts of vandalism say better than anything who the people against our message are: thieves and vandals. They stain their own reputation with any vandal act they do.

"The violence and the aggression in the act of vandalizing and stealing are inevitably self defeating because they do not generate from an interest in progress or dialogue, but from hatred—so much hatred they cannot even look at those signs, and feel the need to trespass on private property to steal or deface them. You can't build anything for anyone on the basis of so much indiscriminate hate. This kind of hate can only destroy and, in the end, isolate the perpetrators.

"I know there are people who have told Judy [Peng] they are afraid to put our signs up and prefer to be silent and give an appearance of conformity," La Rosa Ames said. "I hope to give a different example to my children—diversity starts with our own cognitive diversity and implies standing up for what you think is right, regardless of pressures to conformity."

On the other side of the equation, some residents say the signs are "tone deaf" during a time of heightened racial tensions nationwide and the city's own history of Bruce's Beach where Black land owners were forced out through an eminent domain action taken by city officials in the 1920s.

RELATED: Letter Writer Likens 'Thank You MBPD' Signs To Confederate Flag

As with many residents whose signs have been defaced or stolen but do not want to make their names public, so, too, it goes with other residents who say, while they value and appreciate the Manhattan Beach Police Department, it is a police officer's job to protect, serve and keep residents safe. They say signs are unnecessary. Still others in the city have called the signs a "dog whistle," indicating the signs are an intimidation tactic, noting the signs were put into play shortly after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, MN on May 25. They say the signs are unwelcoming and may make Black individuals feel uncomfortable when they see them.

RELATED: 'Thank You MBPD' Signs Trigger Letter To Homes With The Sign

RELATED: Manhattan Beach Mayor Answers Lawsuit; Police Clear Letter Writer

Said Manhattan Beach resident Ken Landsman, " The "Thank You" signs are a clear rebuttal to Black Lives Matter. This is an almost entirely White race response to brutality perpetrated by the police against Black people and people of color. It is, by any interpretation, a racist act and should be characterized as such. No amount of indignation on the part of these make-believe patriots erases this fact. What is even more offensive is that they actually pretend racism isn’t involved: just thanking the police; and with faux childhood innocence, they think they can use patriotism and goodness to conceal their venal bigotry."

But speak with any of the people involved in producing the signs and they will tell you otherwise as will a lengthy list of Manhattan Beach residents, some of whom also display signs of support for Blacks, BLM and the "Hate Has No Home Here" sign.

"I believe the residents of our community overwhelmingly and wholeheartedly support our MBPD officers and MBFD firefighter/paramedics," said City Council candidate Mark Burton. "I believe the signs are one avenue for some of our residents to demonstrate that support.

"With the passage of time, I think the signs may have come to represent something else. I know a few residents who believe these signs were used as a campaign ploy by one of the candidates for Council and his supporters. Other residents believe that the signs were sponsored by a small group of partisans," he noted.

"My view is the majority of our residents who have signs are not involved with a candidate or the small group of partisans and this is their way to demonstrate support of MPPD officers and MBFD firefighter/paramedics. We should respect their demonstration of support for MBPD and MBFD."

Manhattan Beach residents long have proudly displayed signs, this year notably for 2020 graduates who could not fully participate in graduation ceremonies due to the coronavirus. Signs of support for political candidates go up during election cycles; supporters of a variety of nonprofit organizations and fundraising events frequently put up signs for the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and Skechers Tour de Pier, to name a few. #ChewieStrong and #BarraStrong were also recent sign phenomenons.

"It's so interesting to see the prevalence of statements being made on front lawns and in business windows," said City Council member Hildy Stern. "Whether we are proudly recognizing a recent grad, supporting a candidate's campaign for public office, promoting an upcoming event, or even commenting on a social issue, Manhattan Beach openly expresses themselves on their private property.

"It is certainly disturbing that anyone would disrespect someone's personal property and deface or take a sign. Unfortunately this behavior is not new. I remember when I was distributing signs a few years ago, I would get calls from people asking for replacements because their 'Hate Has No Home Here Sign' was taken from their front yard. Even as recently as the last election in 2019, one of the candidates frequently reported his signs being taken. Hopefully, the recent incidence of vandalizing or taking someone's sign are isolated incidents. No one should feel silenced to freely express themselves."

Said City Council member Steve Napolitano, "It's disappointing to hear that anyone is taking anything out of someone's yard. People need to respect other people's property and right to express themselves. Just because someone doesn't agree with the message on a sign doesn't give them the right to steal it and it certainly won't change the mind of the person it's being stolen from. People need to be better than this."

Said former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward, "After all the signs are lowered, one day they will be, our city should continue to aim for love. That will conquer all."