A couple walks to the beach as a tent is set up between palm trees at Alamitos Beach as the city to consider ramping up beach enforcements in Long Beach. Photo by Thomas R Cordova.
A couple walks to the beach as a tent is set up between palm trees at Alamitos Beach as the city to consider ramping up beach enforcements in Long Beach. Photo by Thomas R Cordova.

Faced with growing concern over trash, drug use and homeless encampments on the beaches in Long Beach, the City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to direct the city to look at new ways it can ramp up enforcement against beach violations and work on homeless outreach.

The effort comes after a junior lifeguard stepped on a syringe on the Peninsula in June, highlighting what residents say is a growing problem of drugs and trash along the beaches.

Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price, who proposed the plan, said her district has seen an increase in trash from homeless encampments, noting that the city in one of its recent sweeps pulled in one ton of trash.

While the city needs to continue to provide support for the homeless, it should also enforce rules, she said.

“We have to enforce laws that are already on the books to protect our residents,” she said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure another junior guard doesn’t step on a syringe or another resident or another resident doesn’t step on a syringe.”

The effort will combine homeless services, the police department, marine patrol and several other agencies to better address violations and determine the impact on residents.

While the city does face significant trash issues, Long Beach is one of the few cities that sweeps its beaches daily, said City Manager Pat West. West will update the council on the effort at a later date.

Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said the department does not have regularly scheduled patrols on the beach but does run operations in response to specific types of complains.

The city has laws in the books it can enforce, but officers have fewer options due to changes in drug sentencing laws, he added.

“I don’t want to get into the issue of criminal justice reform… but there are a percentage of people out there who probably otherwise would be in the L.A. County jails,” he said.

While he supports the effort, District 7 Councilman Robert Uranga said the city should think carefully before it considers any new ordinances.

“We don’t want to limit people’s enjoyment of the beach,” he said.