UPDATE | After this article published, the Long Beach Police Department contacted the Post saying Police Chief Robert Luna had decided not to participate in Beer & Politics at this time.

Luna had previously agreed to discuss politics and the LBPD but when TigerText became a topic he was uncomfortable proceeding until the city finished an investigation into the app and its use, department spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria said Monday afternoon.

Chavarria later called back to clarify that Luna decided against participating after getting advice from the Long Beach City Attorney’s office, not because he was uncomfortable with the topic.

PREVIOUSLY | After a nearly seven-year hiatus, Beer & Politics—the local political discussion series that attempts to hone in divisive or important political topics by connecting people through the beauty of drinking beer—will offer its second event of the year by hosting Long Beach Police Department Chief Robert Luna to discuss the controversy surrounding the department’s use of a texting app that deletes messages.

Set to take place on Oct. 11 at Liberation Brewing Co. in Bixby Knolls, Luna has agreed to sit at the public forum and address the reasoning behind use of the app, known as Tiger Text, and the potential consequences.

Beer & Politics returns to Long Beach after more than 7-year hiatus

The forum comes at a time when the public awaits the findings of an independent investigation launched by the city last week. Gary W. Schons, a former San Diego County District attorney with a reputation for rooting out corruption, will lead the investigation.

Birthed at Gallagher’s in Alamitos Beach, Beer & Politics historically aimed for debates and collisions by pitting two politically-opposed rhetoricians to take over a single subject, be it same-sex marriage or immigration policy or renters’ rights. (That last one hasn’t happened yet—just hoping Michael Clements, Beer and Politics’ founder, will get one going.)

This particular forum isn’t a debate but more of a town hall, with Luna sitting front and center and taking questions from the public.

Beer & Politics with LBPD Chief Robert Luna will take place on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Liberation Brewing, located at 3630 Atlantic Ave.

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.