Hi Seal Beach,
Welcome to 2026, and to our first Briefing Room of the new year. Every week in 2025, I sat down (usually after a long day) to choose a topic, track down the right legal language, confirm the details, and then translate it into something that actually makes sense in real life. It takes a lot more time, thought, and research than most people probably realize, but it’s worth it, because this column is one of the best ways we can stay transparent, stay connected, and keep Seal Beach informed.
As is our tradition, here’s a recap of some of the topics and information we covered in 2025. This is not a complete list, but here are just a few of the issues we wrote about this past year:
• New California laws that took effect in 2025, including changes involving AI and deepfakes, firearms, retail theft, and “daylighting” near crosswalks
• Emergency preparedness: building a kit, making a plan, and signing up for AlertOC and our local Nixle alerts
• VIPS highlights: the incredible impact our Volunteers in Policing Services have on day-to-day service and community connection
• Safe disposal of unused medications, including our partnership to provide free DETERRA pouches
• SBPD’s approach to homelessness, including our Quality of Life Officer presentation and FAQ, emphasizing dignity, resources, and enforcement as a last resort
• Firearm safety and dementia/cognitive decline, including safe storage and options for voluntary safekeeping
• Wellness in policing, peer support, and the role Facility Dog Yosa plays in supporting our team
• License plate covers and why even “clear” covers can be illegal under California Vehicle Code §5201
• Recognizing red-flag behaviors and the importance of early reporting (“If you see something, say something”)
• What happens when you call 9-1-1, including call prioritization and why staying on the line matters
• Online safety for kids and families, including grooming risks and reporting options
• Deepfakes and AI-enabled scams, plus practical ways to verify before you react
• New technology and training, including our launch of VR-based decision training with Axon
• Parking and neighborhood quality of life, including the 72-hour law, why timely reporting matters, and how we balance education with enforcement
• Coyotes and coexistence, including cowbells (no, we’re not starting a marching band) and the City’s coyote reporting portal
• Traffic safety efforts, including what DUI checkpoints are (and are not) and why prevention is the real goal
• Graffiti reporting, and how residents can use the My Seal Beach app to help Public Works respond quickly
• Street racing and street takeovers, why they’re dangerous, and how to report them
• See Something, Say Something messaging during the holidays, including reporting hate incidents and suspicious behavior
And a few more we covered in 2025, so this recap truly reflects the full year of columns:
• Bicycle safety after dark: the specific lights/reflectors required by California law, and why real-time reporting matters when you see unsafe riding
• Modified exhaust and loud motorcycles: what the Vehicle Code says, and why enforcement can be challenging but still important
• Service Dog Month and ADA basics: the only two questions the public can ask, plus why we should never distract working dogs
• Body-worn cameras: what they capture, what they don’t, and how we use them to support transparency and evidence
• How investigations really work (not TV): why cases take time, how detectives triage work, and what happens when cases go to the DA
• Montecito Road / HOA-area enforcement questions: clarifying jurisdiction, coordination with partner agencies, and why tickets aren’t a “revenue strategy”
• Neighborhood noise and quality-of-life issues (including large residential gatherings and generator noise): what we can address, and what information helps us respond effectively
• Oversized vehicles and detached trailers: what the Seal Beach Municipal Code says, plus how temporary overnight permits work (and what they’re meant for)
• “Briefing Room is not a police report”: why emails and posts don’t trigger a response, and why calling in the moment is the only way we can act quickly
• Please don’t self-enforce traffic issues: why “citizen’s arrests” are the wrong tool for traffic problems and can put people in danger
• Wildlife and pets: including a science-backed skunk spray remedy (because Seal Beach problems come in all flavors)
As we start 2026, I want to sincerely thank this community for reading, writing in, and partnering with us. Your questions drive this column, and your real-time calls, tips, and follow-through are a big part of what makes Seal Beach work the way it does. And to everyone who took a moment to send a kind note, please know it genuinely matters. Those messages are the fuel that keeps me writing this every week, even when the schedule is packed and the day ran long.
“Happy New Year from everyone at the Seal Beach Police Department. We look forward to sharing more great information with Sun readers in 2026!”
Keep your questions coming, Seal Beach! Email us at askacop@sealbeachca.gov today!
