Hello
I am a resident on Montecito Road in the city of Seal Beach. I live in an HOA. We are in sort of a unique place because we have 3 different law enforcement agencies that come to this area. Seal Beach Police, CHP and the orange county sheriff’s department. Depending on the situation, we may get passed around till we either get frustrated or upset whoever we are talking to for them to care. This isn’t the case by the way with Seal. I am very happy with my police department. BUT, there is a disconnect when it comes to traffic issues along Montecito Rd.
We have a problem with speeders and people running stop signs along Montecito. It is very dangerous in the mornings and evenings when trying to pull out of our driveways to drive onto Montecito. Cars are coming from both directions too fast. By the time you look left, right and start to pull out there is a fast moving car coming from the left again. I know there have been accidents because of this. Especially when large vehicles are parked there not allowing to see without pulling out a bit.
I have called the CHP and they say they don’t have enough officers to do “that type of enforcement” and treat it as a call for service as a 1 time call saying, “we will check the area when we can”. We all know what that means.
We get pretty much the same responses from the sheriff’s department and or get transferred to an answering machine where no one calls back.
I’m sure the city can get a lot of revenue for the city, if a motor officer works the street a few days a week. Not only that, it is a safety problem. It happens all day but the heavy times are when people are leaving for work in the mornings and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the evening.
If this is something that the Seal Beach Police cannot handle for whatever reason, can you please pass this along to the agency that can. Perhaps coming from another agency they will take it more seriously and you can get this to the right person. I saw the grant, hopefully we can get some of that. ANY ADVISED APPRECIATE.
Whoever does the social media is the best and should be promoted to Chief!
Sean
Hi Sean,
Thanks for writing from the Montecito Road area and for the kind words about our team. We hear your concern about speeding and stop-sign compliance during the morning and late-afternoon peaks when sightlines can be tight. California’s Basic Speed Law requires drivers to travel at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for conditions (CVC §22350), and drivers must make a complete stop at stop signs before entering an intersection (CVC §22450).
A quick note on who handles what: Seal Beach’s city limit runs along the east curb line of Montecito Road. That means the sidewalk and parkway on the east side are in Seal Beach, but the travel lanes are not. Day-to-day traffic enforcement in the roadway mainly falls to our partners—the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol. SBPD can still help and often does; we coordinate with those agencies so you don’t get bounced around.
You asked why the city doesn’t “just write tickets” to generate revenue. In California, moving-violation fines are set and collected through the Superior Court system, not the police department. What drivers see on a citation total is mostly state-mandated penalty assessments and surcharges that support statewide and county funds (e.g., court construction, EMS). The base fine is comparatively small and distributed according to statute; only a limited portion may reach local government. Bottom line: traffic enforcement exists for safety and accountability, not as a city revenue stream.
What we’re doing: we schedule focused patrols when problems are worst and look for ways to improve visibility. The new statewide “daylighting” rule keeps cars back from crosswalks and corners (generally 20 feet, 15 feet with a curb extension) so drivers can see better. That helps with the pull-out issues you described.
Bottom line: we’re on the same team. We’ll keep using education, visibility, and targeted enforcement—along with our partners—to make Montecito safer.
And by the way, if you aren’t following the Seal Beach Police Department on social media, you’re missing out on some great content. Follow us @sealbeachpolice.
Keep your questions coming, Seal Beach! Email us at askacop@sealbeachca.gov today!
