Ahead of Long Beach’s weekend-long Pride celebration, community members and business owners held a town hall Thursday to discuss safety concerns.
Long Beach has seen a significant spike in hate crimes in 2023, with LGBTQ+ people being the most frequently targeted. Police and city officials attended the community meeting at Bixby Park to answer questions about what Pride attendees and local businesses can do to protect themselves.
Police acknowledged their limitations in preventing random acts of violence, but said they’ll do what they can to monitor the situation and respond to crimes as quickly.
“We’re trying to make sure we’re as present as possible,” LBPD East Division Commander Michael Richens said, according to the Long Beach Post. “Fact of the matter is, we can’t put a cop on every corner.”
Long Beach Pride, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, has grown to one of the biggest events in the city, with annual attendance numbers in the six figures, according to the Press-Telegram.
The festivities begin on Friday afternoon with a Teen Pride Festival at Rainbow Lagoon Park, and continue with musical performances throughout the weekend and a parade on Sunday morning.
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