Support Bureau

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The City of Seal Beach Police Department’s Emergency Services division works in coordination with all City Departments to strengthen the City’s ability to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from any disaster.

BE PREPARED
A variety of activities, programs, and projects designed to enhance the City’s preparedness are conducted regularly. These include various trainings, drills, and disaster exercises.

ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS & FUNCTIONS

Some of the programs and functions managed by the Emergency Services division are:

For more information about Emergency Management, please visit the Emergency Preparedness Page.

WEST CITIES POLICE COMMUNICATIONS

The West Cities Police Communications Center (West-Comm) is an agency formed by a Joint Powers Agreement between the cities of Cypress, Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach with contract dispatch service provided to the Orange County Parks Rangers. West-Comm opened its newly constructed communications center in October 1997. The center is located at the Seal Beach Police Department, just 1 mile from the ocean and the historic Old Town District.

West-Comm is a civilian managed organization committed to providing quality public safety services. West-Comm values diversity among its staff and encourages each employee to take personal responsibility and make individual contributions. Many promotional opportunities for career-oriented professionals make employment with West-Comm highly sought after in the public safety communications industry. The commitment to professional and technical progress and motivated performance while serving as the vital link between the public and the agencies served has earned West-Comm a stellar reputation as a regional dispatch.

If you have an interest in being a HAM Radio Operator, check out our Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (R.A.C.E.S.) program.

For more information about West-Comm, please visit their website or contact West-Comm Director Kassandra Edwards via email at kedwards@west-comm.org.

RECORDS DIVISION

The Records Division is responsible for maintaining and processing all of the information collected daily by the City’s law enforcement personnel. This encompasses all crime reports, warrants, traffic accident reports, vehicle reports, and statistical reports.

This division is also responsible for all report releases and public records requests. The Records Division handles the release of all stored/impounded vehicles, citation sign-offs, adult and juvenile record sealing, and a myriad of other duties.

RECORDS REQUESTS
Police reports are only released to individuals listed within the requested report. Unassociated parties must provide a notarized letter authorizing them to act on a listed party’s behalf. Report Requests must be filed via mail or in-person at the Seal Beach Police Department. Email your records request to records@sealbeachca.gov.

OVERSIZED VEHICLE PERMIT BOOKLET
Oversized vehicle permit booklets are issued in sets of six. There are very specific stipulations associated with the issuance of these permits.

  • All California Vehicle Code and Municipal Code sections are applicable.
  • Permits are issued for loading and unloading purposes only.
  • Permits are only valid for 24 hours and back-to-back use is not permitted.
  • The on-duty Watch Commander must be notified of the intent to use a permit.

IMPOUNDED VEHICLES

The registered owner of an impounded vehicle, once properly identified, can pick up their impounded vehicle. Any issues associated with registration, citations, or any holds must be resolved before a vehicle can be released. For questions regarding an impounded vehicle, contact the Seal Beach Police Department at (562) 799-4100 or our Dispatch Center at (562) 594-7232.

PROPERTY & EVIDENCE DIVISION

The Property and Evidence office is responsible for the daily processing and booking of criminal evidence collected by police personnel. The Community Services Officer assigned to Property maintains the daily security of property booked as lost, found, and stolen, and for safekeeping.

RELEASE PROCEDURES
Property is released by appointment only from Wednesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the exception of holidays. Please contact the Community Services Officer to make an appointment or with any questions that you may have. In order to have the property released, you will need photo identification and may need to provide proof of ownership.

Contact: Senior Community Services Officer Dominic Sarabia

Email: DSarabia@sealbeachca.gov, Phone: (562) 799-4100 ext. 1114

FOUND PROPERTY
Found property will be maintained for 90 days or until an owner can be located.

Finders: After 60 days, but before 90 days, finders can contact the Community Services Officer to file a claim if no owner can be located. Found firearms cannot be released to a finder.

SAFEKEEPING
Property held for safekeeping must be claimed within 60 days, or it will be disposed of as prescribed by law. The owner can designate another person to pick up the property for them; however, the designated person must have a notarized, signed letter authorizing them to pick up the property on the owner’s behalf. The designee must present valid identification. Cash will only be returned to the owner unless otherwise specified by the officer or assigned detective.

FIREARMS
If you wish to claim your firearm(s), you will need to apply with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for a firearm eligibility clearance. The DOJ will instruct you on how to obtain a clearance and the fees involved.

EVIDENCE
Property held as evidence will not be released unless the case has been resolved through the court process or a detective assigned to the case has authorized the release. If the detective authorizes the release, you can contact the Property & Evidence office for an appointment. You must have your report number and valid photo ID when picking up your property. (Firearms and Cash held as evidence included.) Evidence can only be claimed by the person named on the release. Letters will NOT be accepted.

AUCTIONS
All property (confiscated and unclaimed) that is eligible for auction is outsourced to a local auction company to be auctioned to the public.

CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT

The Crime Analysis Unit provides analysis of crimes in an attempt to identify emerging patterns and trends. Staff is held accountable and supervisors work to reallocate resources in response to statistical analysis.

DIGITAL INTEL ANALYSIS
This unit assists the Seal Beach Police Department in the handling and deciphering of digital intelligence. This can include the extraction and analysis of surveillance system data, mobile device data, or the numerous other forms of digital media in which officers come in contact.

STATISTICAL REPORTS
Monthly part 1 crime statistics are compiled, audited, and distributed to the Department of Justice and other agencies. These reports are considered public information/knowledge. For more information on these reports, please visit the Department of Justice website.