Manhattan Beach Police Chief Exposes, Underlines Racial Tensions

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Raw comments from Manhattan Beach Police Chief Derrick Abell during last night's Manhattan Beach City Council meeting raised more questions than answers. Abell, who has been on vacation since August 5 and returned to work this past Monday, spoke live during the City Council meeting Tuesday night, addressing incidents in downtown Manhattan Beach, one of which happened between a business owner and others.

The conversation between Abell and Council members Hildy Stern, Steve Napolitano, and Mayor Richard Montgomery was tiptoed around as well as very direct. What those qualities created was an air of mystery and riddle, as well as perhaps some controversy.

The discussion began when Montgomery proposed adding at least one or two foot patrol officers at night in downtown Manhattan Beach to enhance enforcement and increase police visibility. Presently, Manhattan Beach Police patrol the area in vehicles.

Part of the public comments that had come in for City Council included a letter from Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Kelly Stroman, who wrote the mayor and council, saying: "By now you have received communication from David Slay, Michael Greenberg, and the DBPA [Downtown Business and Professionals Association] all regarding the need for increased (visible and interactive) MBPD foot patrol in Downtown Manhattan Beach. I echo all of their messages and would like to reiterate how very important immediate action is. The City is being tested by its own residents and the visitors, of all ages and backgrounds. The tide changed back in March with the onset of the pandemic and also the prolonged presence of the blue bio tide. Combine that with the frustration of having to adapt to new routines, restrictions in activities and liberties, once so freely taken for granted, and then all the social unrest in June. It's a trifecta of a storm, one dramatic and potentially violent incident away from tragedy."

Another public comment came from resident Mike Jarvis, who wrote: "As our society continues to plunge into an abyss, I thought I would drop you a quick note only speaking for myself. I have lived in MB for 40 years. For the first time ever, I am alarmed by the recent rise in crime. I am sure you know many more very recent examples than these -- 2 young blacks break into a home in MB a couple of weeks ago and are arrested and released (because of the stupid no-bail policy in CA). They break into another MB home the next night and are caught! Last week we were rousted from sleep for 3 hours (helicopter overhead) as a young black man was chased, while armed, for stealing a car. I also know of another robbery at the hands of a black youth.

"Last night, an owner of 2 MB restaurants walking home after work with his wife and a celebrity (who also lives in MB) were all threatened with sexual assault by 2 black youths because one of them was wearing a red-white-blue belt!

"I am not being racist here -- just stating the facts. Our affluent community is under attack. Our police are doing a great job as always. Instead of reducing the funding to the police, it should be increased if possible. Also, I don't know how much appetite the local restaurant owners would have in funding this -- I think it would be a good idea to have a couple of security guards roaming around the area from Love in Salt to Fishing with Dynamite down through Slay then Strandhouse past Rock n' Fish and Brewco then toward Slay Italian. Then back. From 5-11 it would cost under $500 per night for 2 people. Just an idea.

"I don't think I am overreacting but more security is needed now that everyone is outside. I welcome any comments."

While instructive sometimes, comments in public record can also be untrue. A problem arises when those comments are not corrected and last well into the future so that anyone only seeing that part of the public comment records thinks it is true in its entirety.

Jarvis' comments are not 100% true, particularly when it comes to the only race he calls out for the crimes he mentions: Blacks. Men of other races were involved in some of the crimes and his comments throw fiction at facts and create a quagmire.

Manhattan Beach Patch could not confirm whether or not Abell had seen any or all of the comments regarding policing, but it stands to reason he may have seen the inaccuracies, particularly the ones that falsely state that Blacks have committed the crimes called out when they, in fact, had not.

"In terms of the coffee and what happened out there, it is what it is. We saw that. We all heard it and I understand that," said Abell, referring to the viral video of a hot coffee and bloody fight scene in downtown Manhattan Beach between mask wearers and two men who don't believe in wearing masks. "but in terms of that happening consistently downtown, I don't agree with that. And this last incident, I have a problem with that. And I'll be happy to speak to you guys later about that but it does involve race. And I think if you want me to go further, I'll be happy to but I'm not sure that's the appropriate time right now to talk about it."

Before Montgomery reframed the concept of adding police foot patrol to downtown, Stern attempted to understand what was going on, saying she'd not been aware of issues downtown and why did they take so long to surface to city council. She wondered if they'd been reported through the proper channels and in a timely manner.

Said Abell, "Yeah, I would just say this, council member Stern, this has been a problem of mine for some time where people report information on other venues well after the fact... Point is, if you want to report a crime that's occurred, please report it to us in a timely manner rather than a day, two, weeks later and expect that we're going to respond to it in an appropriate way.

"But with one of the incidents downtown, what I have a problem with is how it was conveyed," he said, "and the information that was conveyed to us. And once again, when race is involved it just makes me angry. And I'll be happy to talk a little bit more about it later. And even with the business owner that was involved in this. But those are the kinds of things that, in terms of our city, if we're trying to move forward, in my opinion, we all need to work together. We don't need to create more problems. And reporting information that is either not accurate or something that they have done that has contributed to it in a negative way. And again I'll be happy to talk about it later with that business owner as well. But I'm not very happy, which you can see at this point. But I'll be happy to talk about that later."

After Abell spoke, Montgomery returned to his desire to have visible foot patrol. He "reset" the discussion, saying he wanted uniformed foot patrols downtown [and not CSC staff which doens't carry the same weight, he said] Thursday through Sunday nights not because of anything he's seen or heard on or from social media or any recent incidents. He said cost was not as important as having an officer on foot downtown, indicating this is related to COVID-19 so the city could recoup 75% from the federal government and would apply for 25% from the state. "... worry about the cost down the road. Do the right thing first. All of us took the pledge of public safety #1. This is a prime example of what we're talking about. But I leave it in Chief Abell's hands and his team and city manager and we'll go from there."

City Manager Bruce Moe said he would meet with Chief Abell and gather cost, schedule and implementation information. Montgomery said he wanted the foot patrol in downtown Manhattan Beach to begin as soon as possible.

Later in the meeting, chef and business owner in downtown Manhattan Beach David Slay called in during public comment: "I understand there was some discrepancy on what, uh, believe I told and what happened last Tuesday evening. And that's all I can say is what happened is what happened. Wearing an American flag belt walking down the street, I was accosted for wearing an American flag belt. I had no conflict with them. The police when they came, they knew how irate I was and scared. We feared for our life. What you all want to say different, you saw how crazy these two guys were who showed up. And I'm sticking with that. The other incidents that happened, that are reported in my letter, I see it with my own eyes, I hear it with my ears, and it's the facts."

Manhattan Beach Patch asked the Manhattan Beach Police Department about the incident involving Slay and was told to file a Public Records Request.

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