Manhattan Beach Police Department

If the Manhattan Beach Police Department has arrested or is investigating you, a member of your family or a loved one, one may need to know the bail amount (if an own recognizance (OR) release is denied) associated with the offense, the legal and factual requirements to convict one of the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the punishment a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime.

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is also smart to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement. It can be helpful to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the city’s general demographics, the most frequent types of crime the department investigates and just a bit about the city’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful. This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

Criminal cases involving arrests by the Manhattan Beach Police Department are filed at the Torrance Superior Court or, with more serious cases, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz criminal courts building (CCB) in downtown Los Angeles.

While the City of Manhattan Beach used to have its own City Prosecutor, it no longer does and all cases for Manhattan Beach are handled by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Over the last 25 years, Greg Hill & Associates has handled dozens, if not one hundred, cases arising out of Manhattan Beach at the Torrance courthouse. The types of cases have ranged from carjacking to residential burglary to criminal threats, to DUI, to domestic violence, to shoplifting and a decent number of public intoxication and public urination cases. We have also handled dozens of post-conviction matters involving Manhattan Beach cases, such as petitions to seal an arrest report, expungement, and reducing a felony to a misdemeanor.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department has sixty-five sworn police officers and forty-three civilian employees, making it one of the largest “Beach City” police forces. Manhattan Beach, after all, is a relatively small city of only 3.94 square miles, but with 35,135 residents.

The racial makeup of Manhattan Beach, as of 2020, was 29,686 (84.5%) White (79.3% Non-Hispanic White), 290 (0.8%) Black or African American, 3,023 (8.6%) Asian and 1,619 (4.6%) from two or more races. There were 2,440 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (6.9%).

According to the 2010 United States Census, Manhattan Beach then had a median household income of $139,259, with 3.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Residential real estate prices in Manhattan Beach are among the highest in the state of California. In 2013, the DataQuick study reported that more homes exceeding $1 million were sold in Manhattan Beach than any other city in California.

According to US Census data, Manhattan Beach holds the ranking as the second most educated city in Los Angeles County and the fifth most educated city in the state of California.

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is ranked as the third best-performing school district in the state of California.

In March, 2023, the Manhattan Beach Police Department issued its first crime report, commenting, "Most of the crime occurring in Manhattan Beach is property crime, much of which is preventable," according to the new report. "Securing property by locking vehicles, keeping valuables out of view, and staying aware of surroundings reduces theft. Residential burglaries can be minimized by utilizing working surveillance cameras, motion light sensors, locks to secure garage doors, and locks for gates to side yards. Commercial burglaries can be minimized as well by using working surveillance cameras, keeping little cash on the premises overnight, and utilizing credit card services versus cash transactions."

In March 2023, there were four residential burglaries, four commercial burglaries, five auto thefts, twenty auto burglaries, thirty-three larcenies (including shoplifting), seven assaults (including domestic violence) and one sex offense. All told, there were 127 crime reports taken and seventy-four arrests in that single month.

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles: