Laguna chief discusses staffing and crime trends at police department event

As the Laguna Beach Police Department has faced an uptick in calls for service and in certain crimes the past two years, it has added staff and expanded crime prevention programs, officials say.

Police Chief Laura Farinella and several staff members spoke to about 50 people who attended a State of the Police Department address Thursday night at the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach. The event, which Farinella hopes to present every two years, provided a look at the department’s accomplishments and challenges in 2015 and 2016.

When Farinella submitted a three-year strategic plan for the department shortly after she was hired in 2015, one of the items at the top of her wish list was more staff.

In 2008, the department had 49 sworn officers and 36 civilian staff members. By 2016, the numbers had risen to 52 officers and 43 civilians, according to department data.

Laguna Beach, like other communities nearby, faced an uptick in crime in 2015-16.

Last year, Laguna saw an 18% rise in reports of violent crimes — homicide, rape, robbery and assault likely to cause serious injury. The increase was driven mostly by 12 rapes (an increase of four from the previous year) and 15 robberies (an increase of seven). Laguna has not had a homicide since 2012.

“There has been a definite increase in our workload since 2014,” Farinella said Thursday.

Farinella’s strategic plan called for two police officers to fill a foot patrol dedicated to the city’s downtown area, plus a jail supervisor and an additional dispatcher. Those positions have been added.

The number of aggravated assaults declined from 28 in 2015 to 25 last year, which the department attributes to adding more officers to patrol downtown on foot.

An additional community outreach officer was added to the ranks, as well as two full-time beach patrol officers to help combat an increase in calls for service at the beach. Those positions were paid for as part of Measure LL, which was passed by local voters in 2016, according to the department.

“We have a year-round workload, which is driving our need for those additional full-time employees,” Farinella said. “We are continuously challenged with the best way to serve both the residential and visitor communities in unique and different ways.”

Property crimes, which make up the majority of crimes committed in Laguna Beach, increased about 11% in 2016, driven by 82 burglaries (up by 23) and 436 thefts (an increase of 31).

In recent years, thieves have taken to smashing windows to get into businesses, police said. The department has reached out to business owners, reminding them to remove valuable items from their store windows when they’re closed.

Officials attributed a 21% reduction in drunk driving arrests from 2015 to 2016 to installing loading zones along Coast Highway for easy access to ride services and educating bar and restaurant patrons through the “Know Your Limit” campaign.

“We can’t arrest our way out of a situation,” Farinella said. “We need to educate.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN