Hermosa Beach Police Chief Is Suspended

Hermosa Beach Police Chief Frank Beeson has been suspended pending an investigation of possible misconduct involving drinking while on duty, city officials said Friday.

Mayor George Barks said Beeson was suspended with pay by City Manager Gregory T. Meyer on Thursday, after someone complained that Beeson had been drinking.

Barks refused to identify the individual or provide details of the complaint.

Meyer was unavailable for comment.

City Councilman Jack Wood also refused to identify the person who lodged the complaint but said that the individual alleges that Beeson was drinking while on duty at the police station Wednesday evening.

Barks said Beeson has admitted himself to a local hospital for alcohol treatment.

Beeson was briefly suspended four years ago after he appeared at a City Council meeting while intoxicated, Barks said. That incident occurred two weeks after Beeson was appointed police chief, the mayor added.

Capt. John Mebius, who is heading the Police Department in Beeson’s absence, said the probe into Beeson’s alleged misconduct is an administrative, rather than a criminal investigation.

Before taking the Hermosa Beach post, Beeson served on the Los Angeles Police Department for 26 years.