Local News in Brief : Police Squad Scrutinized

Reacting to public criticism, the Long Beach City Council asked Tuesday for a report on a new police task force that has been conducting sweeps of the downtown area.

Civil rights attorney Marc Coleman complained of possible harassment of homeless people by the five-member squad, which was formed to put pressure on derelicts, suspected thieves and drunks. Coleman said stop-and-search tactics aimed at shabbily dressed people come “very close to a police state” and could be “blatantly unconstitutional.”

Deputy Police Chief Gene Brizzolara said the sweeps are popular with the public. Officers assist homeless people, he said, by handing them pamphlets directing them to places where they can get help.